Firefox stuck on Ask

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For some reason my Firefox now uses Ask as default search engine. I prefer Google. However, deleting Ask and making Google default in Firefox is only a temporary fix; when I restart Firefox, Ask is back as default engine. When I delete Ask in Firefox settings, it still comes back. When I upgraded to FF10, Ask shows up as default. Any ideas on how to fix this?

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Have you checked to see if the Ask toolbar might have been installed. You can use an uninstaller to remove this toolbar if it is there. I would also try to see if there is an Ask extension (or whatever it’s called in FF) and delete that.

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Additionally, in Firefox type in about:config in the address bar, promise to be careful and in the filter at the top the following page, type in search – that should give you a way of setting the default and current search engine and removing any that point to Ask. But do be careful.

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You can also try to remove it the hard way – simply locate the Ask folders under Program Files or under Firefox, and rename the folders.

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Just go to Control Panel -> Remove Programs; find the ask toolbar &N remove it. its gone, never to return

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Thanks for suggestions. However, none worked.
1. There is no Ask toolbar, extension, or other add-on that I could find. 2. There is no Ask program that Control Panel could find. 3. Resetting with about:config does not help.
I vaguely remember some kind of Ask install piggybacking on another install (I hate that). My guess is that I have some kind of stealth install here, like a virus.

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Upon further searching of Firefox help, found what appears to be the solution:
Use about:config
Reset three items: keyword.URL, browser.search.defaultenginename, browser.search.selectedEngine
Then close the about:config tab and Restart Firefox.

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Fix (above) mostly works. But every once in a while Ask sneaks back in.

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The Ask toolbar is often rebranded, it should be listed in add/remove as some random name toolbar though.

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