If a tag is no longer used, then Firefox should remove this tag automatically.

You can check "Places Database" -> "Verify Integrity" on the "Help -> More Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page. If errors are reported with "Verify Integrity", close and restart Firefox or reboot and retry.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-troubleshooting-information-page-fix-firefox

That's the problem. Firefox is not automatically removing empty tags even when I request a 'delete'.

I've all trouble shooting options I could find and nothing is working. This is a new issue for me. It's never happened before.

This forum is useless. All it does is give so called solutions that only make things worse.

I am now stuck in trouble shoot mode. It will not disappear. I've shut down then restarted my laptop; cleared caches and cookies; etc When I check Trouble Shoot mode under Help it indicates it's turned off. Yet I've lost all my extensions; app settings and history, etc.

What gives. Now I have to take my laptop to a repair shop to fix this garbage!

It sounds like you have refreshed your profile, you can restore it from the "Old Firefox Data" folder on your desktop.

To ensure tags are updated, go to about:support in the address bar, scroll down to the "Places Database" heading, click the "Verify Integrity" button, wait for it to complete and then restart the browser.