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Cannot make certain website stop refreshing despite setting "Warn me when websites try to redirect or reload the page"

  • 10 replies
  • 7 have this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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I have set the browser to warn before allowing a reload or refresh. However, this does not stop some web sites from automatically reloading the page. Example is any page on http://www.foxnews.com The pages reload with no warning and take you back to the top, regardless of where you are.

I repeat. The advanced setting is checked yes.

Version 41.0, but has been happening now through the entire 40 series.

I have set the browser to warn before allowing a reload or refresh. However, this does not stop some web sites from automatically reloading the page. Example is any page on http://www.foxnews.com The pages reload with no warning and take you back to the top, regardless of where you are. I repeat. The advanced setting is checked yes. Version 41.0, but has been happening now through the entire 40 series.

All Replies (10)

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The setting in "Options > Advanced > General" is meant as an accessibility feature, as you can see by the label of that section, so that people with disabilities or people who use screen readers do not get confused and is not meant as a safety protection to stop redirecting.

This setting only applies to a few limited ways of redirecting. Most website that reload use a JavaScript timer to reload the page automatically every few minutes. You would have to block the script or use a special bookmarklet that disable this on the website.

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Your solution assumes I have even the slightest notion of how to "...block the script or use a special bookmarklet..."

Not a clue what that means.

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I checked the link. The page loaded okay. No reloading. I slowly scrolled to the bottom of the page. No problem. I waited at the bottom for some time.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web Link} by holding down the <Shift>
(Mac Options)
key, and then starting Firefox. Is the problem still there?

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Have RefreshBlocker installed. Did not fix the problem.

However the add-on DOES work when I start Firefox in safe mode.

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Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode that temporarily turns off hardware acceleration, resets some settings, and disables add-ons (extensions and themes). If the problem goes away, that tells us one thing. If it does not, that tells us something else.

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Some pages use this code:

function ew_enableRefresh(){var secs=600;try{ew_disableRefresh()}catch(err){}window.refreshInterval=setInterval(function(){location.reload(!1)},1e3*secs)}function ew_disableRefresh(){clearInterval(window.refreshInterval)}

On page where this code is used this bookmarklet could help:

  • javascript:void(ew_disableRefresh());

Create a new bookmark and paste the JavaScript bookmarklet code in its location field or evaluate the code via the command line of the Web Console (Firefox menu button or Tools > Web Developer).

I didn't see this code on the main www.foxnews.com and that page does reload as well after a few minutes, so there might be other scripts running,

Modified by cor-el

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I'm having the same problem on jstor. It tries to reload every 10 to 15 seconds, which seriously worsens my headache. Safe mode isn't an option because it disables my accessibility add-ons.

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Let the page load, but keep your mouse over the Stop button. When the page looks like it will reload, press the Stop button.

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Why open a page if the only thing I can do is hit the damn stop button every ten seconds, and if it will flash and hurt me, if I delay, or try to read, or something?

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You could still try Safe Mode as a troubleshooting step to test whether an extension is causing this issue. Then it is possible to see if there is a workaround possible. If Safe Mode doesn't have effect then you know that the problem is elsewhere.

You can also create a second profile without extensions that you can use in cases where you have a problem with your current profile.

It is even possible to start a second Firefox instance that uses this second profile without closing your current session by adding -no-remote to the command line although this might not be easy on Mac (you would probably have to use a terminal window). I regularly use a separate profile to check for possible causes of issues reported by others at this forum to avoid having to mess with the profile I use by default.