firefox 18.0 got a new feature: cursor jumping from link to link, how to disable this?
windows xp sp3 Cursor is no more following smoothly with mouse movement, it stops and jumps all the time. Feel this annoying and would like to disable the feature but it cannot be found nowhere in tools-options. It just came with update to version 18.0
Helpful replies
You may have switched on caret browsing.
You can press press F7 (on Mac: fn + F7) to toggle caret browsing on/off.
- Tools > Options > Advanced : General: Accessibility: [ ] "Always use the cursor keys to navigate within pages"
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Scrolling_with_arrow_keys_no_longer_works
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Accessibility_features_of_Firefox
I have the same problem, and I would like to add some details.
I have a two screen system. When I start Firefox 18, my cursor no longer moves smoothly around the screen, as long as the Firefox window is active. So, again: I have Outlook open on my left screen, and Firefox open on my right. If I click on Outlook to make that program active, my mouse cursor moves smoothly over both screens.
If I click on Firefox to make it active, my cursor moves with a maddening, annoying jerky motion with random pauses that are not associated with being over a link, even when it is over on the left screen showing Outlook. I do however, feel that is related to links, because if I move the mouse over an area with links, the motion is really jerky, and I can see the mouse hanging up on the links.
I would like this behavior to go away. All the way away. I don't want jerky mouse movement, either on a link or not on a link.
If this is a "feature", it needs to be one that can be turned off.
Go to answer 4Additional System Details
Installed Plug-ins
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- Next Generation Java Plug-in 1.6.0_35 for Mozilla browsers
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Application
- User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:18.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/18.0
More Information
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Name
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about:buildconfig
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Question owner
Did not see this problem with more powerful dual core PC. Perhaps it is some incompatible issue between Firefox 18 and light hardware as Intel Atom for instance?
Did you try to create a new profile and check if your current profile is causing the problems, as cor-el said in a previous reply ?
Question owner
No, i did not. So i did it now. Created a new profile, started FF with this new profile... got a browser without my old configurations. Only that sticking cursor movement was there.
Is this with smooth scrolling enabled?
- Tools > Options > Advanced > General: Browsing: "Use smooth scrolling"
Try from control panel in xp IF correct the problem : control panel > mouse > pointer options > Visibility > Uncheck "Hide pointer while typing" [ ]
otherwise try a clean reinstall:
Certain Firefox problems can be solved by performing a Clean reinstall. This means you remove Firefox and any leftover program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps one by one:
- Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org and save the setup file to your computer.
- After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu) and confirm all upcoming messages.
- Now, uninstall Firefox by following the steps mentioned in the Uninstall Firefox article.
IMPORTANT: On Windows, the uninstaller has the option to remove your personal data and settings. Make sure that you do not check this option; otherwise all of your bookmarks, passwords, extensions, user customizations and other Firefox user profile data will be removed from your computer.
After uninstalling Firefox on Windows, delete the "Mozilla Firefox" program folder, located by default in one of these locations:
- (On 32-bit Windows) C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
- (On 64-bit Windows) C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
- Go to the Windows Start menu and click on "Computer".
- In the Explorer window that opens, double click Local Disk (C:) to open the C:\ drive.
- Find the "Program Files (x86)" folder or "Program Files" folder.
- On 32-bit Windows, double-click the Program Files folder to open it.
- On 64-bit Windows, you will see a "Program Files (x86)" folder AND a "Program Files" folder. Open the Program Files (x86) folder.
- Look for a Mozilla Firefox folder. If you find one, right-click it and select Delete and confirm that you want to move the folder to the Recycle Bin.
Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
- Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
- Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.
Please report back to see if this helped you!
thanks
Question owner
Smooth scrolling enabled or disabled, no change. Hide pointer while typing unchecked, no change. Closed FF and uninstalled it. Deleted the program folder. Did reboot for XP. Installed FF again (had already 18.0.2 file after previous update). No help for bad behaviour of the cursor. It is sticking only in active FF window, not anywhere else.
If, as you said, in firefox safe mode, it is OK., and you check, extensions + hardware acceleration, you switch also to default toolbar layout, and the problem is not there, then try to disable (JIT) JavaScript compiler and check it again :
in about:config :
- javascript.options.jit_hardening
- javascript.options.methodjit.chrome
- javascript.options.methodjit.content
make all the above FALSE (double-click on every one), exit firefox and restart it.
[in safe mode (JIT) JavaScript compiler is disable], but i can not understand how may jit related with that !
thanks
Question owner
Made all the above "false" but could not make the setting stay. When restarted FF, they were changed to "true" again.
should remain as you set it, see Corrupt or damaged prefs.js file
see also, if you can Lock the preferences
thanks
Question owner
OK, now i got the settings changed. Did not help in the cursor problem however.
I love how when everyone has the issue it has to be us or an extension. This started for everyone on FF 18 so logic dictates it's FF 18.
The problem does NOT affect everyone, or even everyone on Windows XP.
So even if the problem only arises on Fx18 the important differences could quite possibly be changes made by those with the problem: customisations, changed preferences but most likely of all different extensions.
Modified by John99
is the problem still there on firefox 19 & are you using a setup with multiple monitors?
Modified by philipp
Question owner
Hello again, just updated to FF 19 today. See no improvements to this cursor problem, it seems to be here for stay. Platform is Asus eeepc, no multiple monitors.