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Recovery.js file sometimes only contains one out of 4 windows I have been working with, while sometimes it contains all 4. Why?

  • 7 replies
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  • Last reply by f2p3c

f2p3c
f2p3c
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Hi all. I have been working with 4 windows recently, many tabs on each window. I have exited firefox in a variety of ways, which don't seem to correlate to this problem. Sometimes I intentionally exit the browser, sometimes I shut down or restart the computer while the browser is still open, and I have had to end the process or task from the task manager at times when FF stopped responding. Anyways, sometimes recovery.js reduces in size by a great deal at the start of the next session, even when all 4 windows launch, such as from 164000 to 54000 KB. If such a recovery file is subsequently used to recover a session (if I leave firefox and then restart it), I find that only one out of my 4 windows is getting restored. In response to when this smaller file is generated, I have done a few things, such as deleting the file which seems to lead FF to restore from recovery.bak next time, and I have even used session restore to bring FF back to a time before it generated the smaller file. Sometimes, though, recovery.js loads all 4 tabs, with the full file size, and updates in real time. I continue my sessions for an extended period of time, and eventually it stops updating. Usually at this point I will make a copy of the file, and sometimes I will create a restore point as well to make sure I can return to a point with the maximum amount of data saved. A 3rd alternate situation that happens is that all 4 tabs will load, and the the recovery.js file is full-size, but the date/time stamp will be from a previous session and it will remain like that, with no updating. I guess it is possible that there is some correlation between, say, the way the browser shuts down to what happens to the recovery.js file that I simply haven't been careful enough to observe, and I will try to make a point of paying more attention to that from now on, but I really don't think that's it, or I think I would have noticed. Any ideas? If I could get FF to properly restore my last session (it would be even nicer if it just kept updating the session in real time without stopping, but I feel like that is asking for too much and honestly I can handle it not always updating as long as from time to time it will update) then I wouldn't have to take the risk of doing system restore, which seems to have the potential to screw things up in the computer, in order to get the browser to function the way I think it is supposed to. I had some other issues recently (some seemingly related, some not) which partially resolved. I plan to uninstall flash player since i seem to have multiple versions but I haven't gotten around to that yet, but will soon. Doubt that is the source of all this trouble but I guess there's only one way to find out, and I will update this and my last ? after I have done so in case people are waiting for me to take that step.

Hi all. I have been working with 4 windows recently, many tabs on each window. I have exited firefox in a variety of ways, which don't seem to correlate to this problem. Sometimes I intentionally exit the browser, sometimes I shut down or restart the computer while the browser is still open, and I have had to end the process or task from the task manager at times when FF stopped responding. Anyways, sometimes recovery.js reduces in size by a great deal at the start of the next session, even when all 4 windows launch, such as from 164000 to 54000 KB. If such a recovery file is subsequently used to recover a session (if I leave firefox and then restart it), I find that only one out of my 4 windows is getting restored. In response to when this smaller file is generated, I have done a few things, such as deleting the file which seems to lead FF to restore from recovery.bak next time, and I have even used session restore to bring FF back to a time before it generated the smaller file. Sometimes, though, recovery.js loads all 4 tabs, with the full file size, and updates in real time. I continue my sessions for an extended period of time, and eventually it stops updating. Usually at this point I will make a copy of the file, and sometimes I will create a restore point as well to make sure I can return to a point with the maximum amount of data saved. A 3rd alternate situation that happens is that all 4 tabs will load, and the the recovery.js file is full-size, but the date/time stamp will be from a previous session and it will remain like that, with no updating. I guess it is possible that there is some correlation between, say, the way the browser shuts down to what happens to the recovery.js file that I simply haven't been careful enough to observe, and I will try to make a point of paying more attention to that from now on, but I really don't think that's it, or I think I would have noticed. Any ideas? If I could get FF to properly restore my last session (it would be even nicer if it just kept updating the session in real time without stopping, but I feel like that is asking for too much and honestly I can handle it not always updating as long as from time to time it will update) then I wouldn't have to take the risk of doing system restore, which seems to have the potential to screw things up in the computer, in order to get the browser to function the way I think it is supposed to. I had some other issues recently (some seemingly related, some not) which partially resolved. I plan to uninstall flash player since i seem to have multiple versions but I haven't gotten around to that yet, but will soon. Doubt that is the source of all this trouble but I guess there's only one way to find out, and I will update this and my last ? after I have done so in case people are waiting for me to take that step.

