
Various gambling sites open a tab automatically when Firefox is idle.
How do I stop this ?
Chosen solution
Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer that you may not be aware of. Did you download Firefox from the official Mozilla site? Sometimes if you search on Google or any search provider, they sometimes have "Advertised links" which are sometimes Firefox bundles that have been slightly modified/shipped with malicious software.
If you did download from a different website and believe that to be the cause, you can report the link here:
Check your add-ons for any suspicious extensions:
- Tools (or
) > Add-ons > Extensions
Also check your list of install programs in Windows - Control Panel > Programs and Features. Usually malware comes bundled with other applications, so if you sort by date and see several applications installed at the same day, it may be easier to find suspicious applications that way.
You can also try the Reset Firefox feature which can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your bookmarks, history, passwords, cookies, and other essential information. Note: After resetting Firefox, you will lose any extensions, toolbar customizations, and some preferences. See the Reset Firefox -fix most problems article for more information.
You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:
- MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware
- AdwCleaner (for more info, see this alternate AdwCleaner download page)
- Microsoft Safety Scanner
- Anti-Rootkit Utility - TDSSKiller
- Hitman Pro
- ESET Online Scanner
Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.
Did this fix your problems? If not, try posting in a forum specializing in malware removal:
- Bleeping Computer - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums
- Spyware Warrior Forums - http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
- SWI Forums - http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/
Please report back to us!
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Chosen Solution
Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer that you may not be aware of. Did you download Firefox from the official Mozilla site? Sometimes if you search on Google or any search provider, they sometimes have "Advertised links" which are sometimes Firefox bundles that have been slightly modified/shipped with malicious software.
If you did download from a different website and believe that to be the cause, you can report the link here:
Check your add-ons for any suspicious extensions:
- Tools (or
) > Add-ons > Extensions
Also check your list of install programs in Windows - Control Panel > Programs and Features. Usually malware comes bundled with other applications, so if you sort by date and see several applications installed at the same day, it may be easier to find suspicious applications that way.
You can also try the Reset Firefox feature which can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your bookmarks, history, passwords, cookies, and other essential information. Note: After resetting Firefox, you will lose any extensions, toolbar customizations, and some preferences. See the Reset Firefox -fix most problems article for more information.
You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:
- MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware
- AdwCleaner (for more info, see this alternate AdwCleaner download page)
- Microsoft Safety Scanner
- Anti-Rootkit Utility - TDSSKiller
- Hitman Pro
- ESET Online Scanner
Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.
Did this fix your problems? If not, try posting in a forum specializing in malware removal:
- Bleeping Computer - http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums
- Spyware Warrior Forums - http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
- SWI Forums - http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/
Please report back to us!
Thanks. I ran the MalwareBytes AntiMalware first. It didn't report any problems but immediately it completed, Firefox opened by itself with one of the gambling sites, unfortunately I didn't make a note of which one. Then I reinstalled Firefox as you recommended and the problem seems to have gone away.
Peter Hime