The Reset Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information. Note: This will cause you to lose any Extensions, Open websites, and some Preferences.

To Reset Firefox do the following:

1. Go to Firefox > Help > Troubleshooting Information.
2. Click the "Reset Firefox" button.
3. Firefox will close and reset. After Firefox is done, it will show a window with the information that is imported. Click Finish.
4. Firefox will open with all factory defaults applied.

Further information can be found in the Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Also, if the problem persists, you can try to Start Task Manager (right-click the taskbar) > Processes > Show processes from all users. You can then search online for suspicious Image Name and try uninstalling the external Windows program behind the suspicious name via Start menu or Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or at least make settings changes in the external Windows program. The dedicated security forums will be helpful:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/forum79.html

http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php

http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/

http://www.wilderssecurity.com/

Thanks! Will a reset remove my bookmarks? If so I have already backed them up in an html file as well as a file with a wierd ending like json.

The Reset Firefox feature will in normal circumstances save bookmarks among other personal data as listed here. As you have already made an HTML backup you could use that if anything is amiss.

Importing from HTML

Importing

You can check for problems with preferences and try to rename or delete the prefs.js file and possible numbered prefs-##.js files and a possible user.js file to reset all prefs to the default values.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Resetting_preferences

The reset seems to have worked. The start.search page is gone. Bookmarks are here. All I had to do was re-download a single add-on. Took less than 2 minutes. Thanks!

But wait! Now I seem to have a different problem which is admittedly awfully minor. When Firefox opens I not only get the home page I want (sorry, it's just Google) I also get a Welcome to Firefox page inviting me to use the browser (A better browser. For the greater good!) which, of course, I am already doing! I am invited to "keep in touch" with my e-mail address and also to get Firefox for Android. My guess is that that won't work too well on my iPhone. Maybe if I had an Android . . . In fact that Firefox page is the primary tab with my actual home page sitting behind it in a separate tab, every time I restart Firefox, even after restarting my computer. Hardly the end of civilized life but what's this about?

You can try to Use current pages in General after closing all other tabs except your Google homepage.

Home page

Options

See these articles for some suggestions:

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firefox+has+just+updated+tab+shows+each+time+you+start+Firefox
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/How+to+set+the+home+page - Firefox supports multiple home pages separated by '|' symbols

If you do not keep changes after a restart then see:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved

THanks. Indeed FF has changed my home page to something very long starting with mozilla and ending in google! This might explain how I got a FF page AND a Google tab. I reset the home page and so far the problme has disappeared.