You can get rid of it if you don't mind disabling snippet updates (that's those tips that appear below the search box).

1. Type about:config into the address bar and press Enter.
2. To bypass the warning, press the big button labeled "I'll be careful, I promise!".
3. In the search box, paste browser.aboutHomeSnippets.updateUrl
4. In the search results, double-click browser.aboutHomeSnippets.updateUrl. Delete all the text in the dialog box that pops up, then press the OK button.
5. Type about:support in the address bar and press Enter.
6. Click the Show Folder button.
7. Right-click the Firefox taskbar icon and choose either Close All Windows or Close Window.
8. In the Windows Explorer window that opened, open the storage folder, then the persistent folder inside that.
9. Delete the moz-safe-about+home folder.

Hi, Thanks for answering. This is really basic, but I can't get the mouse to drag and drop in about:config. It works on desktop icons outside of the window.

What do you want to do with drag and drop on the about:config page?

You only need to scroll down to a pref or start typing in the search bar at the top of this page to locate a pref and then double-click the pref line or use Modify in the right-click context menu.

See also:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

Thanks, I completed the task and the animation stopped for 2 seconds, then began again. (The only step omitted was number 7, when the Windows Explorer window opened without right-clicking the FF taskbar icon).

Why did you mark the above post as the solution, especially since you're still having problems?

You're not supposed to skip any steps. Step 7 is closing Firefox. Redo the above, exactly as indicated.

I went through the first 6 steps again, and then right-clicked on the Firefox icon in the taskbar. There was no Close Window command available.

FreshAir wrote:

right-clicked on the Firefox icon in the taskbar. There was no Close Window command available.

I can't imagine how that's possible unless maybe Firefox wasn't running and you right-clicked the Quick Launch icon.
Anyway, if you only have one Firefox window open, you can just click the big red X button in the top right corner. You can also click the ≡ Menu Button, then the Power Symbol, or you can open the File menu and choose Exit.

I followed and completed all the steps, including closing the windows manually and deleting the folder. The Firefox start page was showing no animation before browsing (no more bouncing blue stars), and the snippets are still appearing.

FreshAir wrote:

The Firefox start page was showing no animation before browsing (no more bouncing blue stars)

Does this mean the issue is solved, or that you still see an animated logo on the default home page? If the problem is solved, kindly mark the correct post as the solution. That is, unless you honestly think the currently marked one solved it, in which case I'll just shake my head and move along.

FreshAir wrote:

the snippets are still appearing.

With snippet updates disabled, you just don't get new snippets, which includes things like the animated map, blinking Firefox logo to the left of the snippet, and the bouncing star icon behind the main logo. You still get the default snippets included with Firefox, which aren't animated.