How to Disable AVG Safe Search in Firefox

AVG 8 was recently released and it contains a lot of neat features that many users will find useful. One of those features is AVG AntiVirus Safe Search. This add-on for Firefox is inteded to help users safely stay away from websites that have been identified as potentially harmful. Unfortunately, some users may find the Safe Search feature annoying when using search engine websites such as Google or Yahoo. Some people have complained that AVG Safe Search causes Firefox to crash or perform slowly.

I tested AVG Safe Search on two different computer systems running Windows XP connected to a broadband internet connection. I had no problems except for a slight delay when loading the pages in Google and Yahoo as the AVG Safe Search examined the links on the search results pages. In the end, I decided to disable AVG Safe Search after the test period was over. This article will describe how to disable AVG Safe Search in Mozilla Firefox 2.0.

AVG and Firefox Software Versions

When describing this article, we’ll be using AVG AntiVirus 8.0 and Firefox 2.0 on PC running Windows XP. The steps should be very similar regardless of which software versions you have installed. AVG AntiVirus and Firefox are both available as free downloads by visiting the links on our downloads page.

How to Disable AVG Safe Search in Firefox

1. Open a Firebox browser window by double-clicking the Firefox icon on your desktop or by selecting Firefox from the Windows Start Menu:
2. Start > Programs > Mozilla Firefox > Mozilla Firefox
3. Find the “Tools” menu at the top of the browser window and select “Add-ons”.
4. Click on the “Extensions” icon to make sure you’re in the correct option menu.
5. Locate “AVG Safe Search” and click on the containing line to highlight and select the add-on.
6. Click the “Disable” button and close the Add-ons window.
7. Close down any Firefox windows you may have open.
8. That’s It – You’re Done!

After you restart Firefox, you should notice that the AVG Safe Search icons have now disappeared from your links in Google and Yahoo.

Bob Barcus

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Bob Barcus is a website design and computer repair guru with more than 15 years of hands-on experience. He lives and works in Argos, Indiana and is the founder of Apheus Solutions, LLC.