Firefox 3.6 – Change Google Search Box Language

You may have a locked or damaged places.sqlite file. Beginning with Firefox 3, bookmarks and browsing history are stored in the places.sqlite file. If the file can't be updated with your browsing history, the browser has nothing to go forward or back to, hence the disabled buttons which look as if you just started the browser. Having the back and forward buttons disabled is a common symptom of a locked or damaged places.sqlite, so that's where I'd check first. See the MozillaZine article, Locked or damaged places.sqlite.

To work around the issue, you can use the parameter complete=0 in the Google address to turn off Google's autocomplete.

In Opera, for example, you can make a bookmark to http://www.google.com/?complete=0 with nickname google. You can then go to the address box, type google, and press Enter to start a Google search session with autocomplete off.

Or you can go to Tools → Preferences → Search, edit the Google entry and add &complete=0 to the end of the address. Then the Google selection in Opera's search box will use Google with autocomplete off.

Test steps

I'm using Windows XP and Opera 10.1. I went to Google → Search Settings and turned off Google Instant.

I went to http://www.google.com/search?q=THIS+IS+VERY+UNIQUE+SEARCH+QUERY. When I clicked in the search box on the page and typed a letter, I could see the progress bar quickly flash in the address box indicating something was loaded. It seems that if I'm still holding a keyboard key down when the progress bar disappears, then the text cursor moves to the end of the search box.

If I go to http://www.google.com/search?q=THIS+IS+VERY+UNIQUE+SEARCH+QUERY&complete=0 then the bug no longer happens.