How to Revert or Disable the New One-Click Search Box Interface in Mozilla Firefox?

The latest released of Mozilla Firefox version 34 comes with many new features such as Firefox Hello, built-in themes to customize Firefox UI, new interface search box,etc. When I wrote it I use version 34.0.5 english-us.

There is another interesting change in the new Firefox version. It comes with a new and improved Search interface for the Search box (or Search Bar).

When I try to search for a term using the Search box present in Firefox toolbar, I noticed the new Search UI which displays search suggestions along with one-click buttons for other search engines such as Bing, Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, etc. Personally I said its interface is similar with Internet Explorer, but Internet Explorer has it at the address bar instead.

New firefox search box (version 34).

Internet Explorer search at the address bar (version 11).

It is a good change or improvement in Firefox, but I don't like it because I cannot manage, reorder or even remove the searching engine even though I can remove the search provider manually from the program installation folder anyway. If you also don't like the new One-Click Search interface in Firefox, you can disable or revert it like the previous version with the help of this tutorial, and bring the old classic search interface back.

Method 1: Using Mozilla Firefox Preferences

Mozilla has added a new Search tab in Firefox Preferences window. You can take help of the new tab to disable search suggestions or to remove/hide one-click search buttons of other search providers.

Open Firefox Preferences window and go to Search tab. Alternatively, you can directly access Search tab settings by clicking on "Change Search Settings" link given at the bottom of new Search interface.

New firefox search options.

Here you can uncheck any unwanted search engine and it'll be immediately hidden from the new Search box interface.

You can remove all search engine buttons and search suggestions which will make the new Search interface look-like the old Search UI but not the same with previous one.

Firefox search interface with all other search provider disabled.

Method 2: Using about:config Page

I'm not satisfied with the interface and function result by disabling all search engines provider anyway. So what about revert it to the previous version and how to do it. I like it because it is one of Firefox' strengths compare to another browser. We can revert the new Search Box interface by using about:config page just in three steps.

1st at firefox address bar type about:config then press enter. It'll need your confirmation to confirm, click on I'll be careful, I promise! button.

2nd Now type browser.search.showOneOffButtons in the Filter box and look for following boolean key.

The value entry of "browser.search.showOneOffButtons" would be set to true by default. Double-click on it or right-click on it and select "Toggle" to change the value. The value has to be set to false.

For example like the image below.

change browser.search.showOneOffButtons vale to false

3rd Restart Firefox and it will disable the new one-click Search UI in Firefox and you'll get the old classic Search interface back with the drop-down list psearching engine and you can also reorder the search provider. If you want to get back the new interface of search box just change the value of browser.search.showOneOffButtons in about:config page from false into true.

Now the  in search box interface would be like the image below.

Reverted Firefox search box.

The right ways to speed up Firefox

You can do this in the configuration settings, to do it, at the address bar type "about:config" (without quotation) then press enter.

Then you'll be prompted , click "I'll be careful, I promise!"

All you have to do is set the "value" of  "preference name", remember you have to set them depends of your broadband connections and hardware of your computer and only include some of the settings that would affect performance.

Common to all configurations

"network.http.pipelining" set value to "true"

"network.http.proxy.pipelining" set value to "true"

"network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" set value to "8"

"content.notify.backoffcount" set value to "5"

"plugin.expose_full_path" set value to "true"

"ui.submenuDelay" set value to "0"

Fast Computer Fast Connection 

"content.interrupt.parsing" set value to "true"

"content.max.tokenizing.time" set value to "2250000"

"content.notify.interval" set value to "750000"

"content.notify.ontimer" set value to "true"

"content.switch.threshold" set value to "750000"

"nglayout.initialpaint.delay" set value to "0"

"network.http.max-connections" set value to "48"

"network.http.max-connections-per-server" set value to "16"

"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy" set value to "16"

"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server" set value to "8"

"browser.cache.memory.capacity" set value to "65536" 

note: Firefox is allocated 4096 KB of memory by default and in this configuration we give it roughly 65MB as denoted by the last line. This can be changed according to what is used.

Fast Computer, Slower Connection

"content.max.tokenizing.time" set value to "2250000"

"content.notify.interval" set value to "750000"

"content.notify.ontimer" set value to "true"

"content.switch.threshold" set value to "750000"

"network.http.max-connections" set value to "48"

"network.http.max-connections-per-server" set value to "16"

"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy" set value to "16

"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server" set value to "8"

"nglayout.initialpaint.delay" set value to "0"

"browser.cache.memory.capacity" set value to 65536

notes: This configuration is more suited to people without ultra fast connections. We are not talking about dial-up connections but slower DSL/Cable connections.

