Safari visited links not changing color on Google search pages

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LarryMcJ

Registered
Something I've done in the past few days has caused Safari to not change color for visited links "only" on Google search pages, which is where it's most needed. This is still working fine on FireFox. I tried creating another user account and it works fine with that...just not with my primary account.

I've done all the typical things...repaired permissions, repaired disk, completely reset Safari to default and made sure all caches, etc. were cleaned out...both manually and with Onyx, reset associated .plist files, history, cookies, private browsing.....nothing helps.

Returning to a Google search page still shows all visited links as blue, as if they'd never been visited. Another clue is if I log out of my Google account (which I have to be logged into 24/7 for Gmail, Google bookmarks, iGoogle, etc., it starts working, then stops working as soon as I log into my Google account again. I posted this on Google Groups but got no response.

This also works fine on my wife's Mac, so it's definitely a problem just in my user account. I know I could just add a new account and use that, but it would mean re-installing all 70 applications I have now installed as they're not setup for use except with my account. I'd like to avoid that and find the actual culprit. BTW, this worked fine for a long time...just quit working about a week ago, but it wasn't in conjunction with any new hardware or software.

Larry
 
First of all use Safari and Empty the cache. Open Safari, go to it's preferences, delete the cache. Then when the preferences are open click on the "autofill" button. There click on the 'other forms" "edit" button and find the Google entry and delete it.
 
Thanks, Satcomer...but as my post said I'd already cleared everything out of Safari...both manually and using Onyx. I never had an entries in Autofill because it's always been turned off since I use 1Password.

Unfortunately, this is a little more complex than just emptying out the normal items to clear up an app's problems. I'll probably end just just wiping the drive and reinstallng OS X. I've been plagued with this now for a couple of weeks and tried all there is to try. Thanks for trying.

Larry
 
'twould be some overkill to wipe and reinstall just because Google is acting up for you....

Have you tried simply removing the cookies for anything google?
 
Please don't take offense...but read my original post...I've done all these things.

"I've done all the typical things...repaired permissions, repaired disk, completely reset Safari to default and made sure all caches, etc. were cleaned out...both manually and with Onyx, reset associated .plist files, history, cookies, private browsing.....nothing helps."

I've spent the last 20 years in the computing industry, and I've just never seen anything like this. With 70 apps to reinstall it would waste a couple of days either with a clean install or even a new user account and then installing them all to that account, but how can you live doing Google searches when you come back to the page and the links you've visited haven't changed color to let you know you've already been to those links? You can't :-(

I'll give it a few more days of searching and then just do the inevitable. Thanks.

Larry
 
Please don't get angry. We've all been there: You just *know* you've done everything that needs to be done, yet somehow you've probably missed one tiny little thing. Drives you mad. But people are just trying to help. :)

I've reread your post and think you've mentioned that it works if you're logged out of your google account. So the problem only arises as long as you're using your google account.

Therefore, imho, it can only be one of the following things or a combination thereof:

1.) CSS
2.) Safari version
3.) Google preferences

Btw.: Have you _tried_ using a test account on that specific computer? You've mentioned using your wife's Mac, but that's not the same thing, really, since your computer doesn't necessarily have the exact same version of every application/file/setting/system utility. Only using a different user account on the _same_ computer can tell you whether it's in your user folder or with the system/app.
 
LarryMcJ said:
Thanks, Satcomer...but as my post said I'd already cleared everything out of Safari...both manually and using Onyx. I never had an entries in Autofill because it's always been turned off since I use 1Password.
Click to expand...

Well Onyx and others like it don't clear the saved passwords and such. So doing my suggestion of manually replacing all the Google saved passwords file I mentioned. Then do a Spotlight search for the word Google to find anything that has it to move those files to see which one is causing the problem. Plus some Internet Plug-Ins (/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/) & third party Safari add-ons can cause havoc. Make sure the recent 1PassWord update didn't cause the problem.
 
@fryke: Oh, I would never get angry about something like this :) I just didn't want Satcomer to, though, as I had previously mentioned the things I'd done.

Seriously, I just retired from 20 years in the computing industry and am very experienced in computing, both Windows and Mac, and web development...which certainly doesn't make me an expert in anything and just as prone to missing something as anyone :)

That said, though...I've tried removing everything manually more than once, and also checked for any Safari plugins (there aren't any)...closed down every app and even all processes that aren't necessary.

My first guess was a CSS issue, and that may still be the problem, but I created a simply style sheet that forces visited links to change colors and pointed Safari to it. This did nothing also, which is why I think the culprit may either in CSS or somewhere in my home folder, or both.

It also occurs if I update Safari to the beta 4 version...tried going back and forth...nothing. Am currently in the beta 4 version. One of the other first things I did was a Spotlight and Finder search for anything with "google" included...but found nothing suspect at all. I also do not have Google Desktop installed on this machine.

I sincerely appreciate everyone's efforts in trying to solve this. I just poured another cup of Starbucks, it's raining and I can't play golf...so I'll be chasing this puppy all day :)

I think it's key that this does not occur when I use a test admin account on this same machine...only when I'm in my primary admin account. That, to me, says the cause has to be in my home folder.

Larry
 
...forgot to mention that I've also checked my Google online preferences, tried making what few changes that are possible there...no luck.

Larry
 
More detective work...

In Safari, I opened the list of cookies, then filtered on "google" and it showed 11 cookies. I tried deleting them one at a time, but even after deleting all 11 the problem was still apparent. It is definitely toggled on/off when I sign out of my primary google page...the one you go to for signing into google.com/ig.

I also use a Google Apps account, but this seems to have no affect on the problem at all. It can be on or off and the links will change color still only if my main Google account is turned on or off.

I suppose I could just live without using the main Google account...or just turn it off each time I used Picasa Web Albums, but I really enjoy the Google homepage and am a big fan of keeping my Google Bookmarks there so I don't have to use either of my browsers for bookmarks. I'd rather just find the culprit.

Larry
 
Important update. I just tried something and discovered I had some incorrect information in my initial post. When I said this worked properly when using a new, clean test admin account...that was inaccurate. What I was doing was creating the account, then trying the links, which did, in fact, work...but only because I hadn't signed into my Google account. When I signed into my Google account from this Test admin account...same problem with the visited links.

Now, it gets more complex. I have another Google account, so I signed out of the one giving me the problem and signed into the other account. Now the the links work fine. Not sure if the following has anything to do with this, but my Google apps account is for the domain of mcjunkin.net, and my email is xxx@mcjunkin.net. Since Google apps doesn't work with all the other Google things, like Picasa, Bookmarks, anything on their page of a zillion things Google, I had to create a Google account for these other Google products, using the login of xxx@mcjunkin.net (so pics could be sent from Picasa fom my actual email address), but NOT configure that account for Gmail, since I was using the Gmail in my Google Apps account.

I think the issue certainly lies in Google itself, the cookies, being logged in to the problematic account...something, but it's starting to become more bother than it's worth.
 
I didn't actually solve this one...but I did make it go away. I switched back to my original Google account and everything works. The settings are identical, so I don't know why both don't work...but at least my visited links now work in Safari. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
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