Find in page sound not working
Up until a few days ago, whenever I was typing something with the "find in page" function, a sound would be played when no matches were found (when the search box turns red).
This was very useful to me, as I would not have to watch the search box while typing.
Now, no sound is played anymore.
I have not changed any settings in about:config, but I can see, that the sound that should be played is called "beep" (it's the accessibility.typeaheadfind.soundURL key).
My version of Firefox is 55.0.3 (32 bit).
My search settings are set so that the search box automatically pops up when I type on a page.
Does anybody else have this problem, and does anybody know how to solve it?
jakobkramer trɔe
All Replies (12)
Firefox itself has no sounds. It may have come from an add-on.
Do you have a WAV file in the location used to store the sound file named beep.wav?
Otherwise you can try to link the pref to a valid WAV file to see if that works.
OK. I have been exploring the problem, and have been able to pinpoint it further. The behaviour of Firefox is VERY strange though. I vill explain:
1. The problem seems to be caused by an extension named Blocksite Plus. It's a very simple blacklist that prevents access to sites you specify, and I installed it a while back. It is not compatible with Firefox 57, though, so I decided to deactivate it. It's located here: https://addons.mozilla.org/da/firefox/addon/blocksiteplus/?src=api
2. Whenever Blocksite Plus is deactivated, the find as you type sound disappears. When reactivated, it returns. I tried completely removing Blocksite Plus (including it's settings in about:config that it didn't remove itself), but this does not solve the problem. No sound. As soon as I reinstall the extension, the sound is back.
3. BUT WAIT! It gets stranger! I then tried making a completely new profile. Even with this profile completely new, there is no sound.
4. I then did a clean install of Firefox (uninstalled, removed the Mozilla folders in appdata roaming and local, reinstalled). I did this two times (first the 64 bit version, then the 32 bit version). With these completely clean installs, there still was no sound.
5. As soon as I make a new profile, copy the contents of my old profile to it and install Blocksite Plus, the sound is back and works as it should (but not before Blocksite Plus has been installed).
This has me very confused. I can understand how an extension can mess with Firefox, but I can not see, why a clean install should not work.
Are there any additional settings for Firefox that needs to be removed to make a COMPLETELY clean install?
Added info: If I have the working profile (with Blocksite Plus installed and sound working), and I then create a NEW profile in the profile manager, this new profile does not have sound when I use Find in page.
If, however, I install Blocksite Plus in the new profile, and this is the ONLY change I make in the otherwise completely new profile, the sound works.
Can any of you please test whether you have sound in Find in page searches in a completely new profile?
All this seems to me, that there may be a bug in Firefox itself so it doesn't play sounds, and that the blocksite plus extension in some way changes a setting to it's (working) state the way it was in earlier versions of firefox.
OK, last entry for now, promise.
I hijacked my wife's laptop that has Firefox installed (version 55.0.3 as mine), but doesn't have the Blocksite Plus extension installed and never had.
On the laptop the sound doesn't work either!
I doublechecked that the sound was on (I played a youtube video in Firefox) and that the settings for typeaheadfind in about:config were unmodified.
To me, this seems to be a bug in the newest (and perhaps earlier) version(s) of Firefox, that Blocksite Plus somehow fixes by accident, and that I only now discovered when I deactivated the extension, but I would like confirmation on this.
Hi FredMcD
Thanks for replying.
I know that Firefox doesn't have sounds of its own, but it does make use of for instance the system beep in connection the Find in page function. It is also possible to define a path to a Wav sound of your own. All this is in the accessibility.typeaheadfind.soundURL key
This used to work (and the key is still present in about:config), but in the latest build it doesn't work anymore (please take a look at my posts above for details).
It would be a big help if someone can try the find in page function with Firefox 55.0.3 to see whether the sound works on their computer.
I have tested it on two different computers where the sound doesn't work.
You have not answered cor-el's question yet .....
If on both devices you have checked these settings in about:config :
accessibility.typeaheadfind.soundURL
If set to beep, will play a system beep sound on failed find matches. If set to empty string (read nothing), will disable the sound completely. If set to path to wave file, will play that wav file instead.
You could consider filing a bug report : https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/
Hi
Sorry for not replying in details to cor-el's question.
I have checked accessibility.typeaheadfind.soundURL on both devices (including accessibility.typeaheadfind.enablesound set to true)
On both devices they are set to beep which is a standard system sound for Windows.
On both devices I have then cheked that this standard system sound is active/defined and works on windows.
I have not tried setting it to empty string, since I want the sound, not turn it off.
On one device (my own) I have tried defining a path to a wav file. This did not solve the problem (no sound).
jakobkramer said
On one device (my own) I have tried defining a path to a wav file. This did not solve the problem (no sound).
What's really weird : it works when you have that Blocksite Plus enabled (which, by the way, hasn't been updated since 2012). Makes me wonder what exactly it is that's being blocked by the extension.
By the way : does this feature work when you use an other browser ?
Unless somebody else comes up with a brilliant idea, you could consider filing a bug report.
Happy112 trɔe
I will probably file a bug report.
What Blocksite exactly does has me wondering too, but I don't know much about extension programming, so...
I haven't tried whether other browsers (Chrome, Edge etc.) have a similar feature (find in page with sound). I really enjoy using Firefox, so this is my focus.
Anyway - for now I have re-enabled Blocksite, so at least it will work until Firefox 57 - and perhaps the bug report will result in the problem being solved.
jakobkramer said
What Blocksite exactly does has me wondering too, but I don't know much about extension programming, so...
You must have had a reason for installing it ...... (?) Oh well, it serves a purpose now !
I haven't tried whether other browsers (Chrome, Edge etc.) have a similar feature (find in page with sound). I really enjoy using Firefox, so this is my focus.
I asked, to rule out the possibility of there being something wrong with your device (highly unlikely though)
Anyway - for now I have re-enabled Blocksite, so at least it will work until Firefox 57 - and perhaps the bug report will result in the problem being solved.
Very wise decision ! Good luck !