13 yr old hardware running FF with sync OK until chgd Distro to "AntiX". Got propagada and loops in Bookmarks, and Tabs won't load. Can you clean my Sync?
Was using Lubuntu for years on old hardware, then OS got corrupted. Chgd Distro to "AntiX" which worked for a few weeks, then FF quit loading Tags (blue dot just goes back & forth but no load). Bought a new computer meantime but would like to keep old stuff running and most of all clean out the anti-captialist propaganda garbage than landed in my FF synch account, including loops. An add-in that kills loops and moves all bookmarks to the bookmarks bar would be helpful. Presumably it was 'AntiX' that put the propaganda in my FF bookmarks, but bookmarks, if a directed graph, seems susceptible to loops and should have defenses against loops so once garbage like Anti-X's gets in, it can be cleaned out. Cryptically, my FF account asked me today to verify my home country (!) -- which I did (USA). Help appreciated, but if too much trouble would like Synch account destroyed so I can start a new one with same email. Also years and years and years ago I had an early Synch account with the same email address, so if it's calusing trouble, it can all be wiped out. Having to write this from some other browser on a new computer. Thanks!
Chosen solution
You can create a new profile to test if your current profile is causing the problem.
See "Creating a profile":
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Profile_issues
If the new profile works then you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over problems.
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Then this could be a case where there is incompatible software issues with the O/S and Browser not interfacing together. It might be good to see what site the AntiX O/S recommends using with their distro O/S.
Modified by WestEnd
An add-in that kills loops and moves all bookmarks to the bookmarks bar would be helpful.
FF Synch, when storing bookmarks, presumably a tree structure or directed graph structure, should have corrective defenses that break cycles (aka loops) when ingesting Bookmarks for storage. It does not seem like a difficult problem to solve, compared to synchronization itself. You've already done the hard part!
OS vendors could say "Viruses and Malware are not our problem". Well, malware, viruses, and corrupted data structures happen. Saying "It's not our problem because it's not our product".... just degrades the value proposition of the product, be it an Operating System or a Bookmark synchronization service. None of these services operate in a vacuum.
I'm a donor to the Mozilla Foundation and will continue to be that. Please make this useful offering, Firefox Synch, self-correcting while in storage, or write an add-on to fix corrupted data structures, or otherwise somehow be able to contine to serve in the real world where data structures get broken by all kinds of garbage not at all of Mozilla's making.
You only need to change or reset the password of the Firefox account to wipe all data stored on the Sync server. This happens because only the original password can decrypt this data.
Note that the old Sync version has been retired in 2015.
Chosen Solution
You can create a new profile to test if your current profile is causing the problem.
See "Creating a profile":
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Profile_issues
If the new profile works then you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over problems.
Thank you cor-el! By starting a new profile (on my Lubuntu machine, Anti-X machine is clearly corrupted) I was able to restore Intenret access ( new Tabs loaded without forever bouncing the blue ball on the tab, thank you!! ).
Firefox Synch did load up a long list of apparently looped bookmarks, but they were in sets of 4 and by deleting them from the Bookmarks menu (all were Empty except the first set) I was able to clean up my Bookmarks.
Spookily, a "Report Web Forgery" tab came up, so I reported it.
Then a "Report Phising Tab" came up, but there was no URL visible on the screen. I reported it anyway.
Thank you cor-el and Mozilla for taking a stand against the creeps out there who mess with people's computers!!!!
I am most grateful for your assistance.