Fast Computer, Slow Connection 

"browser.xul.error_pages.enabled" set value to "true"

"content.interrupt.parsing" set value to "true"

"content.max.tokenizing.time" set value to "3000000"

"content.maxtextrun" set value to "8191"
"content.notify.interval" set value to "750000"
"content.notify.ontimer" set value to "true"
"content.switch.threshold" set value to "750000"
"network.http.max-connections" set value to "32"
"network.http.max-connections-per-server" set value to "8"
"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy" set value to "8"
"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server" set value to "4"
"nglayout.initialpaint.delay" set value to "0"
"browser.cache.memory.capacity" set value to "65536"

Slow Computer, Fast Connection
"content.max.tokenizing.time" set value to "3000000"
"content.notify.backoffcount" set value to "5"
"content.notify.interval" set value to "1000000"
"content.notify.ontimer" set value to "true"
"content.switch.threshold" set value to "1000000"
"content.maxtextrun" set value to "4095"
"nglayout.initialpaint.delay" set value to "1000"
"network.http.max-connections" set value to "48"
"network.http.max-connections-per-server" set value to "16"
"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy" set value to 16"
"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server" set value to "8"

"dom.disable_window_status_change" set value to "true"

notes: One of the changes made for this particular configuration is the final line where the status bar is disabled for changing web pages to save processor time.

Slow Computer, Slow Connection

"content.max.tokenizing.time" set value to "2250000"
"content.notify.interval" set value to "750000"
"content.notify.ontimer" set value to "true"
"content.switch.threshold" set value to "750000"
"nglayout.initialpaint.delay" set value to "750"
"network.http.max-connections" set value to "32"
"network.http.max-connections-per-server" set value to "8"
"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy" set value to "8"
"network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server" set value to "4"
"dom.disable_window_status_change" set value to "true"

notes: We have entered the doldrums of the dial-up user.

Shorcuts in Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is one of the most popular web browser in the world and it continues to gain popularity and market share. With this rapid growth many users, especially new users, are not aware of the wide range of Firefox keyboard shortcuts available. These small combinations of keystrokes when used at the right time can be real productivity boosters.

Here are 30 Firefox keyboard shortcuts to help simplify and speed up your daily browsing. Even Firefox veterans may find these helpful.

Many of the shortcuts will be a combination of keystrokes. For example “Ctrl + C” means that you should hold down the Ctrl (control) key and press the letter “C”. Use the lowercase letters not uppercase, if using the shift key is need it will be indicated as “Shift”.

Page Navigation Shortcuts

These shortcuts allow you to navigate quickly around a web page, most with only a single keystroke.

* Spacebar — Page down one full screen at a time
* Shift – Spacebar — Page up one full screen at a time
* Down Arrow – Scroll down
* Page Down — Page down one full screen at a time
* Up Arrow – Scroll Up
* Page Up — Page up one full screen at a time
* End – Go to the Bottom (end) of the page
* Home – Go to the Top of page

Pages, Tabs and Bookmarks

These shortcuts help you quickly perform different common tasks within Firefox, manage Tabs and access bookmarks.
* F5 — Reload the current page
* Alt + Home — Go to home page
* Ctrl + L — Go to the Address bar
* Ctrl + K — Go to the search box
* Ctrl + = — Increase the text size, zoom in
* Ctrl + - — Decrease the text size, zoom out
* Ctrl + P — Print the current page
* Ctrl + H — Opens the Browsing History in a column on the left
* Ctrl + T — Open a new tab
* Ctrl + W — Close current tab
* Ctrl + Tab — rotate forward to the next tab
* Ctrl + Shft + Tab — rotate back to the previous tab
* Ctrl + 1-9 — Choose a number to jump to that specific tab
* Ctrl + B — Open Bookmarks Column on Left
* Ctrl + I — Close Bookmarks Column
* Ctrl + D – Create a bookmark for the current page

Mouse Shortcuts
Here are six mouse-related shortcuts for when you already have your hand on the mouse. These shortcuts include the scroll wheel and utilize the clicking function (middle click) of the scroll wheel.
* Shift – scroll down – Go to the previous page
* Shift – scroll up – Go to the next page
* Ctrl – scroll up — Decrease the text size, zoom out
* Ctrl – scroll down — Increase text size, zoom in
* Middle click on link — Open the link in a new tab
* Middle click on a tab — Close the tab

Keystroke shortcuts have been around for many years and Firefox takes browser shortcuts to a new level. It may take a little adjusting to get used to using shortcuts but once you do they’ll become second nature for speeding up your web browsing.