Svc. Preventing F'fox from Opening

I'm trying to re-install F'fox 1.5 after trying RC 2.0, which didn't work. But now 1.5 won't start because it says "Firefox is already running, but not responding. To open a new window close the existing process, or restart the system. "

Well, I've restarted 4 times without any change or success. When I go Task Mgr there are no processes showing, and I don't readily recognize any services that belong to Firefox. I've also re-installed it after deleting most of any registry entries I saw. That may have been a mistake. T'bird runs fine though. That's all the major facts I can think of right now.

Pls HELP!
GPLEA

 

Wish I had some words of wisdom to share with you, but seeing as none of the resident gurus has stepped up to bat yet, I thought I'd at least give you a few relevant links to check out in the meantime. Take a look at all four of them before you do anything, just so you have a better idea of what your options might be. Hope you find an answer that works for you!

http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/index.php?showtopic=4826 (unfortunately, justin3's link to a step-by-step fix for the error is dead)
http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t57905-firefox-start-error.html
http://tinyurl.com/qwa74
http://www.issa.stevens.edu/cgi-bin/query-pr-full?pr=2181

 

Gplea ...

I suspect that after uninstalling 1.5.0.x and/or 2.0, you didn't clean your Registry of any references to Firefox and any names you might have used for FF shortcuts. Even if you used a zipped version of 2.0 it would have written to the Registry.

Download the free utility RegSeeker, or use any other Registry cleaner you're comfortable with, to get rid of all the crud that your previous installations have left behind. Then you should have no trouble reinstalling 1.5.0.7, the current release.

I'm running FF 1.5.0.7, 2.0b2, and 3.0a1 with no problems, other than that Minefield (3.0a1) won't run all of my normal extensions, as Bon Echo (2.0b2) will (with the aid of the MR Tech Local Install extension).

 

JSS3rd,

I ran RegSeeker. Very COOl, and my system does run noticeably faster, but even after re-installing 1.5 I still get lousy rendering via FFox. I'm still using the same profile since that has all my bkmrks. However, it just dawned on me that that might be the only file (or 1 of a very few) that I need to keep, then copy/replace to my new profile. Can you shed any light on that?

Tanx,
gplea

 

Hi gplea,

I'm glad you were able to get FF 1.5 reinstalled OK.

RegSeeker has a lot of uses, but I use it only to clean my Registry of references to programs after I've uninstalled them.

I don't think you can blame FF for "lousy rendering ". Instead, you should be blaming those who create webpages that don't adhere to W3C standards.

I understand that you're using the same profile as before, but I'm guessing that you tried to use that same profile when you installed FF 2.0.

After closing FF, copy (or move) the bookmarks.html file from your profile to a temporary location, then open the FF Profile Manager (Start > Run type firefox.exe -p). Delete your old profile and its files, then create a new profile. After doing that, copy (or move) your original bookmarks file to the new profile folder.

If you normally use any extensions, I would definitely install the MR Tech Local Install extension mentioned in my previous post before any others. It's a great extension manager with a lot of features. Most are overkill for the average user, so see this post for the features I think are important.

HTH.

 

Thanks Jim. Just to be absolutely sure, should I uninstall T'bird too, eventhough it's a completely different app? Also, are you sure the bkmarks the ONLY part that needs to be saved from the old profile?

Thanks Again,
gplea

 

Hi gplea,

Forget about uninstalling Tbird, as it shares nothing in common with FF, except that they're both products of the Mozilla Foundation.

If you have a plain vanilla installation of FF, bookmarks.html is the only file you really need to save. On the other hand, you might consider saving cookies.txt, formhistory.dat, and localstore.rdf. If you have customizations, including those provided by extensions, that you want to keep, save the chrome and extensions folders, as well.

 

gplea,

Have you tried opening Firefox in "Safe Mode "? If not, then try this before doing any more uninstalling. Often it will indicate the problem.

From the Firefox Standard Diagnostic...

If none of the diagnostics on the above page allow Firefox to start, then create a new Profile, and see if Firefox will start. If so, then you can copy information from the original Profile to the new Profile.

