Could you describe this in a little more detail.

If the Windows 7 task bar shows only one Firefox window open:

• If you click the Firefox tile on the task bar to activate and restore the Firefox window, nothing shows up -- it's as if Firefox is off screen?

• If you right-click the Firefox tile on the task bar to show the window control menu, and choose Maximize, does Firefox display?

If the Windows 7 task bar shows multiple Firefox windows open:

Try the above steps with one of the preview thumbnails or if you don't use preview, one of the windows on the list that appears when you click the Firefox tile.

thanks for your quick response Jscher, ok , windows 8.1 'up to date'. FF is also the current Ver. ff is on the taskbar..open.. but will not display on the desktop at all. so i can not use any of the features of ff.. when i right click.. i get the options ..open new tab......open new window...or open new private window.. the small ff window at the taskbar,[when i hold my cursor over the icon" has no "right click"..only option on this screen is X close. I have opened FF from all angles. with no change.

I had just updated Adobe Flash Player when this problem affected File explorer.but not FF. i restored to an earlier date. File explorer is now working Bur not FF. my MS research tells me that is probably a missing or incorrect "extension handler". ShellExview, is the program they suggest to repair this problem. But i need more info .. and i am surprised that nobody else seems to have had a problem with Flash update.. I look forward to any comments. darrel

Hi hopper88, when you hover the Firefox icon, normally Windows would display thumbnails of the open windows, or possibly of every open tab. If you click the thumbnail, does the window restore? Or if you right-click the thumbnail, do you have the option to maximize it?

If you think your Firefox installation is damaged, the easiest thing to do is rename the existing program folder and run the Firefox installer again. More specifically:

"Clean reinstall" procedure

(1) Download a full installer for Firefox 33 from https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ to a convenient location. (Scroll down to your preferred language.)

(2) Exit Firefox or close all open Firefox windows

(3) Rename the Mozilla Firefox program folder

64-bit Windows:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox

to

C:\Program Files (x86)\OldFirefox

32-bit Windows:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox

to

C:\Program Files\OldFirefox

(4) Run the installer you downloaded in #1. It should automatically connect to your existing settings.

Any improvement?

Note: Some plugins may exist only in that OldFirefox folder. If something essential is missing, look in these folders:

• OldFirefox\Plugins
• OldFirefox\browser\plugins

thanks Jscher, when i hover the over the icon, yes options are there but dont maximise. i have followed your instructions and renamed the old ff file. and d/loaded ff 33.02. ff will still open but same problem, it will not display on desktop. thanks darrel

Try right clicking the Firefox in the Taskbar whilst holding down the Shift key and select Restore or Maximise. Do you have the one monitor or two?

This old post has several tricks for coercing a window back on screen if it is off-screen: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/980358#answer-511533

thanks to all.. now i can get my only trusted browser back to what it was.. thanks again