Chosen solution

Hey all. So I seem to have solved my problem, which boiled down to problems with the recovery.js file not updating in real time often, and updating incorrectly. A clean reinstall restored this to its proper function and I didn't lose any of my info that WAS saved. The process is described in this thread: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1109894

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All Replies (7)

FredMcD
FredMcD
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Separate Issue; Your System Details shows;

Installed Plug-ins

Shockwave Flash 23.0 r0 Shockwave Flash 22.0 r0
Having more than one version of a program may cause issues. You must remove the older programs. Then get the current full installer.

Flash: Grab the uninstaller from here: Uninstall Flash Player | Windows Uninstall Flash Player | Mac

Then reinstall the latest version.

Note: Windows users should download the active_x for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox).

Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the active_x.

Flash Player Version: 24.0.0.186

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

See if there are updates for your graphics drivers https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

FredMcD
FredMcD
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f2p3c said

sometimes I shut down or restart the computer while the browser is still open

It is not a good idea to shut down the computer without closing all open programs first. This could cause issues.

As to the restoring sessions, You may have corrupt sessionstore file(s). Delete all sessionstore* files and the sessionstore-backups folder.

Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.

Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Locate the above file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
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You can History -> Recently Closed Tabs/Windows.

Use one of these to close Firefox if you are currently doing that by clicking the close X on the Firefox title bar.

  • "3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)
  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit

That way you close all open windows at once. You can also use the "Show my windows and tabs from last time" startup setting if you currently used one of the others.

f2p3c
f2p3c Question owner
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cor-el said

You can History -> Recently Closed Tabs/Windows. Use one of these to close Firefox if you are currently doing that by clicking the close X on the Firefox title bar.
  • "3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)
  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit
That way you close all open windows at once. You can also use the "Show my windows and tabs from last time" startup setting if you currently used one of the others.

Thanks for your reply. I already have firefox set to restore windows and tabs from last time. I will try to make sure to close out one of those ways you suggest when I have the chance. Often, however, firefox becomes unresponsive (occasionally the whole computer) and I will not be able to exit this way. The weird thing is that even when the "restore session?" lists all 4 windows, and all the correct info, and then I press "restore", and all the windows are indeed restored, sometimes the previous.js file drops in size by a drastic amount, and like I said if I were to then close out and then restart firefox, only one of the four windows is restored (which explains why the file size drops like that). So on one level it knows there are 4 windows, and restores them, but then only puts the info from one of them into the new previous.js file. I don't get it. This just happened to me today. I'm not even sure why my computer shut off, as I thought I had only put it to sleep. Sometimes windows shuts down my computer on its own to install updates or whatever, but it hasn't notified me that's what happened. I checked the battery too when I started the computer up again and it wasn't empty, so it's not like it shut down because of that. Maybe I wasn't careful and pressed shut down instead of sleep by mistake. I responded to this by deleting the file so that it doesn't get used and then turn into the previous.bak file which is still good.

f2p3c
f2p3c Question owner
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FredMcD said

Separate Issue; Your System Details shows; Installed Plug-ins Shockwave Flash 23.0 r0 Shockwave Flash 22.0 r0
Having more than one version of a program may cause issues. You must remove the older programs. Then get the current full installer. Flash: Grab the uninstaller from here: Uninstall Flash Player | Windows Uninstall Flash Player | Mac Then reinstall the latest version. Note: Windows users should download the active_x for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox). Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the active_x. Flash Player Version: 24.0.0.186 https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only> https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

See if there are updates for your graphics drivers https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

Thanks for letting me know about the separate flash player plugin issue. I followed your steps as mentioned. As far as the graphics driver, I just go to the NVIDIA website and download the driver from there after letting the site detect which version it thinks I need. Anyway I am still having the problem I posted about.

Modified by f2p3c

f2p3c
f2p3c Question owner
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FredMcD said

f2p3c said
sometimes I shut down or restart the computer while the browser is still open

It is not a good idea to shut down the computer without closing all open programs first. This could cause issues.

As to the restoring sessions, You may have corrupt sessionstore file(s). Delete all sessionstore* files and the sessionstore-backups folder.

Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.

Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Locate the above file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.

Here's the thing: I want to solve this problem while keeping the tab information that I already have (at least one of the files). I currently have 814 tabs and want to maintain that information without having to do hours of work. By deleting all the files, I will delete this info while I can retain a copy and then put it back in, that risks transferring the problem back, right?

f2p3c
f2p3c Question owner
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Chosen Solution

Hey all. So I seem to have solved my problem, which boiled down to problems with the recovery.js file not updating in real time often, and updating incorrectly. A clean reinstall restored this to its proper function and I didn't lose any of my info that WAS saved. The process is described in this thread: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1109894