Question

If Firefox is not crashing in Safe Mode, then this is likely either a problem with hardware acceleration or your profile, so not a Firefox 18 issue. Please update back to 18, then try to disable Hardware acceleration. Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and WebGL or Turning off hardware acceleration

Also, try a Firefox Reset. Reset Firefox – easily fix most problems and do you have the crash id? (go to about:crashes in the address bar, give me the id that starts with bp- that is from the time of the crash)

bp-81a0d800-185e-4371-a9a7-224d42130109 1/9/2013 1:20 PM

bp-3c3aa8dd-45e7-4f00-b24d-1d92f2130108 1/8/2013 2:46 PM

bp-fabe18ff-27d3-4d90-b417-9ebf02130108 1/8/2013 2:41 PM

bp-30b367e9-3fd0-454b-b5a1-49fbd2130108 1/8/2013 2:30 PM

bp-8755acb5-67cc-40c6-9cf0-44e492130108 1/8/2013 2:30 PM

I have Win7-64 with a Nvidia GT 620m and Intel 4000 for graphics. Nvidia driver 306 is installed and it is the latest available at this time for this mobile graphics chip. I have specified in the Nvidia driver to have Firefox use Nvidia for acceleration.

Firefox 17.0.1 is perfectly stable with zero crashes with hardware acceleration enabled. I'm very happy with 17.0.1

I'll try the profile reset when I have a free moment.

Thanks for your help and feedback. :-)

hello, the crash reports show an intel graphics driver crashing firefox (a reset probably won't help against that). please try to upgrade to the latest driver available from intel or else keep hardware acceleration disabled: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=22375&lang=eng&OSVersion=Windows%207%20%2864-bit%29*&DownloadType=Drivers

Surely you shouldn't have both drivers installed? Unless there's some new wizardry that lets you use both graphics chips at the same time.

Hi!

I was having the same problem here and I got resolve it by editing the homepage option. I used the homepage as a 'blank page' or about:blank and that was causing the problem.

I suggest you open Firefox with the Safe Mode option, go to Edit - Preferences - Home Page and in the text field report any website. Close Firefox and reopen it without the Safe Mode option. Here it worked!

Reply to yalam96,

It's a little laptop by ASUS with NVIDIA Optimus automatic graphics switching.

http://www.nvidia.com/object/optimus_technology.html

Reply to madperson,

Hey thanks, my Intel video driver is old... It's dated 5-21-2012.

The one you linked to is newer and dated 12-18-2012.

I'll try that...

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=22375&lang=eng&OSVersion=Windows%207%20%2864-bit%29*&DownloadType=Drivers

Still not working.

Intel 4000 driver 9-26-2012 and FireFox 18 = immediate crash

Intel 4000 driver ( 9.17.10.2932 ) 12-12-2012 and FireFox 18 = immediate crash

bp-81a0d800-185e-4371-a9a7-224d42130109 1/9/2013 1:20 PM

Safe mode and/or disabling hardware acceleration allows FireFox 18 to function without crashing...

I think I'll be going back to FireFox 17.0.1 for now where hardware acceleration does work.

I am not especially computer savvy and I am totally confused by this updating graphics drivers to resolve the crashing problem. I have located a list of drivers on the Dell website, but have no idea which driver, if any, is the correct one for my laptop. I'm not even sure which of the listed drivers is for graphics. How do I find out what driver I currently have? How do I figure out which driver is the right one for my PC?

Since I couldn't understand what to do on the Dell site, I tried the NVIDIA generic driver. But I can't select a driver manually since I don't know which graphics card I have and I can't use their automatic thing because it requires the latest version of Java. And when I go to the Java site I have no idea which Java thing is the correct one to use.

Basically I am completely lost. Help!!!!!

After several hours of fighting my way through the Dell, NVIDIA and Java websites I have not been able to find a more recent driver for my graphics card. And I have found that the latest version of Java will not work on my PC.

I have turned off hardware acceleration and disabled WebGL (whatever that is), then reinstalled 18. So far it hasn't crashed. Fingers crossed.

Spoke too soon. 18 still hangs up. I am back to 17.0.

After upgraded to 18, crash almost every few seconds, rendering it unusable. As for 17.x, no crash even running for several days.
My graphics driver is the latest nvidia 310.90.
Following are crashes submitted:

bp-c12a3092-1552-4117-b265-62d792130109
bp-fc11d300-d852-402a-b146-df5922130108

both of which are backtraced to DrawWindow()

Try to disable hardware acceleration in Firefox.

• Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

It's nothing to do with HW acceleration. Through some experiments, I finally found the addon `showcase' is the culprit, but by referring the `showcase' addon page, it's firefox bug that cause the crash.

Here's how to solve the crash: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/showcase/reviews/345058/

This is the Firefox bug causing the crashes: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=614772

second reply to madperson,

I've had some progress.

I can get FF18 to work with hardware acceleration enabled if I choose (Intel display) as the hardware to use for hardware acceleration in the nvidia control panel. This is with the updated Intel video driver.

