How to Access the Old Google Search

John_Keck

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
379
Google has undergone a few UI changes throughout the week, with the major change being a toolbar on the left side. Well here is a simple fix not requiring any modified .CSS or hacks!
To do so is thankfully straight forward, simply make this your default search page:
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=all
How long this will remain available is unknown but it will at least give you a little more time to accept that change is coming.
 
I don't get how one can be annoyed at it. I mean...it was really just at the top before, now it's on the side. All the same functionality, and a slicker look, IMO.

Eventually the old one will be phased out completely, might as well get used to the new.

*shrugs*
 
I am not a fan. They could've just as easily added some drop down menus to the top bar area.

To me it is also not aesthetically pleasing.
 
I don't get how one can be annoyed at it. I mean...it was really just at the top before, now it's on the side. All the same functionality, and a slicker look, IMO.

Eventually the old one will be phased out completely, might as well get used to the new.

*shrugs*

The old one was clean and straightforward. Current one looks like one of those random poorly designed sites that put everything on their page trying to get hits.
 
Google seems to be doing too much with Google these days. They went from being the premiere search engine because of the gung-ho stance on keeping it lean, mean, and plain as it can get on purpose.

Now it seems every time we turn around they're adding content on the search pages, be it a "toolbar" of options, drop down menus, or this new sidebar thing. I don't know what they're thinking but it's not making things better overall, it's making things less plain and a bit more non-intuitive and... well... it's mucking the damned thing up, basically.
 
They have been testing this new format for some time. I know for a few months at least I would randomly get the new format. If I cleared my cookies, the old format would come back. It's like they were implementing it on some people and it was random. I like the clean old format personally.
 
I'm using a greasmonkey script to give me the option to show or not show. While the added stuff is useful sometimes I like the option of hiding it until I really need it.
 
Updated my keyword search to work with the old one. Thanks!
 
Geeze, I have a bottle of Squirt on my desk so I figured I'd do a quick search with that just to demo the new Google image search. I see my content filtering is disabled ...

Anywho ... I like the built in date search for normal web content because I use that quite a bit. Easier than having to go to advanced options. The image and video search seem almost unchanged but I do like the addition of the 'color' based search.
 
I don't like the direction Google is heading. The biggest pain in the arse is auto suggestion of search results, sure you can turn it off but I clear cookies etc regularly, so that "feature" is useless.
 
The thing that annoys me is the stupid menu fade-in on the main Google page.

The new sidebar doesn't bother me at all, I'm assuming its supposed to be a nice looking replacement for the links on the top bar.
 
The url method is less than ideal, especially if you use the quicksearch (the integrated search box in the upper right of most browsers). There are better ways, and tweakguides has just written them up:

http://www.tweakguides.com/GC_1.html

I was even able to adapt his method for the PC version of Firefox to my Mac OS X Firefox; the file paths are pretty much the same in both.
 
But is there one for *old* Yahoo? Its not very IE6 friendly (while at work) anymore so I switched to Google on my computers, home & work.
 
WTF google!?

You frak up youtube like it's nobodies business and now you're pushing this crap UI on us?
There was a reason I kept deleting the google cookies every time they tried to make me a guinea pig. The new UI sucks. If I wanted that functionality I could have used the expanded search you had before, I don't want it forced on me.
 
I did an about:config modification to Firefox 3.6.3:

Look for "browser.search.searchEnginesURL" and then enter "http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=all"

Now It works like It used to, At least until someone stupid at Google says they know better than US. :mad:

Google keep Yer mitts off the interface, I like the old one better too. :p
 
There's also a firefox add-on that gets rid of it.

"Hide Google Options"
 
While I can appreciate the updated buttons and visual styling of the updated UI the layout sucks. It's like new coke; it's different, yes, but no better. The old results system was better and on a standard wide screen monitor at decent resolution it required little to no scrolling. The new UI obliterated that which is taking a step backwards in user friendliness.

I have to ask, why fix something that isn't broken?
 
While I can appreciate the updated buttons and visual styling of the updated UI the layout sucks. It's like new coke; it's different, yes, but no better. The old results system was better and on a standard wide screen monitor at decent resolution it required little to no scrolling. The new UI obliterated that which is taking a step backwards in user friendliness.

I have to ask, why fix something that isn't broken?

Most likely cause Google can do what It wants, Users be damned. :(
 
So why isn't the new google format appearing for me?

Well, it appears on Firefox, but on IE I still get the old format. Any guesses as to why this would be?
 
I skimmed the posts and didn't see anyone post this yet so here ya go:

If you are using chrome and want to get the old search page go into your options under the basic tab then hit the manage button next to default search, on the next page hit add then put in whatever you want (i used google old) for the first 2 boxes and for the last box put "{google:baseURL}search?hl=all&{google:acceptedSuggestion}{google:eek:riginalQueryForSuggestion}sourceid=chrome&ie={inputEncoding}&q=%s" without the quotes, now you can set that to your default search and be back to the same old google search we know and love.
 
Sweet. I noticed that dam thing and it bothers me also. Dont like it.I'll give it a try.
 
This site here(SeoTools) has one for Firefox and Chrome , I can't say if the Chrome version works or not, But the one for Firefox sure does. No more bar on the Left side of the screen, Take that Google!
evil.gif
 
This site here(SeoTools) has one for Firefox and Chrome , I can't say if the Chrome version works or not, But the one for Firefox sure does. No more bar on the Left side of the screen, Take that Google!
evil.gif

I should have said that the link to SEO Tools website that I had linked to has an Extension for Firefox and one for Chrome.
 
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