Customizing search categorie in Mozilla

I am trying to customize my search categories in Mozilla 1.5; I can set up a search category for selected search engines and it works fine but if I close the browser and restart it, my search category is gone. Anyone know how to preserve custom search categories?

 

Welcome to the Forum, subfuscpersona!

Hi subfuscpersona,

Did you select your search engine in:
Edit | Preferences | Navigator | Internet Search
Then choose from the drop down menu
Close and reopen Mozilla?

Did you by chance install Mozilla 1.5 over an existing Mozilla?
Did you create a new Profile for Mozilla 1.5, or are you sharing a Profile with Netscape?

Try turning off Quick Launch and see if this makes any difference.

Ramona

 

Hi Ramona,

To answer your questions: I have never installed Netscape on this computer; Mozilla 1.5 was installed over Mozilla 1.4; I have only one profile (mine). quick launch is off but I have this in my startup menu (running W2Kpro SP4 plus all patches) [target] "D:\Program Files\Mozilla\mozilla.exe" -mail

Here is what I'm trying to do (copied from help file) -
Customizing Search Categories
You can specify which search engines should be used for different categories of searches. For example, you can select one set of search engines to search for travel, and select another set of search engines to search for software.

I downloaded additional search engine plugins from mycroft.mozdev.org/download.html and put the ones I wanted in my D:\Program Files\Mozilla\searchplugins directory. I can set up a category with selected search engines and sucessfully search for a term using only the selected search engines. However, if the browser is closed and then restarted the category I've set up no longer exists.

Here are my search prefs and search tab - I'll post other images that show my setup after this but I'm afraid of making this post too large. Thanks for your help!

 

Hi Ramona (continued)

Here are the steps:
1)Set up a search category


2)Chose the category (a successful search was also performed with the "Dictionary" category with just the 2 engines selected)


3)Close and reopen browser - "Dictionary" category is no longer available


As a further test I did a clean install of Mozilla 1.5 browser only on a different computer (let's call it computer2). I copied my additional search engine files into the appropriate directory and repeated the above steps. Search category works on computer2 (does not disappear as on computer1).
http://home.earthlink.net/~myjunketc/Image7.gif

Here's what I noticed - with a clean install Mozilla already has 2 special search categories, "Mozilla" and "Web" - I see these on computer2 but not computer1 (I probably did something to remove them from computer1).

I tried shutting down Mozilla on computer1, and then copied the search.rdf file from profile directory on computer2 (good) to profile directory on computer1 (bad). Reboot. Restart Mozilla browser - no change in computer1 (still no categories).

I guess I could uninstall and reinstall Mozilla on computer1 and it would probably fix things but would prefer trying a less drastic solution if possible. What would you suggest? What about editing the prefs.js in my profile using about:config? Do you think that is useful? I can post both my search.rdf and relevant lines from prefs.js (the ones containing browser.search lines) if you wish.

Again, thanks for your help so far. Looking forward to your reply.

 

Hi subfuscpersona,

I'm certainly in learning mode today, as I don't use either the Sidebar, and neither have I used the Mycroft Sherlock Search plugins.

Since you had no problems with the "clean" install of Mozilla, then I believe that is your problem. You stated that you installed Mozilla 1.5 over 1.4, which is a big no no. Mozilla 1.5 contains updated files which are incompatible with the 1.4 Release, therefore, most likely your problem. You can experiment with your preferences, but I think your problems will continue until you do a "clean" install on the problem PC.

From the Mozilla 1.5 Release Notes
If you have a previous version of Mozilla installed

Before installing a new version of Mozilla, you should uninstall your previous version first. If you have a third-party extension installed, particularly the spell checker, you should also completely delete your Mozilla install directory before making a new install. Do not install over an old Mozilla version.

Your profile data is stored separately from Mozilla, so uninstalling Mozilla won’t affect your profile data.
-----

Ramona

 

subfuscpersona,

If you uninstall 1.5, a few more tips:

Back up your Profiles Folder(s)
Back up your Plugins Folder(s)
Using the Add/Remove applet:
Uninstall Mozilla 1.4

Delete the following folders:

~\Program Files\mozilla.org\ (or wherever you unzipped, or installed Mozilla)
If you installed from the SEA, then the GRE folder will be located here:
~\Program Files\Common Files\mozilla.org
If you installed using the ZIP method then the GRE files are located here:
~\Program Files\mozilla.org

Unrecognized third-party components will be removed from the C:\Program Files\mozilla.org\Mozilla directory, and will need to be reinstalled. The Mozilla Profile should not be affected.

Reboot your PC

 

Hi Ramona

Per your posts, here is what I have done (BTW, to get to the "executive summary ", so to speak, it was unsuccessful as far as resolving the search issue.

However, here's what I did (on computer1...

>backed up current profile(s) and entire Mozilla installation directory
>deleted "mozilla" using add/remove programs from control panel
>deleted all mozilla profiles (default profile ...\Profiles\\default\v3l69nih.slt and personal profile ...\Profiles\pproperty\du1i6qa9.slt)
>deleted residue in program installation directory (D:\program files\Mozilla)
>reboot
>installed Mozilla 1.5 with all options to directory D:\Program Files\Mozilla\ - see http://home.earthlink.net/~myjunketc/Image8.gif (the last component, which is unclear, is the "quality feedback agent "
>copied addtional search engines from backup to installation directory D:\Program Files\Mozilla\searchplugins and said NO to any which were already there from basic install
>reboot
>set up a personal profile in addition to the "default" profile - configured Mozilla to use the personal profile

Here's what I find - the "advanced search" tab on computer1 does NOT show the default search categories of "Mozilla" and "Web "

Here's the difference between the install on computer1 (still doesn't work) and computer2 (works)

> (re)installation on computer1 was for all components whereas installtion on computer2 was for browser only.

> computer1 has 2 profiles - (see http://home.earthlink.net/~myjunketc/Image9.gif) whereas computer2 has only the default (see http://home.earthlink.net/~myjunketc/Image10.gif)

I have no idea why any of this makes a difference. Do you?

BTW, I am not the only one reporting this problem for Mozilla1.5 - see http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=32703&sid=235d2c2f5512f8ccb4403e01f6f20e23 (please excuse the cross-posting - I have every confidence in your expertise)

Any further ideas? Do you think this is an official bug?

Thank you so much for your responses...SF

 

subfuscpersona,

Did you delete the GRE folder? I don't see that listed in your post, and this is important.

Ramona

 

Here's the skinny - doesn't work with Mozilla1.5 - does work with Mozilla1.4. Sorry, thought I had ver 1.5 on computer2 (the one where Mozilla search categories work) but turns out it was ver 1.4.

Don't know if it's the engine (how it parses the search.rdf file in the profile directory - or whether it even uses it) or maybe the syntax of source.rdf is incorrect.

I did submit the search.rdf file in my profile to the w3.org rdf validator and the validator was quite unhappy but then I googled the error message and found some threads that said this validator is not congruent with current RDF syntax. So who knows?

So is this a bug? Sigh - I really like this feature and wish it would work in 1.5.

Many thanks for your patience and continued input.

===========================
FLASH - Yes! it's an official bug. Go here for the gory details.

 

Hi subfuscpersona,

Thank you for the feedback and the Bug Report! Do register at BugZilla and vote for this bug, or add your own comment.

Ramona

 

I registered and voted for this bug (224382). Does that mean it's status will change to confirmed? I don't seem to have the "can confirm" permission .

 

Hi subfuscpersona,

Look HERE for more information on triaging bugs.

Ramona