Firefox keeps crashing at startup

Firefox Firefox Last updated: 38% of users voted this helpful

A crash is what happens when Firefox closes or quits unexpectedly and the Mozilla Crash Reporter appears. If Firefox keeps crashing when you open it, this article will show you how to get it working again.

See if you can start in Firefox Troubleshoot Mode

As a first step, you should see if Firefox starts in Firefox Troubleshoot Mode. This special startup mode temporarily turns off hardware acceleration among other settings and disables installed extensions that may prevent Firefox from starting.

Try a clean installation

If crashes are preventing you from starting Firefox, even in Firefox Troubleshoot Mode, a clean installation of the latest version of Firefox may fix the problem.

Will I lose my bookmarks, passwords, and add-ons? A clean installation will not delete your bookmarks, saved passwords, add-ons, or other personal information. This information is stored separately in your profile folder.

Here's how to do a clean installation of Firefox:

  1. Uninstall Firefox. See Uninstall Firefox from your computer for details.
  2. To remove leftover program files that may not have been removed by the uninstall process, manually delete the Firefox installation folder, normally located in one of these folders by default:
    • C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
  3. download firefox win 32x32 Download a fresh copy of Firefox.
  4. Double-click on the downloaded file and follow the prompts to continue the installation process.

For more information on how to install Firefox, see How to install Firefox on Windows.

  1. Delete Firefox from the Applications folder.
  2. mac download 32x32 Download a fresh copy of Firefox.
  3. Open the downloaded file and drag the Firefox icon to the Applications folder when prompted.

For more information on installing Firefox, see How to download and install Firefox on Mac.

  1. Use your distributor's package management system to uninstall Firefox (please refer to their documentation). If that doesn't work, delete the firefox folder from your Home folder.
  2. Install Firefox through your package management system or follow these steps to manually install Firefox:

Uninstall software known to cause crashes

Some programs are known to cause crashes in Firefox and other browsers. Check your computer and remove any malware or software that might be causing problems:

  • Check the release notes to see if there are any known issues for your version of Firefox. Check your computer's instructions on how to uninstall software that's causing problems.
  • Scan your computer for malware. Check the support site of your antivirus program for help with scanning and removing malware. For more information, see Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

Get help fixing the problem

If you need more help, you can ask a question in the support forum. If possible, please include a crash Report ID when you post your question. See Get help fixing this crash for details.

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