You can try to disable OMTC.

• about:config page: layers.offmainthreadcomposition.enabled = false

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I'll be careful" to continue.

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

Can you explain what this would do? I'll be careful.... means what?

Type about:config<Enter> in the address bar. If a warning screen comes up, press the Be Careful button. This is where Firefox finds information it needs to run. At the top of the screen is a search bar.

Type layers.offmainthreadcomposition.enabled Right click it and change it to False

Fred McD. When I typed in that phrase in the search bar- nothing happened. It just stayed in the search bar with preferences in the dialogue box below- empty. Do i do something wrong?

Just to be sure: you need to start typing in the Search bar at the top of the about:config page.

Were you able to open the about:config page?

Type about:config in the location (address) bar and press the Enter key to open the about:config page like you open a website by typing the URL in the location bar.

• If you see a warning message then you can confirm that you want to access the about:config page.

• use the Search bar at the top of the about:config page to locate preferences more easily
• preferences that have been modified and do not have the default value show as bold (user set)
• preferences that are user set (bold) can be reset to the default value via the right-click context menu
• preferences can be changed via the right-click context menu: Modify (String or Integer) or Toggle (Boolean) or by double-clicking the line with the pref

Thanks cor-el.Excellent explanation. I was able to do this with your description. So now that I've done it, is that all?

Restart Firefox, and take it for a test drive.

Thanks for the help Cor-el and Fred McD. will report back in a few days

FredMcD said

The crash reports flagged these programs; libdispatch.dylib AppKit libsystem_pthread.dylib HIToolbox libsystem_kernel.dylib libobjc.A.dylib CoreFoundation Signature JSRuntime = JavaScript

New information ! ! All the above programs look to be part of Word for Mac (Microsoft) I don't know if these articles can help. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2693802/en-us complete removal of Office 2008

Fred McD. Thank you!!! I've been to the Genius Bar 3 times because of spontaneous shut-downs, Word has shut down and I've lost all of my work (even though I saved) and nobody could tell me whether there was a problem. Bought new RAM and spent hours figuring this out.

Now I know.... I will look into this. Not sure why it's crashing now after all these years but this is super helpful!

Over time, programs get re-written, and new programs get installed. Sometimes the new stuff is not good for the current system.

I suggest you re-install everything that is giving you a problem. Also, check the Microsoft help site. http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us

Fred McD. Not sure what to do. I followed Method 1 and when I dragged the file com.microsoft.Word.prefs.plist back to its spot, it said it had been replaced by a newer version and I don't know what reply. Do I replace? say no? I'm now in limbo and not doing anything afraid I'll now do the wrong thing. The instructions didn't account for this

You have to say what the instructions are, and what you want to do.

Did you re-install the programs? Are you trying to move a settings file into something?

Sit back, take a deep breath, and relax.

Thanks Fred McD. One of the guys at the MS forum told me what to do. good advice.....deep breath and relax. Easier when people like you are there to support. Very much appreciated!

That's what we are here for. Once your problem is settled, please post here as to what was done. Good Luck.

Crashed today. I made the Word changes and did the about:config stuff. Can you tell if this crash is still related to Word for Mac or is it a new problem?

Thanks

Please post the crash reports for the last week.

bp-5b6a52d5-6a65-425d-b63c-7a6cc2141227 2014-12-27 2:44 PM bp-36b1ea01-17f5-4306-9464-48d622141220 2014-12-19 10:13 PM bp-6e61b44f-4161-4367-a7e1-446f02141220 2014-12-19 10:12 PM bp-fe78f4e2-a21c-4bdc-b44a-5bce82141219 2014-12-19 6:32 PM

The crash report flagged these programs;

Signature = MarkInternal<JSAtom> Signature = PushMarkStack

Note; several bug reports have been make for the Mark signatures.

libdispatch.dylib =  ? Word for Mac

AppKit

libsystem_pthread.dylib =  ? Word for Mac

HIToolbox =  ? Word for Mac

libsystem_kernel.dylib =  ? Word for Mac complete removal of Office 2008

libobjc.A.dylib =  ? Word for Mac http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2693802/en-us

CoreFoundation =  ? Word for Mac

Fred McD. What do you recommend? Not sure where the Office 2008 is coming from since I have Office 2011 on my Mac.

And what do I do about the Signature What is that?