Why Can I No Longer Access Google?

[AndiFlatland]

A few months ago, I started the computer one morning, to find that Yahoo had hijacked virtually every single one of my tabs holding various Google searches that I wanted to refer to again. Although my e-mail has been with Yahoo since about 1999, I chose Google as my default search engine, because it has a much wider range of material, and is not so picky about how you search. But no matter how I tried, whenever I clicked on a Google-headed tab, it automatically flipped to Yahoo. Even when I tried to do a new search by using the small toolbar search box near the top right of the screen, and I could get a drop-down box offering me several different search engines, although I clicked on Google, it still defiantly went to Yahoo. When I tried searching on Yahoo for Google, it just kept coming up with 'No search results'.
Around the same time, for about 8 or 9 months previously, Yahoo had kept on putting a prominent blue box on the bottom left corner of my e-mail, telling me 'One click away from your upgraded inbox' - which I had completely avoided clicking on, except just the once, when I clicked on it by accident (having not noticed that the mouse pointer had slipped down to that corner, and thought it was still where I wanted it to be while I took my eyes off the screen for a few seconds). I was not impressed by what I saw, and decided that I definitely did not want to use the new format. It took me ages to get back to the original layout - but every time I had to switch off and restart the computer, I found that all the several tabs I had open for e-mail had been swiped back to the new format. So now, each time I have to restart, I have to go through the same stupid, time-wasting rigmarole of resetting each tab back to the original format - and as each one can take 5-10 minutes to reset, each restart can waste at least half an hour, before I can start to use the computer again.
I'm absolutely appalled by Yahoo's dictatorial attitude in trying to force its inferior search engine on me, and in trying to bully me back to what they think is a better e-mail format - but if you go to Yahoo help central, and read the avalanche of angry comments from thousands of people who have experienced everything I've had to deal with, and much worse besides, you'll realise that the change was some pointless project that they gave new and ignorant young employees to do to justify their jobs, with no concern at all for the trouble they had caused to longstanding customers. I did not read one single comment that was in favour of the new format, and there were very many who said that they would be leaving Yahoo and going with a new e-mail provider. I've not done that yet, as I have no idea how to transfer all my history from one to another. But I will find out, and I will leave Yahoo at the earliest opportunity - I'm really sick to death of it.
Any ideas, anybody out there? How do I get Google back, for a start?

[Buenchico]

There seems to be everything in your post except possibly the most important bit: Which web browser are you using?

[AndiFlatland]

Sorry, I should have included this information from the start: My web browser is Mozilla Firefox, and I am still using Windows XP (it is a very old, ex-internet cafe computer, dating back to about 2003, which was given to me by the owners of the internet cafe when they closed down in 2013, for having been one of their most valued and regular customers. Although it is getting slower and slower, it has worked very well for most of the last 5 years).

[Buenchico]

If you've got any add-ons with Firefox (such as an adblocker or a Youtube downloader or whatever) make sure you know what they are because you're about to remove them (but, if you know what they are, you can then reinstall them).

To see what add-ons you've got installed, click on the three lines (top right), then on Add-ons and finally on Extensions (in the lefthand column). Write down the names of whatever you want to keep. (You might also need to check 'Dictionaries' but you can ignore the other entries in the lefthand column).

Once you've done that, click on the three lines again, then on Help > Troubleshooting Information. Then click on Refresh Firefox. That will take Firefox back to its 'out of the box' state except that things like your bookmarks won't be lost. At that stage you can reinstall any add-ons you want. (Three lines > Add-ons > Use the search box to find an add-on and click Install).

That will hopefully fix things but, if not, let me know what 's happening from there.

[AndiFlatland]

OK, much appreciated - many thanks for the time and trouble you've taken to explain all that. Looks like I may have to set aside an evening to go through it all!
I do have add-ons in use on one of my tabs, but used mainly to block those annoying ads on my inbox, and it seems to work pretty well, although where it used to remain clear of ads without any prompting from me, for some time I've had to click on the little arrow on the left side of the panel on the right of the e-mail screen, to get rid of that, whereupon the line ad at the top automatically disappears as well.
One more question: do you have any advice on how to install Flash on this computer? For the last couple of years, my access to TV and radio has gradually diminished - first, I lost C4, C5 and Dave, then ITV, and more recently I've annoyingly lost BBC, both TV and radio. They started putting a message on the play screen every time you clicked on a programme you wanted to watch or listen to, saying 'Sorry, you need Flash to play this programme'. But the programme would come up anyway, after a few seconds. But since April, that has not been the case, and apart from podcasts, and a small number of TV programmes, I can no longer get anything to play. I frequently resort to YouTube, where I have found a number of programmes uploaded, but it's not guaranteed, and programmes go missing from series.
Unfortunately, I have never been able to get Flash to load up to my computer. I have tried many times over the last 10 years, and followed all the instructions, but every time I just end up going round and round in circles, and getting nowhere. Recently, I tried a route that I'd not tried before, which told me to install Google Chrome, which has been a dormant tab since I first got this computer. But when I tried to do that, it told me that my computer was out of step with the time, and could not comply with my request until I reset it. Having tried and failed to do that, I got tangled up in a whole load of complicated instructions that meant very little to me, and eventually I just gave up.
Anyway, I will try the method you suggested, and give you the outcome later (don't hold your breath! I can be a bit slow with these things, being not very computer literate, and having been shown various things by the guys in the internet cafe - or just trying to puzzle things out by myself, with mixed results).
Thanks again.

[Buenchico]

Start by going to Add/Remove programs (or whatever it was called in XP) from your control panel. Look for any references to Adobe Flash there and uninstall any that you see. (There might be just one but it's possible that there could be more). RESTART YOUR COMPUTER. (I've put that in capitals because it's IMPORTANT!).

Then go here:
https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
Make sure that the optional offers aren't selected.
Click Install Now.
Once the set-up file has downloaded, click the Downloads button at the top right of your Firefox window. (It's a downward-pointing arrow with a line underneath it).
Click on the name of the downloaded file to run it.
Once Flash has been installed, close Firefox and then open it again.

Then try visiting a site which requires Flash. Note that Firefox disables Flash by default (because it can slow computers down), so in the first instance you're likely to see a box inviting you to enable Flash, rather than the video itself. However accepting that invitation should get Flash working for you.

[Buenchico]

PS: Go through my Flash instructions AFTER using the ones for refreshing Firefox, NOT BEFORE!