Copy these files only:

bookmarks.html
chrome (only if you created your own userChrome.css, and userContent.css files)
cookies.txt - (Cookies)
hostperm.1 - (Cookie and Image permissions)
key3.db - (Key used to encrypt and decrypt saved passwords)
persdict.dat - (Personal Dictionary)
signons.txt - (Remembered Passwords & User Names)

 

Hi Ramona,

Been waiting for you to jump in, as I knew you'd have the nitty-gritty.

 

Hi Jim,

I'm still kickin'!

 

Ramona ...

I'm curious about something. In your list of files/folders to save, you include persdict.dat and signons.txt. I'm running, as I mentioned above, FF 1.5.0.7, 2.0b2, and 3.0a1, with a different profile for each.

I use the same saved passwords and usernames with each version of FF, yet the signons.txt file is present only in my 3.0a1 profile. The persdict.dat file is present in none of them. Any thoughts about this?

 

Jim,

In earlier versions of Firefox, the password file was named *.s (12345678.s). If you have never created a new Profile, then that explains the absence of signons.txt.

In a new Profile:
If your password file is of the form "xxxxxxxx.s ", rename it "signons.txt ".
Copy the files "signons.txt" and "key3.db" from your old Profile to your new one.

If you have no personal spelling dictionary, then you wouldn't have the persdict.dat file. I use a spellchecker, and therefore have added many words, thus the presence of persdict.dat. The file was originally migrated from Mozilla, when I first started using Firefox.

 

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to tell you thanks again. I used a combo of y'all's advice to start runnin' like a champ.

1.) I looked in the profiles.ini file and simply pasted the name of the old profile folder I had copied to another partition.

2.) Ramona, I did run the Safe Mode option, but when I picked the 1st one that you advised there was no change. However, the 3rd one (can't remember exactly what it said) worked perfectly.

Tanx Again,
gplea

 

gplea,

Good to hear that all is well again.

Haven't heard that ya'll since I left the S.W. Nothing like a taste of home now and then!

 

Ramona ...

I had *.s files in each of the 1.5 and 2.0 profiles, so I renamed them to signons.txt and copied the one from my 1.5 profile to the other two, just to be sure that they were all the same. That's something I never would have known, had I not asked. Thanks.

I don't use a spellchecker as, fortunately, I don't need one that often D). When I do need to check a word, I have my dictionary close at hand. I tried the Spellbound extension a long time ago, and didn't like it. Perhaps I'll give it another try.

 

Jim,

Glad that I could enlighten you!

Spellbound doesn't work on Version 1.5.0.7, however, if you use the
Spellbound Development Version along with Nightly Tester Tools, you will be in business.

I found the Development Version HERE. Scroll down to the bottom of the first post in the thread and you will see the install link.

I'm sure you know that the spellchecker will be incorporated in Version 2.0.

 

Hi Ramona,

Actually, I'm way ahead of you this time. After my last post I searched the Extensions Mirror site for "spellchecker ", just in case SpellBound wasn't the only one around, but it was the only one that showed up in the search results. I found the development version, as well as the other necessary files, on this page.

Rather than Nightly Tester Tools, I use MR Tech Local Install, which not only incorporates NTT, but is a true extension manager, as well. Unfortunately, Local Install's UI can be quite intimidating to a new user (as I've noted in numerous posts on the BBS), so I've also posted a list of the few settings which, IMO, are necessary for most folks.

BTW, neither NTT nor Local Install is necessary to install SpellBound's development version (0.9.8.20060108) in FF 1.5.0.7.

 

Ramona ...

From my post #15:

"I had *.s files in each of the 1.5 and 2.0 profiles, so I renamed them to signons.txt and copied the one from my 1.5 profile to the other two, just to be sure that they were all the same. "​

FYI, after I renamed the *.s files in my FF 1.5 and 2.0 profiles to signons.txt, I discovered that the *.s files had been recreated (but much smaller in size) in both profiles.

Because my installations of FF refuse to remember passwords for certain sites (Yahoo mail is one), when I enter a password on such a site I use a javascript bookmarklet which ensures that the password is saved. I suspect that may have something to do with the *.s file recreation.

 

Jim,

Unless you also copy the key3.db from the same Profile from which you copy the signons.txt file, then your passwords will be irretrievable.

 

Hi Ramona,

No worries ... I should have mentioned that I copied the key3.db file, as well.