I'm not a complicated gal... really I'm not.

But I am a grumpy gal when things don't behave they way they should.

Like my Google Search Preferences.

Take yesterday, for example. About 10:30 a.m. I reset my search preferences... prefer pages written in English, display 30 results per page and open search results in a new browser window... click the SAVE PREFERENCES button and I'm off & runnin'. That's it. Easy peasy, right?

Twice yesterday I had to re-reset these preferences. And again this morning. It doesn't seem to matter whether I use a new "tab" or a new browser window, whether I've shut down all open browser windows or I have six open at once... I'll randomly head to Google to look something up and **POOF!**, my Search Preferences are back to the defaults.

This has been going on for several weeks, and it's driving me crazy.

I'm running a Dell Netbook Inspiron 1011, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (OSV 5.1.2600)... Internet Explorer 8 (v8.0.6xx)... McAfee Security Center... cookies are enabled, updates are turned on... other than updates none of these components/settings have been changed in over six months.

Any idea what's going on and how to maintain my Google Search Preferences before I go even more bah-zonkers?

Thanks,
  *CJ

I don't know whether knowing will help, but do your preferences stick at all, or do they stick for some period of time and then they've suddenly changed back, or...? Also does your browser maybe have any toolbar installed which might affect your Google preferences? Do you use any other Google tools (like desktop search, or desktop gadgets, or...) that might be changing them, or is anybody else using your computer doing something that might?
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Stephen

quote:

Originally posted by Stephen:
I don't know whether knowing will help, but do your preferences stick at all, or do they stick for some period of time and then they've suddenly changed back, or...? Also does your browser maybe have any toolbar installed which might affect your Google preferences? Do you use any other Google tools (like desktop search, or desktop gadgets, or...) that might be changing them, or is anybody else using your computer doing something that might?
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Stephen

Good questions...

[D]o your preferences stick at all, or do they stick for some period of time and then they've suddenly changed back, or...?

I'm not sure if 'time is a factor, mostly because some days I'll hit Google once or twice, and other days I'll hit it a dozen times, not including Google is my home/start page when I start up IE 8. My preferences will stick as long as the window/tab wherein I re-reset 'em is still open, but if I shut down IE 8 altogether, or open a new window or tab (even with the re-reset window/tab still open), it's a crap shoot as to whether my settings will remain.

Also does your browser maybe have any toolbar installed which might affect your Google preferences?

No major (Yahoo, Google, etc.) or minor add-on tool bars. I hate 'em w/ a passion and refuse 'em at every turn.

Do you use any other Google tools (like desktop search, or desktop gadgets, or...) that might be changing them...?

Nope. It's just me and http://www.google.com, nothing else.

...is anybody else using your computer doing something that might [be changing them]?

Not unless one of the cats has developed an opposing thumb.

*CJ

Google has this help page for the problem:

http://www.google.com/support/....py?hl=en&answer=533

The gist is that cookies hold your search preferences. So either they're being cleared away automatically or blocked by something else, or they're corrupt. If the Google suggestions don't apply to your situation, clear the cookies and the browser cache and see if that does the trick.

Also, if any file doesn't get stored properly on your hard drive, such as these cookies, your hard drive structure could be corrupt. Run chkdsk /f on the hard drive. Can't hurt, might help.

Or switch to a different browser, like Firefox...

Jeff/CompGuy

Oh, since it's a Google question I have to add this at the end...it's THE LAW!
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Do we have your cat's permission to send information about his thumbs to our research center? The information is private and will not be shared with other cats.

 
Thanks, Jeff...

I'd seen some sorta instructions that -started- with using REGEDIT and that was totally unacceptable... yours seem MUCH safer to step through.

My privacy settings were set to LOW, so I reset 'em to MEDIUM per the instructions, then I cleared my TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES (this seemed to take a looooong time... like close to two minutes... hmmmmm), per the instructions.

I just reset my Search Preferences and we'll see if that does it... I'm reluctant to clear my cookies 'cause it's like breakin' in a brand-new system... burdensome to say the least. But I will if what I've done so far doesn't fix the problem.

Thanks for giving me a good lead on how to fix the problem.

*CJ

I thought it was possible to selectively delete individual cookies, but I don't see that in IE8. (Maybe I was thinking of Firefox.) But the at least partial good news is that IE8 has a setting which enables you to preserve the cookies and temporary files of your favorite (i.e., bookmarked) web sites while deleting all the rest. So you could use that to clear your Google cookies without losing everything, assuming everything you want to save is bookmarked.
Tools > Internet Options > General > (Browsing history) Delete... > Preserve Favorites website data
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Stephen

 
FWIW...

So far, so good. I haven't had to reset my Google Search Preferences since I cleared my Temp Internet Files.

Thanks for holdin' m'hand through this one.

*CJ