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Firefox is no longer compatible with a screen reader programs why?

  • 7 replies
  • 3 have this problem
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  • Last reply by cor-el

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Firefox 4.0 is no longer compatible with screen reader programs such as zoom text. I'm a visually impaired user and have never had problems until now. I want to revert back to 3.5 because now 4.0 is useless to me. If it isn't broken don't fix it. Mozilla just made things worse for me. Thanks a lot.

Firefox 4.0 is no longer compatible with screen reader programs such as zoom text. I'm a visually impaired user and have never had problems until now. I want to revert back to 3.5 because now 4.0 is useless to me. If it isn't broken don't fix it. Mozilla just made things worse for me. Thanks a lot.

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Your screen reader is no longer compatible because it's author has not updated it for FF4

Credit Tony E To downgrade to Firefox 3.6 first uninstall Firefox 4, but do not select the option to "Remove my Firefox personal data". If you select that option it will delete your bookmarks, passwords and other user data. See https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Uninstalling+Firefox You can then install the latest version of Firefox 3.6 available from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-older.html - it will automatically use your current bookmarks, passwords etc. To avoid possible problems with downgrading, I recommend going to your profile folder and deleting the following files if they exist - extensions.cache, extensions.rdf, extensions.ini, extensions.sqlite and localstore.rdf. Deleting these files will force Firefox to rebuild the list of installed extensions, checking their compatibility, and reset toolbar customizations. For details of how to find your profile folder see https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Profiles

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I'm in full agreement with 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.

The new version is awkward and clumsy. I'm going back to the old version as well....I sure hope I don't lose all bookmarks etc.....it's a pretty long list accumulated over years.

Anyways....question is....has anybody actually uninstalled and gone back to 3.5 I'd like to hear some feedback as to their results before I try it.

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Not advisable to go back to Firefox 3.5, too many differences between the two might cause loss of some personal data. Reverting to Firefox 3.6 would be better especially since security updates for that old 3.5 version have probably ended with the last update of a few weeks ago.

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Oh dear. Thanks for the input edmeister. My knowledge of such things is limited.

I'd already been experiencing some difficulties with FF after the last upgrade, that I have yet to rectify. One being the loss of the 'images' on a google search....which is super annoying.

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I need to clarify something in my original post. My screen reader program is also a screen magnifier. The magnifier part of the program does not work with Firefox 4.0. It will not allow the webpages to display properly and it will not enlarge the text. All previous versions work no problem with zoom text 9.1. Therefore I am unable to use Firefox 4.0 with the screen magnifier/reader.

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Firefox 4 uses hardware acceleration by default and that feature may not be compatible with that screen reader and magnifier.

Try to disable hardware acceleration.

  • Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"