On Google search engine page, Search settings is disabled.

[up2you2]

On Google search engine page, Windows 7, PC, Firefox Search settings is grey out and disabled.

How can I enable it please?
 

[RichCor]

Try the following, in order

- Refreshing your browser page (F5).

- Clear all browser cache, cookies

- Close and restart your browser

- Restart your computer

 

You might have an issue with a browser add-in or extension. Try disabling 

[KhunBENQ]

Found some vague hints that you might be hit by a browser hijacker.

Can you try google.com on another browser like Internet Explorer or Chrome (if installed)?

https://www.google.com

Check the address field after you clicked.

 

[johng]

Sort of related, what happened to the Google cached version of pages ???

[Isaanbiker]

Set your default search engine

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More   Settings.
3. Under "Search engine," next to "Search engine used in the address bar," click the Down arrow .
4. Select a new default search engine.

If you've tried to set your search engine but it doesn't work, you may have malware

 

How to spot malware:

 

   

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Isaanbiker

[RichCor]

3 hours ago, Isaanbiker said:

Set your default search engine

After having woken up, now pretty sure the OP is referring to the 'settings' link at the bottom-right of the google home search page.

 

[up2you2]

30 minutes ago, RichCor said:

After having woken up, now pretty sure the OP is referring to the 'settings' link at the bottom-right of the google home search page.

 

Correct.

Settings works on Google Chrome.

Not on Firefox.

Presently in states Germany in the bottom left hand corner, and Google offered in: Deutsch

[Isaanbiker]

16 minutes ago, up2you2 said:

Correct.

Settings works on Google Chrome.

Not on Firefox.

Presently in states Germany in the bottom left hand corner, and Google offered in: Deutsch

Then go to the right upper corner and press settings. Then go to advanced and scroll down. Then you can choose the language setting. 

[RichCor]

@Isaanbiker, the OP is describing what google.com is showing when pulled up on Firefox, so unlikely the browser internal settings will affect these particular options.

 

I think a firefox browser add-on, extension, or cached app is interfering with the javascript google.com embeds on the search page and is preventing it from working correctly.

[up2you2]

23 minutes ago, Isaanbiker said:

Then go to the right upper corner and press settings. Then go to advanced and scroll down. Then you can choose the language setting. 

Already stating English (United Kingdom) on Language and spell check.

[up2you2]

9 minutes ago, RichCor said:

@Isaanbiker, the OP is describing what google.com is showing when pulled up on Firefox, so unlikely the browser internal settings will affect these particular options.

 

I think a firefox browser add-on, extension, or cached app is interfering with the javascript google.com embeds on the search page and is preventing it from working correctly.

Disabled all add ons in Firefox, made no difference.

Have cleaned the cache and restarted, again no effect.

[RichCor]

What happens when you go direct to the google search site preference url:

 

https://www.google.co.th/preferences?hl=en-TH&fg=1#languages

[treetops]

"Germany" in the bottom left means it thinks that's where you are, hence it's offering it in German too?  Are you there or are you using a VPN that would make it think so?  I'm not sure if it's related to the settings issue or not.  Here's another link to  get directly into the settings:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/preferences?hl=en

 

Edited April 1, 2020 by treetops

[treetops]

Are you sure it's greyed out?  It doesn't have a background box to turn grey.  You only know you're on it when an underline appears below the word in Win10 (I know you're Win7).

[up2you2]

1 hour ago, RichCor said:

What happens when you go direct to the google search site preference url:

 

https://www.google.co.th/preferences?hl=en-TH&fg=1#languages

The first screen shot.Then I tried to enable cookies in Firefox.

The second screen shot shows what was already enabled.

Don't know what to do next, please?

[up2you2]

42 minutes ago, treetops said:

"Germany" in the bottom left means it thinks that's where you are, hence it's offering it in German too?  Are you there or are you using a VPN that would make it think so?  I'm not sure if it's related to the settings issue or not.  Here's another link to  get directly into the settings:

 

https://www.google.co.uk/preferences?hl=en

 

Last night I was trying to find an image on Image Google.

I tried to change some country of origin settings to Germany.

Your link comes up that my current Region setting is: Current setting

And under Languages: English

Greyed out - please refer to screen shot

[RichCor]

Take a look at this Mozilla support page on what may be blocking 'cookies' being set or saved. Go through each item in turn.

 

Do you remember checking any security or blocking options when trying to temporarily setting your country of origin? That's probably when an option got flipped inadvertently. 

