hello, can you try to replicate this behaviour when you launch firefox in safe mode once? if not, maybe an addon (accelerate tab?) is interfering here...

Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems

You don't need this extension in Firefox 31. Remove it! Add Google Search To New Tab Page 1.0.2

A search container is built into Firefox 31, which uses the same search engine that is selected in the Search Bar.

philip & edmeister: I profusly thank you for your help! I did not understand just WHAT extension that I didn't need. Opened Add-Ons and deleted the one called "Accelerator Tab" or something similar. Had also gone into about:config and searched for "newtab" and there was an entry that contained all of my previously pinned websites! So, after removing that "Accelerator something", I restarted Firefox, clicked the New Tab - and voila! Every one of my previously pinned sites were on the screen. Many thanks for the works you 2 do for idiots like me - we wouldn't survive without you holding our hands. All is well, and I am MOST pleased with your help! Am now gonna try and mark this issue as "Solved"....

you're very welcome :))

Mr's Philipp & Edmeister, may I ask a question about your answers to my problem? I'm an advocate of learning (and hopefully comprehending and remembering) everything I'm taught. One of my disabilities is severe neurological brain damage, so learning & understanding new things is quite hard for me. But: Knowledge = Self-Power = Less bothersome questions to the Volunteers!

Mr Edmeister, you said: "You don't need this extension in Firefox 31. Remove it!" Were you referring to the "Troubleshooter" I had added just before posting my question? When I was typing my question, at the bottom of the screen was a statement to install this add-on to help. Help who? Me? You? Staff? Is this the extension I need to go back and remove?

Mr Philipp (my last name is Phillips - are we related, LOL?!!?), you hit the hammer right on the head: as soon as I disabled & removed the extension called "AccelerateTab" & restarted Firefox, the goofy error message went away & all my previously saved/pinned web sites re-appeared on the screen every time I chose to open a New Tab. How in the world did you KNOW that extension was the cause of my problem?

If I know/understand WHY these things worked, I will be a better Firefox user. And I always copy & save questions & their answers from this Forum that I know will help me have a better user experience and a healthier Firefox and/or will some time in the future help me. Thank you both again for the solution to my problem! And I also thank you both in advance if you have time in your busy day to explain this. Kindest Regards, Deb & Dakota, Psychiatric Service Dog Extraordinaire! (but who can't type for me - YET!)

hi deb, to answer the part of the question that you've directed to me: i didn't really know that the particular addon caused the problem, but made an educated guess.
to go into a bit of technical background, behind the firefox user interface there is separate code that arranges the elements of the intercase and another part that puts the labels on them (this separation is done to make it easier to translate the browser into many languages) - the kind of error you have mentioned in your initial post usually indicates that there is a mismatch in the code between the available elements and their labels, something you obviously won't be aware of the first time you come across such an issue!
since it was unlikely to be a general bug in firefox (millions of people would be affected by that and we would be drowning in similar reports), it was more likely that some external customization was causing the mismatch on the new tab page. and by a look on the list of your installed extensions, "AccelerateTab" stood out to cause some interference with the tab setup in firefox, next to "Add Google Search To New Tab Page 1.0.2" which the-edmeister mentioned. and that's why i've recommended taking a look on that first...

Philipp, I'm so sorry that it turns out that I could only choose 1 response as being the "Solution". I thought I could pick both of you, because without your telling me to kill off "AccelerateTab", I'd probably still be experimenting with Add-Ons & Extensions till I found the booger that was nagging me... I still think you were either reading my mind or my screen as I explored the Add-Ons & Extensions before I posted my question!

Oh, 1 last question (I promise!). Is there a site or file that teaches us how to properly use the power of "about:config"? I've wandered in there several times and was able to fix problems (probably by luck). The sheer list of all that is available there is mind-boggling - and I'd love to have some kind of hard copy to keep on hand. Thank you yet again, and though I couldn't pick you too as having my Solution, you DO deserve a gold star at the top of your page - so I offer Kota's to you - she's my Psychiatric Service Dog.

no worries, we will share your star among us ;-)

the most comprehensive reference of about:config entries and the meaning of their values that i'm aware of, is available at mozillazine:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Category:Preferences

all the best!

Oh Yippee Skippee - Kota & I are doing the Happy Happy Joy Joy Dance!!! I can't wait to explore the 2 sites you gave me - just what I've been looking for. They are both now bookmarked & also in Pocket: this kind of stuff absolutely fascinates me. In my prior life I was (hard to believe, huh?) a Systems Administrator for all Law Enforcement agencies & related agencies in my County. Helped the Vendor create all the code, then rolled the whole she-bang out with brand new hardware. Now, with my mental disabilities, I simply cannot remember the easiest things anymore. Good Lord, I started by writing batch files under DOS!!!! Oh how the mighty have fallen - thankfully into hands like yours that save my butt!

Philipp you are an angel - and I think from another planet or solar system to have known what Add-Ons & Extensions I have installed and because your messages are timed at 05:40AM, while here in California it's 1:15PM! Thank you, thank you, thank you...

please rest assured that i'm an earthly being. the strange timestamp might be explained with a bug in the forum software, but the information about your installed extensions got submitted during the initial submission of your question and is available when you scroll up to the top of the page and click on "More system details" - so no mindreading involved ;-)

Ah ha - MORE knowledge acquired! I still like the idea of you being other-earthly - guess you'll just have to settle for being a Knight in Shining Armor! K, no more questions, no reply needed now. Have a terrific weekend!