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

Multiple instances of Firefox open at same time

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 273 views
  • Last reply by radar-seven

more options

When i start firefox from the desktop or taskbar icon for the first time after starting windows, two instances of the browser open up instead of just one.

When i start firefox from the desktop or taskbar icon for the first time after starting windows, two instances of the browser open up instead of just one.

Chosen solution

The problem seems to have resolved itself on its own. Thanks for trying to help guys.

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (6)

more options

More than one process is normal for the current Firefox. http://www.ghacks.net/2016/07/22/multi-process-firefox/

Multi-process Firefox is codenamed "e10s". https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/multiprocess

more options

This isn't a case of multi-processing which is what these articles address. What happens is when I click on either my desktop icon or my taskbar icon to open Firefox, the browser opens up in a window and then immediately opens up a browser in a second window so that two instances of Firefox are running at the same time. Each window has different tabs open than each other.

more options

I should add that this only occurs after starting or restarting Windows 10. If I close Firefox and then open it back up, it only opens one instance of the browser.

more options

Right-click that task bar icon and desktop icon and inspect the Properties > Target line to see if two URL's are in that Target line.

And also provide us with the URL's that are being loaded in each of those two browser windows, when that happens. That may give us a "tip off" as to why that is happening for you seemingly intermittently.

I don't run Win10, but use Win7, so I suspect that Win10 might be at fault when that happens after the Windows Logon User Account is being freshly loaded either by a cold start or restarting Win10.

more options

What pages open in those Firefox windows ?

Do both open your homepage or is one blank or with a different page ?

more options

Chosen Solution

The problem seems to have resolved itself on its own. Thanks for trying to help guys.