Firefox 18 crashes on startup due to malware - how to fix

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  • Revision id: 35373
  • Created:
  • Creator: Michael Verdi
  • Comment: Removed malwarebytes - only one solution needed, as written could have been read to require both solutions, MS solution preferred because of download location and no opt-out trial for full software
  • Reviewed: No
  • Ready for localization: No
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Note: This article only applies to Windows.
Note: This article only applies to Firefox 18.

If you've updated to Firefox 18 and it now crashes on startup it could be due to malware installed on your computer. We'll explain how to get rid of the malware which will let Firefox run normally.

Install and run Microsoft Safety Scanner

  1. Download Microsoft Safety Scanner
  2. When the download has finished downloading, open it and follow the instructions to start the scan. A "Full Scan" is recommended.

    MS Security Scan
  3. Once the scan is complete the malware should be removed from your computer and Firefox will be able to start.
Note: If you are still having problems with crashes, please see this article.