Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Mutiple users on my computer, switch out then switch back Firefox stops working

  • 7 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by themelz

more options

I use macOS 10.12 and Firefox 61.01. I have multiple users on my computer and usually have 2 going at the same time. If I use Firefox while in a secondary user, switch over to the default user (the one it boots to), then go back to the secondary user, Firefox does not respond to anything I do. I can click any button, choose a command from any pulldown menu, etc., but nothing happens. I can quit the program and after I restart it, it works fine.

I use macOS 10.12 and Firefox 61.01. I have multiple users on my computer and usually have 2 going at the same time. If I use Firefox while in a secondary user, switch over to the default user (the one it boots to), then go back to the secondary user, Firefox does not respond to anything I do. I can click any button, choose a command from any pulldown menu, etc., but nothing happens. I can quit the program and after I restart it, it works fine.

All Replies (7)

more options

Hi, in what way did you install 2 Firefox's ? As there is a lack of compatibility if installed to the same place and Profiles are in the same place. Or do you just have 2 Profiles ?

more options

This is likely about having multiple (two) Mac user accounts that are both active at the same time.

Does it has any effect if you open a new window or do you really need to quit and restart Firefox?

more options

Yes it is about two Mac user accounts that are both active at the same time.

I can open a new window but still can't do anything. I really need to quit and restart Firefox. And this is the only app that has this problem.

more options

I think this is common on all apps. I use Win10 and if I just open Browser on different account it will close the other Browser. Since both are running from the same folder it must close one or the other to run in the current active accounts. I know, I had other software tell me to close the other before it would run.

more options

Like I said this is the only app that has this problem. I would hope this is not common on all apps in Windows or Linux. macOS easily handles multiple users simultaneously running with proper memory allocation and app management for multiple instances of the same app.

This is obviously a Firefox problem, not an OS problem.

more options

If that was the case we hear more about it but that isn't here. If your saying is true we hear from other mac user mentioning back here for others to know more.

more options

I found that a few things worked but after a several seconds delay.

More importantly I found that if I closed the window and opened a new one, everything worked just fine.

As for "If that was the case we hear more about it ..." I doubt if many people would even encounter my situation where two user accounts are open and a user is going back and forth between them. Generally different people use different user accounts with only one open at a time.

And what I said is TRUE!!!