Firefox Won't Launch

After installing updates for a few extensions - adblock, noscript, flashget - when I launch firefox, it never shows up, although taskmanager shows it is running. I attempted a clean install, as well as all further suggestions at the site below, but to no avail. Can anyone help?

These are the things I've done so far:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox

Thank you.

 

Hi, and welcome to the BBS.

This hasn't happened to me for a long time but, if memory serves correctly, you might have one or more Registry entries fouling you up.

I'd suggest that you do the following:

Uninstall Firefox

Clean your Registry of all references to the program and any nicknames you might have used for it. A good (free) program with which to do this is RegSeeker. It doesn't require installation, and anything you do with it is reversible. Run it twice, as it sometimes misses an entry the first time through.

Reboot, then reinstall FF. My personal preference is to use the Custom installation, particularly if you have a partitioned hard drive, as it allows you to choose where to install the program.​

This should (no promises ) resolve your problem. Please post back to let us know, in any case.

 

Extentions are, most likely, in your profile, but if you succeeded in starting Firefox in safe-mode, themes and extentions should be disabled. If you can't find a way to start in Safe Mode, normally available from Start|All Programs|Mozilla Firefox (I don't have anything there). Otherwise, Start|Run|browse to firefox.exe. After a keyboard space type in safe-mode, so that the path will be:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -safe-mode
That should allow you with Themes and Extentions disabled. Since you did other things, I am not sure that it is going to work. I had an experience like yours, and ,had found out that 3 of my 10 extentions had to be uninstalled. It was a drag, since I did not know which one was the culprit.

 

JSS3rd - Thank you for the advice. I tried what you suggested, but I still have the same problem.

Westside - Neither safe nor regular firefox will load.

 

Now you've got me curious, so I have some questions.

1. You've said that Task manager shows that FF is running ... have you tried ending the process from Task Manager?

2. Will FF start after killing it in TM?

3. Have you tried starting FF with no other windows open?

4. Does a button for the program appear on the Taskbar?​

(The thinking behind the last two questions is that, for some reason, FF might be opening behind other windows, so that you don't see it.)

If the answer to 1 & 3 is "yes ", and the answer to 2 & 4 is "no ", I'm fresh out of ideas. Ramona is the resident expert, so she might be able to think of something.

 

1. You've said that Task manager shows that FF is running ... have you tried ending the process from Task Manager?

Yes. I've tried ending and relaunching, as well as "re" launching while firefox.exe shows on the task manager.

2. Will FF start after killing it in TM?

Yes, it will start again, but only according to the task manager - it still doesn't really show up.

3. Have you tried starting FF with no other windows open?

Yes sir.

4. Does a button for the program appear on the Taskbar?

No sir.

 

I know it's not funny, but it appears that you have a "stealth" FF running on your computer. The fact that apparently it was running normally prior to upgrading your extensions gives us a good clue to where the problem is.

I know you've tried opening in FF Safe Mode (SM), with no results, but I just had something happen that makes me wonder. I just tried to open FF in SM about five times before I was successful ... each time it opened normally, with all of my customizations. And, if I try to open it in SM with it already open, it opens normally.

Make sure that FF isn't showing in Task Manager ... if it is, kill it.

Try to open FF in its SM. If you don't have the SM icon any more, open Start > Run and, as Westside suggested, browse to firefox.exe. If you've installed it in its default location, the path will be "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" (the quotes are required because of the spaces between the words). With a space after firefox.exe type -safe-mode.

If FF is really opening in Safe Mode for you, you should be getting the dialog box shown in the screenshot. If you do, just click on the center button. If not, keep trying until you do, checking Task Manager each time to make sure that FF isn't already open.

If you do manage to get FF open in SM, I'd uninstall the extensions you recently upgraded. If you don't recall which ones they were, uninstall all of them and see if you can open FF normally. If you can, you can try installing them one at a time.​

If, after all that, FF still doesn't work, I don't know what else you can do. As I said, perhaps Ramona, or someone else, will have other suggestions.

 

Rob,

You said you had done everything suggested on the Firefox diagnostics KB page. Does that include: "Scan your system for viruses, spyware or other malware." What happened when you renamed firefox.exe to firefox1.exe and tried to start the program by double clicking firefox1.exe?

