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

Since installing the late October update I'm having display issues in Newspaper (NYT and WaPo) sites.

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 15 views
  • Last reply by FredMcD

more options

The width of news columns have shrunk, and side columns like comments in New York Times have lost both width and height and are in smaller fonts. I normally run most web pages at 120-150% and the larger size seems to not passing on to the side columns. The column width issue also occurs on the Washington Post. The only change has been the Firefox update, and standard rebooting and troubleshooting makes no difference. I need to get back to the previous column and text sizes, including applying increased magnification. Is there any option short of trying to revert to the older version, which doesn't look easy.

The width of news columns have shrunk, and side columns like comments in New York Times have lost both width and height and are in smaller fonts. I normally run most web pages at 120-150% and the larger size seems to not passing on to the side columns. The column width issue also occurs on the Washington Post. The only change has been the Firefox update, and standard rebooting and troubleshooting makes no difference. I need to get back to the previous column and text sizes, including applying increased magnification. Is there any option short of trying to revert to the older version, which doesn't look easy.

All Replies (6)

more options

added screenshot

more options

Many site issues can be caused by corrupt cookies or cache.

Warning ! ! This will log you out of sites you're logged in to. You may also lose any settings for that website.

If there is still a problem, Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} by holding down the <Shift> (Mac=Options) key, and then starting Firefox.

A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Safe Mode (not Refresh). Did this help?

While you are in safe mode;

Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration in Firefox. Since this feature was added to Firefox it has gradually improved but there are still a few glitches.

How to disable Hardware Acceleration {web link}

more options

I had already cleared cache and cookies, which made no difference.

When I started in safe mode everything looked like it should, with magnification working well.

I disabled the hardware acceleration per the instructions, then shut down Firefox and started it again, and am back to the tiny print and small windows.

So for tonight I'm just going to run in safe mode so I can follow election information.

The only other clue might be that going back to regular after safe mode my ad-blocker quit working and had to be restarted, but I did not do that until after seeing the unacceptable shrinking.

more options

It could be the work of one of your add-ons.

Type about:addons<enter> in the address bar to open your Add-ons Manager. Hot key; <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> A)

In the Add-ons Manager, on the left, select Extensions. Disable a few add-ons, then Restart Firefox.

Some added toolbar and anti-virus add-ons are known to cause Firefox issues. Disable All Of them.

If the problem continues, disable some more (restarting FF). Continue until the problem is gone. After, you know what group is causing the issue. Re-enable the last group ONE AT A TIME (restarting FF) until the problem returns.

Once you think you found the problem, disable that and re-enable all the others, then restart again. Let us know who the suspect is, detective.

more options

That was the first step I did when this happened.

For now, after many years as a dedicated Firefox user, I have switched to using Chrome, where this is not an issue. Access to my Internet news subscriptions is too important for me to have to keep squinting and struggling to read them.

more options

Use these links to create a new profile. Use this new profile as is. Is the problem still there?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Navigating_to_the_profile_folder

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles


Type about:profiles<enter> in the address bar.