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Compose email in gmail causes cursor to jump to beginning of line after a few characters

  • 4 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by aprayzr

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When composing an email in gmail, the cursor jumps back to the beginning of the line after typing just three characters. I cleared the cache and cookies. That increased the characters to about ten before jumping back to the beginning. I have to either type the email in a word processor and copy and paste, or use chrome.

When composing an email in gmail, the cursor jumps back to the beginning of the line after typing just three characters. I cleared the cache and cookies. That increased the characters to about ten before jumping back to the beginning. I have to either type the email in a word processor and copy and paste, or use chrome.

Chosen solution

You can try to disable hardware acceleration in Firefox.

  • Options/Preferences -> Advanced -> General -> Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"

You need to close and restart Firefox after toggling this setting.

You can check if there is an update for your graphics display driver and check for hardware acceleration related issues.


If it works in Safe Mode and in normal mode with all extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) disabled then try to find which extension is causing the problem by enabling one extension at a time until the problem reappears.

Close and restart Firefox after each change via *"3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)

  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit
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All Replies (4)

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Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

  • Switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Appearance
  • Do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

Clear the cache and remove the cookies from websites that cause problems via the "3-bar" Firefox menu button (Options/Preferences).

"Clear the cache":

  • Firefox/Options/Preferences -> Advanced -> Network -> Cached Web Content: "Clear Now"

"Remove the cookies" from websites that cause problems.

  • Firefox/Options/Preferences -> Privacy -> "Use custom settings for history" -> Cookies: "Show Cookies"

Modified by cor-el

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This did not cure the problem, but did identify that it may be one of the extensions causing it. The problem was removed while in safe mode and returned after restarting normally.

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Chosen Solution

You can try to disable hardware acceleration in Firefox.

  • Options/Preferences -> Advanced -> General -> Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"

You need to close and restart Firefox after toggling this setting.

You can check if there is an update for your graphics display driver and check for hardware acceleration related issues.


If it works in Safe Mode and in normal mode with all extensions ("3-bar" menu button or Tools -> Add-ons -> Extensions) disabled then try to find which extension is causing the problem by enabling one extension at a time until the problem reappears.

Close and restart Firefox after each change via *"3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)

  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit
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Found it! Thanks!