It's showing defective. Should I download it and delete the old one?
Please help to put FireFox back into shape?
I was using it without problem. But I had a glitch that could be cured only by temporarily making Internet Explorer my default browser. Problem now is that both are present despite my efforts to use only one, and both are now defective!
FIREFOX, on clicking always gives me the message below. Luckily I ignore it and I can use it, BUT, it appears without the toolbars and without the little Search window in the middle of its body:
<<The address isn't valid The URL is not valid and cannot be loaded.
Web addresses are usually written like http://www.example.com/ Make sure that you're using forward slashes (i.e. /).>>
INTERNET EXPRESS, I could never get the genuine one, but it said “Babylon.com”, then later it changed to “MSN.com” on the real IE logo! How do you get the real one? It’s a puzzle!
I’ll just have to forget for now about utilizing IE to fix that glitch, and hope someone could help me get FireFox in perfect condition as when I was using it before please?)
Thanks ever so much! :) Adela
P.S. what does it mean "migration"? thanks.
All Replies (10)
Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.
You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:
- Microsoft Safety Scanner
- MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware
- TDSSKiller - AntiRootkit Utility
- Hitman Pro
- ESET Online Scanner
Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.
Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.
Did this fix your problems? Please report back soon.
Some issues with Firefox are caused by Internet Explorer.
Some additional steps may be required to solve these issues.
Open Internet Explorer do the following:
- Select Manage Add-ons from the Tools drop-down menu
- View the Search Providers
- Set Google as the default provider
- Remove all other providers except for Google, and Bing
- Close the Add-on Manager
- Select the Internet Options from the Tool drop-down menu
- Set the homepage to the Default or Blank
- Press Ok
- Then restart your computer
Please report back soon with the results.
It is possible that your security software (firewall, anti-virus) blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
Do a clean reinstall and delete the Firefox program folder before (re)installing a fresh copy of the current Firefox release.
Download a fresh Firefox copy and save the file to the desktop.
- Firefox 25: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html
Uninstall your current Firefox version, if possible, to cleanup the Windows registry and settings in security software.
- Do NOT remove personal data when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because all profile folders will be removed and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords from profiles of other Firefox versions.
Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.
- (32 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
- (64 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"
- It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_Firefox
Your bookmarks and other personal data are stored in the Firefox profile folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure that "remove personal data" is NOT selected when you uninstall Firefox.
If you keep having problems then also create a new profile.
Thank you ComputerWhiz, but I've done a lot of cleaning often using Ccleaner, Malwarebytes anti-malware, chkdisk , avast!, etc. And yes I have Microsoft Security Essentials too. You sent me some very important info on cleaning and I’ll use these too at different times.
Because I find all the good suggestions difficult for me to follow as I’m not a tech person, I wonder if it wouldn’t be much easier for me to just delete entirely FireFox and reinstall it? Hope to hear from you whether this would be better for a person like me? Thanks again. Adela
P.S. I'm a little confused as to which "Reply" belongs to whom here.....
Hi again and thanks ComputerWhiz! In this case, yes, the culprit must be Internet Explorer because I tried to make it the default browser in order to fix a glitch I had. In the process I guess I messed up both browsers... However, the IE I got was called “Babylon.com” and nothing I did would change it to the legitimate IE. A week later it changed to “MSN.com” (it looks like this: http://dell.msn.com/?pc=MDDC&OCID=DELLDHP) both with the IE logo. By now I’m just exhausted from fighting these things without results.
Because this IE is not the legit IE, it doesn’t have the IE toolbars and so I can’t do certain things, like going to “Tools dropdown”, etc. So...should I first get IE straight? Or ignore it and concentrate on FireFox? I just do not know.... :o( Adela
Hello and thank you cor-el! I don’t have a firewall, I do have a very good anti-virus: avast! I’m not familiar with the rules of Firefox and the plugin-container or where the permissions list is, etc.
Perhaps your suggestion of a clean reinstall of Firefox will be easier for me?
<<Uninstall your current Firefox version, if possible, to cleanup the Windows registry and settings in security software.>> How do you cleanup the registry by uninstalling the Firefox? I’ve never touched the registry and am afraid of messing it up.
Oh I feel so bad that you’ve worked so hard to give me all this important info for my problem and I don’t know how to do it. I didn’t know that uninstall/reinstall Firefox would be so complicated. I was under the impression that it would be much easier.....
Again, thanks so much. I’ll try all the instructions I can follow and hopefully the problem will end. :o) Adela
P.S. Regardless, I intend to keep all yours and ComputerWhiz’ great info in case I become a little more savvy and will dare to try all these things.
When you say, "...this IE is not the legit IE..." what are you referring to?
Does this mean that you have an illegal or modified copy of Internet Explorer?
Where did you get this Internet Explorer?
If this is a cracked copy of Internet Explorer, it could be infected.
If you are willing to, you can try a clean install of Firefox. (More Details) This will allow us to ensure that there are no issues with the Firefox program.
Hello ComputerWhiz and, yes, when I tried to get back my old IE, it showed on its browser window: “Babylon.com”. All I did to get rid of this impostor Babylon didn’t work, and instead some time after it changed to “MSN.com” which is still on. And both IE and FF appear now, so I’m using both of them although neither works properly. I just don’t know what else to do.
THIS, is what I was trying to do: to get IE as a default browser again so that I could get rid of a perpetual “offline” in my emails which I was told to do. Then, after I achieved that, I wanted to go back to FF. So far, I haven’t achieved anything, and in the way of trying to fix this, it became more complicated.
No, I don’t have any illegal browser or other programs. IE came with my new computer (and Win7 and WLMail2011), but I didn’t like it and switched to FF which I made my default. I repeat I needed IE to stop my perpetual “working offline” but couldn’t find the genuine IE so I couldn’t fix...
I don’t know what “cracked copy of IE” is; probably a hijacked copy? Anyway, I scan my computer often with anti-virus, anti-spies, Cclear, etc. and occasionally they find an infected file or something which I hasten to quarantine and eventually delete. I’ll add to my anti’s the ones you mentioned too, to try to reduce my computer problems.
"If you are willing to, you can try a clean install of Firefox. (More Details) This will allow us to ensure that there are no issues with the Firefox program."
I'm hoping to first find that darned genuine IE so I can fix that "offline" matter, and then I'd get rid of IE and make FF my default, and, if there's still something wrong with FF then I'll try a reinstall.
I’m sorry to take so much time from your busy schedule, but I hope I explained what it is that I need and what it is I did so far. I thank you very much again for trying to help! :)
Please consider contacting Microsoft for additional support with Internet Explorer.
Yes, a cracked copy of a program is a hijacked copy.
I have did a fair amount of research on this issue. Please tell me if any of these links help.
Hi again ComputerWhiz for all the work you do to help me, including the links to remove Babylon. But Babylon is no longer the problem, as mentioned, MSN.com took over...how and when I have no clue!
In addition I used the anti-virus and anti-spy links you so kindly also gave me, and none of them found any malicious object, except one of them which found 39 objects but non threatening and I deleted them all. It apparently is not related to security?
I’ll follow your advice and go to the MS forum about the IE. Thank you so very much for all your help! :)