Firefox unable to connect - except when in safe mode

Error message is

Firefox can't establish a connection to the server ....

However, I can ping and get a reply to any address listed.

It's not a firewall problem - occurs when Firefox is identified as an exception, and also when the Windows Firewall is off. No other firewalls are installed.
Mozilla's online articles strongly suggest firewalls are the problem.

Another symptom: EZtrust antivirus will run OK (did a full scan, no viruses), but won't update EXCEPT in safe mode.

Other browsers work fine - use IE7 and Safari.

Reinstalled and rebooted many times. Tried other versions of Firefox without a change in the result.

Cleared cache, history, temp files, etc. No change.

Even did a System Restore. No change.

Running Vista Ultimate.

There's an earlier, expired thread on this, but it contains no resolution.

Can anyone suggest something I haven't tried?

Ambrose

 

Hello Ambrose and welcome to the Board

I'm moving your thread to the FF section of the BBS.

 

Welcome to the Forum, Ambrose!

Ambrose,

What version of Firefox are you using?

You are correct in that the user's Firewall or AntiVirus is often the culprit, when unable to connect to the server. Take a look at this KB Article:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firewalls#Windows_Firewall

This gives suggestions when using the Windows Firewall. I would also suggest trying another Firewall, and disabling the Windows Firewall. I use the older Sygate Firewall, and it is free. You can download it here:
http://www.tucows.com/preview/213160

Check your settings to ensure you have selected a direct connection to the Internet here: Tools | Options | Advanced | Network
Click on the Network Settings Tab

Have you checked with your Provider to ensure that this isn't a problem on the server side?

Let us know if any of the above works for you.

 

Ambrose,
the title and the body of the post do not tell the same story.
Is the AntiVirus or Firefox which work in safe mode. And, which Safe Mode?
It almost seems to be a profile problem, but won't know until I can verify what was meant.

 

Thanks much for your replies.

Ramona,

I've worked with the Mozilla article you cited but came up empty. I know it's not a server side problem because I have two other computers on the same connection, and those computers are fine. But I haven't tried an alternate firewall and will try the one accessible from tucows - thanks for the suggestion.

Westside,

I used Safe mode with Networking. Since both the antivirus update and Firefox have this connection problem, it's indicative of a deeper problem that is not Firefox-specific. Since I'm not an OS expert, I don't know what that might be. Likewise, if it's a Profile problem, I don't know how to fix that, and there's so much info on it on Mozilla I don't know where to start. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Many thanks for your responses.

 

Was is

? I did a search, and found that it could be a very annoying Symantec product, or something from Dell.
Without better info, I cannot make suggestions. To me, it seems that this Networking, whatever it is, is the culprit. I am using Sygate, which is fine for all products, except AOL, which needs to enable so many files, that Sygate gives up. The Windows Firewall has been very reliable to me. I am sure that Networking has a way to enable certain programs, even if it does not ask.
I can't believe that it is Firefox related, as EZ Trust is affected as well.

 

Good call. I knew I had Norton on there initially but did an uninstall several weeks ago and figured that took care of it. After all, it wasn't in the Add Programs list. But I was wrong.

I only found out when Vista forced me to do a restore. (Fortunately it's a fairly new notebook, and I didn't have to reinstall very many programs.)

After the restore, I noticed that Norton was now in the Add Programs list, but when I went to Program Files, I found there was only the Norton folder enclosing an empty NAV folder.

I did another uninstall from Add Programs and was not surprisingly informed that there was a problem with uninstalling it, and it referred me to the Norton Removal tool, which I ran.

After the restart, it was gone, so I downloaded FF again - and voila! - the connection was back.

Apparently Symantec knows that their crappy software leaves detritus behind after uninstalling, or there would be no need for a "removal tool."

I haven't actually paid for Norton products in the last couple of years because you can always get a rebate that totally covers the cost.

Now I know why they're giving it away. Even at "free ", it's overpriced.

 

Ambrose,
I am happy that you got things under control. Norton is not so bad, but you have to tame it. I don't have the patience for it. Another weirdo is McAfee, which I had, and left behind 121 items, after uninstalling. I think that it is a protection against virus. And, this is the antivirus alone. If you have a security suite you have more trouble.
I, usually, finish cleaning up the mess with a good registry "shampoo ".
There are some nice free programs. I use cc cleaner

 

That's the reason I moved this thread here. Otherwise I would have gone thru the firewall/Security suite questions.

This is the first time where Symantic only affected FF it seems.

 

I would say that the Symantec settings affected Firefox, and EZ Trust updates. I can make any program act up, if I try!