If what Jim suggests doesn't work (keeping fingers and toes crossed), then this is what I suggest:

First try these workarounds, altho you may have already done so:

The User Agent Switcher extension could be the problem. The problem may have been caused by leaving User Agent Switcher switched to IE. Open Firefox in safe mode (if you can) and then switch the User Agent back to Firefox.

If disabling IE doesn't help:
Exit Firefox
Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the *.profilename folder
Delete the entire Cache folder
Delete the history.dat file
Delete the XUL.mfl file
Search for the parent.lock file, and if found, delete
(Firefox will rebuild the folder and files on restart.)
Check the Firewall to ensure Firefox has permission to access the Internet.

If still no joy, then:

Move the current Profiles folder to a temporary location. That folder is located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles
Move the plugins folder to a temporary location. The folder is located here:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\plugins
Uninstall Firefox
Use the Registry cleaner
Delete the Mozilla Firefox folder located here:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox

REBOOT THE PC (Important!)

Install Firefox, and create a new Profile.

Now try to run Firefox. Does Firefox start? If so, then you can manually copy these files, from the original Profile, to the new Profile:

• bookmarks.bak - Bookmarks backup
• bookmarks.html - Bookmarks
• cert8.db - Security certificates
• chrome/userChrome.css and chrome/userContent.css (if user has created)

These are User-defined styles and found here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*.profilename\chrome​

• cookies.txt - Cookies
• formhistory.dat - Form history
• key3.db + signons.txt - Saved passwords.
• history.dat - Browsing history
• hostperm.1 - Cookie, image, and extension install permissions
• mimeTypes.rdf - Actions to perform on downloaded files
• user.js (if user has created)

Do not copy the prefs.js file, as it could be corrupt.

Let us know how it goes...

 

What Jim suggested seems to have worked. Thank you very much.

When I launched the safe mode from 'run', it asked if I wanted to run safe mode, or reset setting and so forth. I reset everything.

What is particularly interesting to me is that when it first launched, the first thing to pop up was a thank you for installing the update of the McAfee SiteAdvisor extension. (Which I had done with the other updates right before the problem started). But how on earth did this extension, and the others, remain linked to my computer after numerous 'clean installs' and removals and running the registry cleaner, where I removed all references to 'Firefox' and 'Mozilla'? (It runs once again with: siteadvisor, adblock, noscript, flashgot, pdfdownload.) I'm not sure if you would have any ideas, but that's rather odd, right?

Thank you once again.

 

Hi Rob,

You're welcome, and I'm glad you got things resolved.

The reason your extensions weren't affected by the registry cleaning and the clean installs is that the information for them resides in your profile folder, which is unaffected by anything you do to the program, itself. That's one of the beauties of FF ... program and profile are completely separate, although what you do in your profile can have a definite effect (as you've just learned) on the program.

BTW, does pdfdownload work for you? I tried it, and could never get it to work, so uninstalled it.

 

I am curious why there was a different response. My suggestion was:

, and it did not work. Jim's was:

, and it worked.
What version: McAfee Site Advisor? I have v.22, which was updated quite a while ago. But, in doubt, remove all updated extentions. Then, put them back one at a time.

 

Westside ...

I thought I had given you full credit for how to start FF in Safe Mode, but I see I gave you only partial credit. Sorry 'bout that.

So far as why FF didn't start in Safe Mode using your instructions, vs. mine, I suspect it was just the luck of the draw. As I mentioned, sometimes I've had to try opening FF in Safe Mode several times before I was successful.

Re SiteAdvisor ... It was first mentioned on the Netscape/Mozilla forum back in February, and all versions have worked well for me. I think v22.0 is only the second upgrade since McAfee picked it up, and it seems to be primarily cosmetic in nature.

 

Jim,
I was not looking for credit of any kind. I tried to be as precise as possible, and I was afraid that I left something out.
As for the Site Advisor extention, in spite of the large v. number, I am in total agreement with you. Interestingly, the update does not work in the 2.0 or 3.0 nighly builds in spite of Mr Tech Install. It is one of those extentions (Mr Tech local install has not let me down with recent extentions), but I doubt that it is the troublemaker.

 

Ramona - come to think of it, I don't think I've even tried to use pdfdownload yet. I just thought it would be good to have. But I guess not so necessary after all...

Westside - I'm not sure why it didn't work. I did only try it once. It was the second time, off of the second suggestion, when it worked. I guess I didn't try it more than once because I was frustrated trying to start the safe mode from the start button previously, and had it in my head it wouldn't work. That is, until it was suggested again.

Thank you guys again.