Unfortunately Intel 4000 graphic performance is lacking and studders with HD video and I would really like to use the higher performing Nvidia GeForce GT 620M. I would especially need Nvidia for HD level YouTube and Netflix videos.

I can NOT get FF18 to work with hardware acceleration enabled if I choose (nVidia display) as the hardware to use for hardware acceleration in the nvidia control panel. FF18 hardware acceleration is non-functional using nVidia driver versions 306.97 from nvidia.com and 305.46 from asus.com on Geforce GT 620M. When I try to install version 310.90 from nVidia.com I get an error message that this driver is not compatible.

bp-c93e7c32-306a-401d-843e-3a0842130110 1/10/2013 4:56 AM

bp-5f76093c-9cbd-43f3-8067-2bad02130110 1/10/2013 4:56 AM

bp-cf23a9cd-969f-4f83-9d33-f6b832130110 1/10/2013 4:52 AM

bp-177717c4-bf27-44d5-9c93-cda9f2130110 1/10/2013 3:22 AM

Crash after crash... Hardware acceleration disabling doesnt solve. Please can U tell me how I can prevent auto-update to 18 version ? Thank you...

about:crashes

bp-44eea239-cddd-4767-a1e8-b06442130111 11. 1. 20138:05f638e2f1-3839-45ce-a69b-e8b3fca5c9ea 11. 1. 20137:48c2a4e6f3-50f0-487c-9538-f6d8c148be5e 10. 1. 20139:12

Crash after crash... Hardware acceleration disabling doesnt solve. Please can U tell me how I can prevent auto-update to 18 version ? Thank you... about:crashes

bp-44eea239-cddd-4767-a1e8-b06442130111 11. 1. 20138:05f638e2f1-3839-45ce-a69b-e8b3fca5c9ea 11. 1. 20137:48c2a4e6f3-50f0-487c-9538-f6d8c148be5e 10. 1. 20139:12

just go for the 17.0.2 esr ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/17.0.2esr/

Thank you !

Same problem here, constant crashes with 18, both normal and safe mode. Reverted to 17.2 and all is good again. I am running win 8. It would not even get past the reset window without crashing a lot of the times

Here are the last 3 (out of about 30 since the upgrade) bp-228833c7-2152-4e41-85ee-11c47213011111/01/201319:02

bp-05f9bfbb-ac42-4435-9ebf-bf52d213011111/01/201319:01

bp-17a4f136-e711-4456-a3f0-31856213011111/01/201319:01

What do I do with these 17.0.2 esr files? Do I need the linux and mac folders or just the win32?

What's OS you're using? For windows use Win32 and then choose the language. That's it.

Are you using a addon named 'showcase'?

I am using windows, do not have showcase. I just don't get it. When I go to the link ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/17.0.2esr/ all I find is a bunch of files and folders. There's one labeled win32, filled with a bunch of subfolders. Nothing about selecting a language, nothing about installing FF17.02. What am I supposed to do with all these folders? How do I use them to install FF?

Firefox is really frustrating me, almost to where I am ready to switch to Chrome or (shudder) IE.

ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/17.0.2esr/win32/en-us/ Grab the exe The larger one

Oh, now it makes sense. Thank you!

Firefox 18 update was a mistake. I had to uninstall and switch to Chrome. Where can I download and install version 17? I am using an HP dv7t laptop and they have not provided any updates since 2011. Maybe HP is lazy.

kissglay thanks for that link, only problem is it is not working.

Try this.

Nevermind, I installed this one and it fixed the problem. It updated itself to 17.0.2.

I've uninstalled Mozilla Mantainance service to no more automatic browser updates for me. At least until they are able to fix that problem and make a stable update.

I had the same problem and just now installed the latest beta 19.0. It seems stable so far.

I wanted to give it a little time to make sure but version 18.0.1 has stopped crashing for me. I'm not sure why, but I think it was related to pressing the "Restore" button located in the nvidia control panel. Or it could be a coincidence, I'm not sure.

nvidia control panel/ manage 3d settings/ program settings/ mozilla firefox

Like 'bluetickle' FF17.0.1 is fine with me. I upgraded to 18 and it immediately froze and crashed when I scrolled a page. Went back to 17.0.1, all was ok. Upgraded to 18.1 and that froze and crashed as well. Went back to 17.0.1 and guess what? It's running fine. I reset the profile and disabled all addons and plugins but didn't make any difference.

I'm staying with 17.0.1 until this is sorted or it's deemed unsafe to use.I have been using FF since it came out as I dislike MS software(IE) If it's decided my machine needs altering I'll use another browser that can use my existing setup.

If you buy a new door and it doesn'y fit you don't alter the house, you find a door that will fit!

This seems a bit out there but...

In Win 7 64 bit, I entered the controlpanel on the below path: "Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Personalization\Window Color and Appearance"

Unchecked the "Enable transparency" and FireFox doesn't seem to crash anymore. Don't know why I did it, I just did :)