Resolved firefox freezes on startup.

IE works fine (both wifi and hardwired),
starting firefox, it immediately freezes, no response at all.

I did update to latest version, no change.

Will try completely removing FF and doing a fresh install from scratch
but looking for reasons that someone may have already gone through....

thanks,

 

Google 'firefox freezes on startup' and you'll get 399,000 "reasons that someone may have already gone through ".

 

thanks, did that.
the number is staggering.

 

I agree.

 

I had the same problem with FF 20. I am currently using FF v17. I uninstalled and tried earlier versions many many times same thing. I accidentally found that if I clicked on a link in a email it opened FF and it worked fine, When I closed it and tried the link on the desktop it froze on starting, I have to go in task manager and end the process. Then open email (I use Thunderbird) and click on a link in a email, it opens in FF then go to site you want. Somehow something has changed how links from the desktop for FF are treated. If I double click on Firefox.exe in its own folder in windows explorer it freezes on starting.
This is the only app that seems to be effected except that Thunderbird also did it after Firefox crashed, but TB recovered after a reinstall. Its Firefox crashing that causes Thunderbird to crash if I try too many times. But if I forget and click on a desktop link and FF crashes, I can end the process, then go to a link in a email or a movie collection app I use, it has links to movie pages on amazon to open a FF window then can go where I want.

I am on Win 7 ultimate and was using newest versions of FF & TB, I have Norton Internet Security (which I even tried totally disabling).

 

Does it do the same thing when you open FF in FF Safe Mode? If not it's probably caused by an installed extension. Or, there's a problem with your profile.

Clif ...

The thread is marked as Resolved. What did you do to resolve your problem?

 

I have not seen a resolution.
FF will not start up at all (full or safe mode) directly from a desktop or win explorer link. (it actually starts but immediately freezes). That being said, I noticed last night by accident that if a FF window is already open and I click on a desktop link FF opened a new window just fine (setting to open in new window was still set), so now it only starts correctly from a link in another program or if a FF window is already open.

 

Hi kstinn, Just looking in and noticed your System Details only show 16mb (megabytes) Memory (RAM). I sincerely hope that is a mistake when entering Details???

I'm running FF 21.0 and TB 17.6 and MSE and have not had any problems.
Clearing History and Cookies in the earlier versions of TB helped speed up the operation FWIW.

savagcl, what status are you at?
What fixed your problem? Neil.

 

It has not been resolved for me, I did a complete reinstall w/renaming whole profile folder with no change. Yes supposed to be 16GB memory

 

Hi kstinn, I just had a look in Mozilla Problems and it shows: "FF crashes at startup. "

ttps://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/954303

It appears some were affected by a MS KB2670838 patch.
There was a suggestion that updating your graphics driver may be the answer.
Have a look and see if it helps you. Neil.

 

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Neil, thanks for the suggestion. I tried it but no change. I looked at my update history in window update and it was too early to be a direct cause but figured it could have been a contributing factor. But it still does it and I found that if I click on a link to a web page in Norton FF freezes. So all apps are not immune to this problem.
ks

 

If I was faced with this problem, I would Remove Norton and Replace it with MSE, then try FF again.
I'm suggesting this because my system is running OK and it would eliminate Symantec as a possibility.
You can always revert back again if it doesn't work.
Have you updated your drivers? Neil.

 

Neil
I tried updating to newest versions of FF & TB again and FF was the same but TB crashed so I had to go back to a old version. I have tried disabling Norton but I found out the hard way if you uninstall a Norton product it won't activate again. I don't know what MSE is.

 

To find out, simply Google MSE

 

My problem seems to be RESOLVED. I did a previous suggestion to google Firefox crashes on start-up and found a link to a mozilla thread and a reply to several people were that their problem should be fixed in the new beta version v22.0b1.exe. I downloaded it, then uninstalled FF & TB deleted the program folder (not the profile) did another Registry scan w/Norton Utilities. Then installed TB v17.0.04 because thats the newest version I had on disc. Then installed the beta version of FF. They both worked like they are supposed to. I then had TB update itself with newest version and they still both work correctly.

I am curios about the MSE thing tho. Is it really capable of replacing Internet Security.

 

Hi kstinn, I see Arie and the Doc have answered your question about MSE.

Do you own the Norton AV software? Did you purchase it?
You should be able activate through Symantec the same as Microsoft Activation. I've just been through the process with MS by phone and it's quite straight forward.

I note you've solved your problem. Great!

I have tried quite a number of AV and IS software over the years. Avast, Avira, AVG, Trend Micro, McAfee and Norton AV & IS.
They all work in their own ways, but, MSE is the one I have found that works seamlessly in the background and is NOT a Resource hog which I found with Symantec Products.

I got sick and tired of "splash screens" continually popping up offering better deals etc. as most of the other AV software does.

It is a matter of personal choice at the end of the day. I think you will find that a high percentage of MSE users would not change as my experience with it has sold me. Cheers Neil.

 

Neil
Would have saved a lot of work if when the original poster of this thread had said what the fix was that resolved his crashing instead of just marking it as resolved.

I may try MSE when i get caught up on the backlog of stuff put off to try to solve the crashing problem, thanks for the info about it. I used to use bitdefender, its more complicated but lets you control everything. Over time it ended up putting a drag on the system. Norton has dumbed their UI so much its hard to do anything to control or know what its doing.

 

retiredlearner,

sorry i'm so late with reply.

my fix was uninstalling FF and the profile folder (folder options, show hidden folders, users, yourself, appdata, local) has a folder for "Mozilla" that needs to
be deleted. Then do a new install of FF.
Worked for me.