 

If this doesn't work you can always have Firefox RESET

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-preferences-fix-problems

[treetops]

39 minutes ago, up2you2 said:

Last night I was trying to find an image on Image Google.

I tried to change some country of origin settings to Germany.

Wherever you made that change needs undone.

 

40 minutes ago, up2you2 said:

Greyed out

Looks the same as mine but mine is not greyed out  - what happens if you hover the cursor over it?  What about "Privacy" and "Terms" next to it?

 

 

 

[up2you2]

1 hour ago, treetops said:

Wherever you made that change needs undone.

 

Looks the same as mine but mine is not greyed out  - what happens if you hover the cursor over it?  What about "Privacy" and "Terms" next to it?

 

 

 

Hovering over Settings Privacy and Terms a line appears underneath them.

Clicking on the last two, they engage/open.

[up2you2]

1 hour ago, RichCor said:

Take a look at this Mozilla support page on what may be blocking 'cookies' being set or saved. Go through each item in turn.

 

Do you remember checking any security or blocking options when trying to temporarily setting your country of origin? That's probably when an option got flipped inadvertently. 

 

If this doesn't work you can always have Firefox RESET

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-preferences-fix-problems

I did not check any security or block options when I was  trying to temporarily setting my country of origin.

Firefox RESET, I can live with this problem, and maybe on an update it might clear itself.

What Mozilla support page are you referring to please?

[RichCor]

very strange, the forum software allowed the second link but removed the first.

 

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/websites-say-cookies-are-blocked-unblock-them

 

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/websites-say-cookies-are-blocked-unblock-them

 

[RichCor]

27 minutes ago, up2you2 said:

Hovering over Settings Privacy and Terms a line appears underneath them.

Clicking on the last two, they engage/open.

...so it's just the "Settings" word, of the three, that does nothing when clicked?

 

Sounds very JavaScript / Cookies / Data Cache issuey to me. But you're not experiencing issues with any other website using FireFox?

 

Another thing to try would be to install Firefox on top of the existing installation. Sometimes preferable to doing a an 'reset'.  If you were to try the in-browser 'reset' option I'd suggest exporting your browser bookmarks, as a 'reset' may have you set up as a new user (fresh start).

[up2you2]

12 hours ago, RichCor said:

...so it's just the "Settings" word, of the three, that does nothing when clicked?

 

Sounds very JavaScript / Cookies / Data Cache issuey to me. But you're not experiencing issues with any other website using FireFox?

 

Another thing to try would be to install Firefox on top of the existing installation. Sometimes preferable to doing a an 'reset'.  If you were to try the in-browser 'reset' option I'd suggest exporting your browser bookmarks, as a 'reset' may have you set up as a new user (fresh start).

Correct, only "Settings" that does nothing.

No other issue with Firefox sites.

Thank you for your additional suggestion, but sometimes I'm not lucky.

I have an existing problem that I can live with.

[up2you2]

Resolved.
On searching Coronavirus Thailand on Google, the search results came up in German.
So I clicked on the Settings entry on the page, changed the Region Settings to United Kingdom, saved it.
Results back to English.
But best of all the Home Page back to normal, no other Languages offered, and in the left hand corner United Kingdom.
However the Settings feature still doesn't engage - weird.

[up2you2]

28 minutes ago, up2you2 said:

Resolved.
On searching Coronavirus Thailand on Google, the search results came up in German.
So I clicked on the Settings entry on the page, changed the Region Settings to United Kingdom, saved it.
Results back to English.
But best of all the Home Page back to normal, no other Languages offered, and in the left hand corner United Kingdom.
However the Settings feature still doesn't engage - weird.

Racking my brain as to what I could have done, to enact this.

Thinking back only logging out of Google, then logging into Google might have triggered it.

[RichCor]

I'm beginning to think you're patient zero, as my chrome browser now has the same symptoms (clicking the top two entries in the google search settings popup menu do nothing).

 

Though just now thought to ask you, is the issue affecting the same menu option elsewhere? 

Try doing a google search for, whatever, and see if the google search "Settings" menu options function there.

 

 

[up2you2]

41 minutes ago, RichCor said:

I'm beginning to think you're patient zero, as my chrome browser now has the same symptoms (clicking the top two entries in the google search settings popup menu do nothing).

 

Though just now thought to ask you, is the issue affecting the same menu option elsewhere? 

Try doing a google search for, whatever, and see if the google search "Settings" menu options function there.

 

 

On Chrome and MSN all options are working.

[lungbing]

I have a vague feeling that there are two setting in Google that need to be changed.  One is your language preference and the other is your location,  And these two setting are not together so one can easily be missed.