Google can't remember search settings

prisonermonkeys

prisonermonkeys

Be Fearless
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Peru
Hammerhead Garage
Hey guys,

This is just a minor thing, but it's very frustrating for me. One of the few things I dislike about Google is Google Instant - the software that tries to predict your search strings for you. I find it annoying and unnecessary, so I turn it off. However, for some reason, Google keeps forgetting that I have Google Instant off, and keeps suggesting searches for me when I don't want it to. I suspect I might have turned cookies off or something. Does anyone know how to fix this? I find it very difficult to do work when Google keeps trying to guess what I'm after.
 
Could be a Cookie issue. Looking for the right cookie file now.

In Firefox 6.0

Click on Tools, then select options, click on privacy tab, then click on remove individual cookies.

Then remove all of google ones are redo the settings.
 
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Alternatively you can try and log into your google/gmail account every time you start a work session. If you're logged in, your settings carry over.

A cookie alone should be eliminating this without a need for an account, though so you might want to check on your browser settings if cookies are disabled. Your anti spyware software could be blocking some of them as well. If you're using private browsing (aka porn mode) it disables cookies.
 
I accidentally triggered private browsing the other day. I was trying to print something and accidentally hit Ctrl + Shift + P instead of just Ctrl + P. Would that disable my cookies in the normal browser? I had to log back in to all of my accounts - ie Facebook, GTP, etc. - afterwards; maybe that wiped my search settings in Google, too.
 
I assume that's the shortcut to activate private browsing on FF?

If you had to relog on all those sites, then maybe it did wipe your cookies, but somehow I doubt that private browsing eliminating cookies from your normal browsing is intended behavior.
 
Well, I was fiddling around with the settings trying to figure out how to get back to normal browsing. I must have done something there, because once private browsing was open, I didn't do anything with it. I just tried to figure out how to go back.
 
Coxis
I assume that's the shortcut to activate private browsing on FF?

If you had to relog on all those sites, then maybe it did wipe your cookies, but somehow I doubt that private browsing eliminating cookies from your normal browsing is intended behavior.
Click to expand...

Private browsing disables cookies and history in firefox.
 
I think that's it. Were you able to return back to normal browsing? If you did/once you do you may not have this problem again.

Grayfox: One thing is to disable cookies from the private browsing session and another thing is to eliminate or delete the existing cookies, saved on non-private browsing sessions. Is deleting all cookies an intended behavior of FF's private browsing? I doubt it. I used the word "eliminating".
 
To enable/disable private browsing press Ctrl+Shift+P or go to Tools>Start Private Browsing.

No private browsing should not delete any cookies or history.
 
Yes, I've fixed that problem. I'm not in private browsing anymore. The problem is that Google cannot remember my search settings, even though I've managed to re-enable cookies an saved my settings multiple times.
 
Use Yahoo!? I started using it for similar reasons; Google wasn't working the way I wanted it too so I switched.
 
If cookies are working properly then I got nothing else but to open a google account, log in and tell it to "remember you" so that every time you open google it'll log you in, thus keeping your search settings saved permanently on that computer.

If you're logged in and turn off google instant (or change any other option) that option will remain changed for good.
 
I think I might have found an answer. Whenever my computer goes into hibernation mode, I lose my internet connection. Sometimes, I need to wait a few minutes for the computer to realise the connection is actually there. I suspect this has something to do with Google forgetting my settings.
 
Nope, it's still not working. It doesn't matter whether I have the preferneces set to use Goole Instant or not to use Google Instant, I still get predictions of my search strings. It's like Google have decided they want me to use it regardless of what I think.
 
interludes
It's like Google have decided they want me to use it regardless of what I think.
Click to expand...

Thats google for you.

Try and back up your History and cookies then deleteing them all.

Their must be a reason why it is not keeping your settings.
 
Are you referring to google searching your text strings partially?

Like if you want to search for the word "professionalism" and google will immediately search for pro, profess, professional and every word in between as you type without you pressing enter?

Or are you referring to the drop down list of search suggestions that come up when you type a partial word or group of words?
 
I'm referring to the way Google tried to predict what I'm searching for. Say I'm looking up Lithuania, and I type "lith" into Google - the prediction software will start making suggestions: lithium, lithgow, lithugraph, lithuania, etc. And that's what I want to stop. I know what I'm searching for; I don't need Google to try and guess for me. It's also annoying because Google Instant replaces the list of searches I've already done. So, if I've searched for Lithuania in the past, Google used to remember and will provide a list of everything I've searched for with "lith" in the name. Google Instant replaces that, which is frustrating if I'm trying to write an essay and need to search for specific things. They should be remembered by Google, but instead I get the predictions, which are usually wrong.
 
I understand what interludes is saying i hate that google instant so i logged in an disabled it.

I wish i could make the image search stay on classic view in stead of this ugly new one.
 
Interludes, I think you can't turn that off. The option you can turn off is the one I mentioned first, google searching for partial words out of what you're typing before you pressing enter, but the suggestions can't be turned off as far as I know.
 
Is this what you're referring to?

google_screenshots_16.jpg
 
Well, you can't deactivate that.
Even better, that's not Google Instant. Google Instant is when Google makes the search as you type, without pressing enter.
A feature that I find annoying and consequently deactivated, by the way.
 
Yup, you definitely can't turn that off and that's what I had been trying to explain, Interludes. I understand your confusion, google's google instant description is misleading.
 
http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/8828/disablegoogleinstandcra.png

Ok that didn't work.

But i found a fix.

Through the magic of firefox and adblock plus you can block this annoyance.

1. go to www.google.com.whatever your tld is
2. open blockable items on adblock plus
3. look for this entry(it may be green which is in the whitelist so disable it from that) "@@||clients1.google.com.au/complete/search?*" and block it.
4. enjoy google without what it thinks you want.
 
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If you want to see what "Google Instant" does, turn it on and see, it's really annoying. It's different than what Interludes is trying to do and turning that off will not turn off the suggestion list.
 

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