Bad search

I am not able to use the search fuction in Netscape. I deleted netscape and reinstalled but still cannot get search funtion to work. All that comes up is page cannot be found. I installed same browser on my second computer and it works fine. Problem is this is my computer that I use all the time. I really don't want to go back to using internet explorer but if I can't get this fuction working I will have too I guess. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

Can I completely erase all of the Netscape software and user information to do a complete uninstall erasing all registry keys and the like? If so how do I go about doing so?

 

Welcome to the Forum, gettn2old!

Hi gettn2old,

What version of Netscape are you using?
Does Netscape crash when you access the Search Engine?
Also, have you tried the usual maintenance drill:

Close Netscape and Quick Launch:
Delete: Cache folder
Delete: history.dat file
Delete: XUL.mfl file

These files/folder are located in your *.slt folder. See: Profiles Folder Location

Also in the *.slt folder:
Delete: chrome folder
Delete: localstore.rdf file

Start Netscape and see if you can use your Search Engine now.

To uninstall Netscape, you should use the Windows Add/Remove component.
Once uninstalled, reboot the PC.
Next: check the:
C:\Program Files\Common Files folder for a GRE folder.
If there, delete the folder.

For the Registry keys, do a "Find" in the Registry for Netscape, Mozilla, and GRE. That should find most entries.
Start | Run
Type: regedit
Click: Edit | Find

Let us know if you have further questions.

Ramona

 

Hi gettn2old,

I found this information on the MozillaZine Forum, and thought of your "Search" issue:

"Clear the location bar
Type in: about:config
Scroll down to:
network.http.request.timeout
Right click the setting
Select: "Modify" from the context menu
Make a note of the default setting, in the event this doesn't help. You will want to replace the setting in that event.
Type in: 300
See if that helps "

Ramona

 

Reply

Thanks Ramona,
But the 2 solutions you gave me didn't work. I tried to get the seach to work after both solutions but got page unavaliable again. I have tried to install several different versions of netscape but they all seem to do the same thing. That is why I suspected that it is a file left behind by the uninstall process but I sure can't find it.

 

Hi gettn2old,

The GRE folder in: C:\Program Files\Common Files is the most common problem when uninstalling and reinstalling Netscape. That's why it is recommended that the folder be deleted when uninstalling Netscape 7.1 or Mozilla 1.4.

In Edit | Preferences | Navigator | Internet Search
What Search Engine have you selected?

This is how I access my Search Engine of choice, and might be a workaround for you:

Disable the Search Button:
Edit | Preferences | Navigator

Close Netscape and Quick Launch
Back up the prefs.js file

In your prefs.js file, add this script:
user_pref( "browser.throbber.url ", "http://www.google.com ");
Use the URL for your Search Engine. if not Google.

OR

You can add the setting in about:config
Clear the Location Bar
Type: about:config
Right click anywhere on the page
Select: New | String
Type: browser.throbber.url
Click: OK
Type: http://www.google.com (or the URL for your Search Engine)
Click: OK

Close Netscape, then reopen. When you click on the Netscape throbber in the upper right hand corner of the page, your search engine will open.

NOTE: about:config has no spaces between about and the colon ( : ). It should be typed as one word. For some reason this BBS software, and my PC, put a space between about and the colon. There is NO space...

Let us know if this is not perfectly clear.

Ramona

 

Search working

Hi Ramona

Wanted to let you know that by changing the pref.js file I was able to launch the search engine with the throbber. Now I just have to remember to do that each time. I just wish I could understand why the Netscape search quit working. I now have my netscape back up and running so I can go back to feeling normal again, well as normal as I get anyway

Thanks for all the help and I will know where to come for answers in the future

 

Hi gettin2old,

Glad that the throbber workaround worked for you, but that isn't a fix!

Sharing a Profile between Netscape and Mozilla, or two versions of Netscape or Mozilla can cause "Search" to disfunction, but this is not the case. I will continue to be on the lookout for a fix....

Ramona

 

I would appreciate it. Just bothers me to think that your search can just stop for no reason that I can come up with. I hope to hear from you again sometime. Hopefully with an answer to the problem.

Thanks again,

 

Just a shot in the dark:

open about:config

filter or browse down to:
browser.search.defaultengine
if it is user set:
select reset

Please let me know if helps.

regards:captjlddavis