# Solved: firefox will not open!!!



## jb1468 (Feb 18, 2007)

I have used firefox for last few years without any problems. I got a new PC and it was working on that ok up untill i got a virus. I got rid of the virus ok (antivirus dealt with) and i have ckecked my PC with all sorts of security tools including online virus checks from trend micro...all security on pc is updated regularly and i have had no probs since apart from......

Firefox will only open after running in process for about 3-4 hours (left it running to see what would happen and it did eventually open!!!!!) if i click on the icon i can see within the task manager that firefox is attempting to open (using about 50 of CPU in its attempts) but as said unless i leave for hours it never appears. IE7 is working fine but I really dislike this browser (altho better that the old IE) 

have tried uninstalling and reinstalling several times with no change.......I am at a loss!! i have a portable copy of Firefox on my memory stick and that opens fine. 

Help!!


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## Jack1000 (Feb 4, 2001)

jb1468 said:


> I have used firefox for last few years without any problems. I got a new PC and it was working on that ok up untill i got a virus. I got rid of the virus ok (antivirus dealt with) and i have ckecked my PC with all sorts of security tools including online virus checks from trend micro...all security on pc is updated regularly and i have had no probs since apart from......
> 
> Firefox will only open after running in process for about 3-4 hours (left it running to see what would happen and it did eventually open!!!!!) if i click on the icon i can see within the task manager that firefox is attempting to open (using about 50 of CPU in its attempts) but as said unless i leave for hours it never appears. IE7 is working fine but I really dislike this browser (altho better that the old IE)
> 
> ...


I am going to modify the instructions I gave above to another user:

You should check your computer for malware,

Please go to www.savemybutt.com and download than update each of the following programs if you do not already have them on your computer. If you already have them, run updates before scanning: They include:

Adaware SE

Spybot S & D

Windows Defender

Go to this site, and get AVG Anti-Spyware Free

http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1

It is AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 (Not the AVG Ant-Virus, because I assume you have an AV program already installed) Get this program, check for updates and do a scan. (The installation wizard will guide you through the process.) If you don't have an Anti-Virus Program on your system you can get AVG Ant-Virus as well from Grisoft's site. BUT REMOVE ALL INSTANCES OF PREVIOUS ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS FROM YOUR COMPUTER'S ADD-REMOVE PROGRAMS SECTION IN YOUR SYSTEM'S CONTROL PANEL BEFORE INSTALLING AVG ANTI-VIRUS. THIS INCLUDES ANYTHING THAT SAYS, NORTON, SYMANTIC, MCAFEE, AS WELL AS ANY UPDATES FOR THESE PROGRAMS. Multiple AV programs on a system can cause conflicts, crashes, and deplete system resources. If you already have an AV program. don't get another one. Update the one that you have.

Update your Anti-Virus Program as well by getting the latest definition updates. Update and run FULL scans on each of these programs. In Adaware SE, uncheck the Scan For Negligible Risk entries before scanning. Update all the programs before scanning.

Delete anything found by these programs. You said that all updates were installed. I would uninstall Firefox from your computer's control panel and get a fresh download from the website. (The old installed file might be corrupted.) Install the NEW fresh Firefox download, but remove the old installed Firefox from your Control Panel in Add/Remove Programs first. Also install, UPDATE, and run the above malware removal programs before you get the new Firefox download. Can you run Firefox after all of this has been completed?

Jack


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Uninstall FF and reboot PC.
Then install FF again.


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## jb1468 (Feb 18, 2007)

Jack1000 said:


> I am going to modify the instructions I gave above to another user:
> 
> You should check your computer for malware,
> 
> ...


Thanks Jack for your help, I have each of those security programs and more (spy sweeper (full version) and spyware doctor, AVG anti-root kit). I have the paid version of mcafee security centre (AV + firewall + Anti-spyware). they are all up tp date and i have tried your advice on several occasions to no avail (updates, scan and remove, altho very little is ever found) i then after doing so have uninstalled Firefox, cleaned up with crap cleaner to remove any traces left behind and reinstalled it....done this 3/4 times...no use!...have tried windows to unistall (control panel) and other uninstall programs i.e. Z soft uninstall. have used micro trend online to see if my security is missing anything....but no my PC now seems clean.........i have just discovered firefox runs in safe mode so i think i may take my problem to a specific mozilla forum as someone has said thay uninstalling it alone will never remove it all and it uses the various scripts and profiles left behind (crap cleaner misses these) and they seem corrupt...so awaiting further help...many thanks


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

OK if you can run FF in safe mode then you are loading it without the plugins and Extensions.
Go tru your Extensions and uncheck them one at a time to find out what one is the trouble or if you know the trouble started after you installed or updated a Extensions uncheck it and restart FF to see if the trouble went away.

Also if need be try a clean installation.
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=341279#clean


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## Jack1000 (Feb 4, 2001)

hewee said:


> OK if you can run FF in safe mode then you are loading it without the plugins and Extensions.
> Go tru your Extensions and uncheck them one at a time to find out what one is the trouble or if you know the trouble started after you installed or updated a Extensions uncheck it and restart FF to see if the trouble went away.
> 
> Also if need be try a clean installation.
> http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=341279#clean


Yes,

Sometimes an old Firefox plug-in can be the source of this problem. You might have to go through everything that you have downloaded in your Firefox extensions/plug-ins list to remove it and see if that solves the problem. Sometimes, you have to remove all of the plug ins\extensions than get fresh downloads for each extension/plug in that you still want when you upgrade to solve this problem.

BTW, what version of Firefox are you running?

Jack


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## jb1468 (Feb 18, 2007)

hewee said:


> OK if you can run FF in safe mode then you are loading it without the plugins and Extensions.
> Go tru your Extensions and uncheck them one at a time to find out what one is the trouble or if you know the trouble started after you installed or updated a Extensions uncheck it and restart FF to see if the trouble went away.
> 
> Also if need be try a clean installation.
> http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=341279#clean


thanks guys for your help...problem solved thanks to you all!...it was indeed the extensions and add ons and i will find out which one later....no hurry to put them back as i now have FF working again and that is great.......and yes i did also need to remove files manually after uninstalling it before a fresh reinstal

many thanks


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## Jack1000 (Feb 4, 2001)

jb1468 said:


> thanks guys for your help...problem solved thanks to you all!...it was indeed the extensions and add ons and i will find out which one later....no hurry to put them back as i now have FF working again and that is great.......and yes i did also need to remove files manually after uninstalling it before a fresh reinstal
> 
> many thanks


Glad to help!!! You should mark the thread SOLVED by going to the TOOLS menu and selecting that option.

Jack


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Darn if it was a extension them all you needed to do was disable it till you found out what one it was and you could just of uninstall that extension.
But glad you got things fixed.

What extension was the trouble?


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## jb1468 (Feb 18, 2007)

lol.....yea but just glad to get it working again. I dont know which one it was, since i just removed them all in bulk.....but i dont care it worker lol!!!!!.......will add them on later one by one and test before bringing the next one on and at least will know now how to fix again without all the hassle i had....thanks again!


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

Bet you are glad. But if you want all your extension back your find out what one it was unless it just happen to be a bad install of the extension before.
Good luck


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