Windows 7: Getting GOOGLE out of my life

After learning that GOOGLE is specifically engaging in data-mining I decided to get them out of my life (if possible). So far I have dumped my Gmail usage, and started looking through my Firefox-9 to see if I can keep it away from there.
If the Navigation Toolbar is ticked there are two search windows. The smaller on the right has a selection of search engines and GOOGLE can be eliminated. Now I see that in the left window when searching, GOOGLE will sometimes be indicated to the left of that window as the source of the search-damn!
Is there any way to lock-out GOOGLE from my computer/Firefox-9. or is there another browser that will do it?
Thanks...

Hello idahjo,

I am not sure about firefox, but I know that in IE9, you can choose which search provider you want running, whether it is bing, google, or another. I am pretty sure every search provider at least tracks some information about you in order to determine the best searches for you, but perhaps that is only if you specifically sign in with the provider.

Hope this helps

Hello idahjo, and welcome to SevenForums.



Google Chrome - Obviously you wouldn't use it.

Firefox - Press CTRL+Shift+A. Select Plugins and Disable anything associated with Google.


Now click the search Icon and select Manage Search Engines.


Remove everything you don't want


Opera - To remove Google Search, do the same as you did with Firefox, click the Search Icon, Manage Search Engines:


Then remove any you want to remove.


Internet Explorer - Tools/Manage Addons.


Click Search Providers, disable Google (if you have it, I don't, so my example will be Bing.


Safari - Drag Google Maps out of the Bookmarks Bar.


You will see an animation to indicate it's gone:


Now click the Wrench Icon and select Preferences.


Change the Default Search Engine:


Then download CCleaner. This will help clear out Internet Files:

Select all Internet Explorer Related files from the Windows Tab:


Go to Applications tab and remove all Internet Based files.


Select Analyze and then Run Cleaner. DO NOT USE IT'S REGISTRY CLEANER THOUGH.


Then download AdBlock Plus, BetterPrivacy, NoScript, FlashBlock, Ghostery, Redirect Remover, and RequestPolicy for Firefox. Some of these may be available for other browsers.

I use an Add-On called Ghostery and it blocks tracking. On every site I go to it blocks Google Analytics which is Google's main tracking tool. They have a version for all browsers.

Jim

I just did an about:config on my browser and there were approximately 20 entries with google in it, one-half noscript-google-analytics-related.

Most of the remaining entries begin with "browser.safebrowsing.provider" and somehow google is the default. Their claws are entrenched in the internet flesh. Is there is an alternative safebrowsing provider?

They even do the security checks? "urlclassifier.keyupdatetime.https://sb-ssl.google.com/safebrowsing/newkey"

Firefox uses the Google database for safe browsing and that is what you are seeing. I know Norton has a safe web database with a free toolbar but I have the same thing with NIS so have not used this free service.

Norton Safe Web, from Symantec - Safe Websites | Norton Safe Web Lite

Google has its claws in everything.

Jim

Thanks a million all of you. Appreciate the time you spent in responding.
I know totally eluding Google is probably impossible but at least the ^%@#'s are going to have to work on my data-farm compilation, I'm not going to present it to them on a silver platter!

Hey all. Yes... goog is sucking up data on everyone on a huge scale... and it's not just with analytics... it's also any site that has google ads and google+.... by they way... same thing with C-1-A-Faceb00k

Anyway, I'm looking for info on stripping everything N-S-A-Google from FF.