How to completely remove a firefox addon?

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by wutsup, Oct 21, 2010.

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  1. wutsup

    wutsup Registered Member

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    hey wilders,

    i was just testing something with firefox and i uninstalled Ad block plus and WOT and reinstalled them again. but i noticed that they retained there settings and what not. how do i completely uninstall them from firefox so when i reinstall them so that it is a fresh install of Ad Block Plus and WOT?

    thx for reading, wutsup
     
  2. Searching_ _ _

    Searching_ _ _ Registered Member

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    I think you have to check the plugins folder to make sure everything is gone.

    I'd like to figure out how to get rid of the Google search in the upper right.
    I have my home page set to Google so it's redundent.
    I have my home page set to Google so it's redundent.
     
  3. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    Here ya go - http://johnbokma.com/firefox/removing-go-button-search-bar.html - i've already done it a while back ;)

    :eek:

    Now we know why you're called Searching :D
     
  4. ABee

    ABee Registered Member

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    You'll need to make sure they're gone from your 'profile' folder.
    Can't give you the exact path for other OSes, but in XP the default path is:
    Documents and Settings/[you]/Application Data/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/[some-random-name.default].

    AdBlock Plus has its own folder there. (Can't say about WOT.)
    You'll want to delete that/those.
    (Btw-- the 'ABE' folder, if you have it, is associated with NoScript, not Adblock Plus.)

    AdBlockPlus also has a randomly-named folder inside the 'extensions' folder, as no doubt does WOT.
    Which randomly-named folders there contain Adblock Plus and WOT can be determined by looking inside them, in the contents of the 'chrome' or 'components' folders.
    Once that determination is made, you'll want to delete the entire relevant randomly-named folder.

    Then startup and shut down Firefox once. Maybe even restart the whole computer after that.

    At that point, you should be able install your 'new' extensions and have them at original default settings.
     
  5. Searching_ _ _

    Searching_ _ _ Registered Member

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    @ CloneRanger

    You've only shown me how to hide the ugliness in the home,
    you haven't taught me how to kick it out of the house for good.

    It's a trait, a quality, and a reminder.

    @ ABee

    I knew it had to be more involved than simple deletions of one folder item.
    Many times Firefox puts things in multiple locations.
    It's noticeably more obvious in Linux when using find to look for stuff in the 'mozilla' folder.
     
  6. vasa1

    vasa1 Registered Member

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    Just a thought ...

    Given the massive changes being talked about, why not wait till FF 4 ("stable") to sort things out?
     
  7. Fad

    Fad Registered Member

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    I noticed that after uninstalling addons, then manually searching out any left over folders, often there are entries left in the about:config page relating to the removed addon...

    a right-click on each entry and choosing "Reset" usually makes these disappear on the next loading of Firefox.

    Why they don`t uninstall completely & cleanly is a mystery to me.
     
  8. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    That's because you asked

    .

    You didn't specify that :p

    Yeah i guess we're all searching for something in life, nothing wrong with that :)
     
  9. Boyfriend

    Boyfriend Registered Member

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    After uninstalling add-on, I open the following file and remove all remnants.

    C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile name>.default\prefs.js
     
  10. Franklin

    Franklin Registered Member

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    Right click above the url search bar - customize then left click to grab the google search bar and drag and drop into the customize box.
     
  11. CloneRanger

    CloneRanger Registered Member

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    That's what's in the link i gave him ;) but it seems that's what he Actually wants.
     
  12. Searching_ _ _

    Searching_ _ _ Registered Member

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    I have moved it as in CloneRanger's link and as Franklin suggests, but am not satisfied.
    I would rather rip Google out of FF all together, 100% separation.
    I would like to cleave the leach from the host. :D
     
  13. allizomeniz

    allizomeniz Registered Member

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    FF extension settings are retained in about:config which Fad mentioned and prefs.js that Boyfriend mentioned. They will be listed as extensions. and then the name of the extension. Sometimes the name won't be totally obvious. DownThemAll is extensions.dta, for example. You can reset in about:config or delete the entry from prefs.js, either one will also change the other.
     
  14. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Searching_ _ _, I went searching (pun intended) for an answer and got close with this one: Resizing the search bar.

    So, I said to myself: Self, if you can re-size, you can remove!

    Thus, I found the UserChrome-example.css, copied and renamed it UserChrome.css, and added the following:

    /* Remove the Search Bar box */
    #search-container, #searchbar {
    display: none !important;
    }


    Viola! Search Bar is gone! :cool: Now, in all fairness, what I did was to remove the display only. Both Divs (#search-container and #searchbar) are still somewhere in Firefox's code, which I have not found yet. Perhaps an entrepreneurial Wilders member can take the ball from me and score the final goal. ;)

    While hunting, I found these goodies: Customizing Mozilla and 20+ Ways to Tweak Firefox with the Userchrome.css File. Enjoy! :)
     
  15. Searching_ _ _

    Searching_ _ _ Registered Member

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    Thank you JRViejo.
    I get S.O.S. sometimes.
    (Stuck On Stupid) [​IMG]

    I was checking out some of the FF tweaking stuff, basically just a bunch of config files.
    Extracting the .js files and staring at code that doesn't remind me of HTML/CSS, no syntax highlighting, that makes me shake, all nervous like.

    I guess my goal is out of the scope for removing Add-ons.
    I just don't like watching 7 outbound connections every time I open Firefox, most Google.

    Is there any browser whose outbound connections are the addy's I use when I go surfing, no extra outbounds?

    I've been searching, Paleo Hebrew, Greek, Phoenician, old Persian.
     
  16. Sadeghi85

    Sadeghi85 Registered Member

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    Delete <Program Files>/Mozilla Firefox/searchplugins/google.xml
     
  17. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    Searching_ _ _, you're welcome! Perhaps a review of Connections established on startup - Firefox?
     
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