Where did you install Firefox from? Help Mozilla uncover 3rd party websites that offer problematic Firefox installation by taking part in our campaign. There will be swag, and you'll be featured in our blog if you manage to report at least 10 valid reports!

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

When Firefox is not "maximized" I can't see it at all.

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by KLN44

more options

My computer uses Vista. When I open Firefox in a normal window, I can't see anything but the Firefox square in the taskbar. I can open Firefox maximized, but when I try to click on the little square "restore" button (between minimize and close in the top right corner) Firefox disappears. How can I see Firefox in a regular window that does not take up the whole screen? I discovered this after the babysitter set up my toddler to watch Netflix on the computer, so I don't know what they did.

My computer uses Vista. When I open Firefox in a normal window, I can't see anything but the Firefox square in the taskbar. I can open Firefox maximized, but when I try to click on the little square "restore" button (between minimize and close in the top right corner) Firefox disappears. How can I see Firefox in a regular window that does not take up the whole screen? I discovered this after the babysitter set up my toddler to watch Netflix on the computer, so I don't know what they did.

All Replies (2)

more options

Try:

  • Use Restore or Maximize in the right-click context menu of the Taskbar icon to set focus to the Firefox application if you do not see the Firefox window.
  • Open the system menu of that Firefox window via Alt+Space and see if you can move and resize that window.

If that works then close Firefox (File > Exit/Quit) to save that setting.

more options

The first two suggestions didn't fix the problem, but I learned with the third one that the system menu was in the extreme upper left corner, so perhaps the babysitter moved the Firefox window off the screen at the top. I reticently tried opening in safe mode and resetting to factory defaults, fearing that I'd lose all my settings. But that worked, and I now have a non-mazimized window that I can see! And, Firefox loaded back all my plug-ins, and then I did History/Restore Previous Session and got back all my active tabs! So I didn't lose anything. I love Firefox. Thanks, cor-el for pointing me in the right direction.