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The process for Firefox automatically opens itself, giving me problems with updating certain programs.

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  • Last reply by Xennified

Xennified
Xennified
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Since I downloaded the update to Firefox 6, the firefox process (Not the actual program) opens itself as soon as I log in to my PC. Every time I try to close the process, it reopens itself shortly after. This made it difficult to install the update at first, because it kept saying Firefox was already open, I had to reinstall Firefox to update properly. It also makes it difficult to update Flash.

Edit- Looking at my process list when I actually have Firefox open, there are two firefox.exe processes open. I've scanned with Avast, Malwarebytes' and Spybot, so it's unlikely this is any kind of malware/spyware pretending to be Firefox.

Since I downloaded the update to Firefox 6, the firefox process (Not the actual program) opens itself as soon as I log in to my PC. Every time I try to close the process, it reopens itself shortly after. This made it difficult to install the update at first, because it kept saying Firefox was already open, I had to reinstall Firefox to update properly. It also makes it difficult to update Flash. Edit- Looking at my process list when I actually have Firefox open, there are two firefox.exe processes open. I've scanned with Avast, Malwarebytes' and Spybot, so it's unlikely this is any kind of malware/spyware pretending to be Firefox.

Modified by Xennified

All Replies (2)

David McRitchie
David McRitchie
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Glad you are on Windows 7, so I think I can help you with some of things you identified.

If you have two different firefox.exe there were two separate tasks started.

you can use "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" on Windows 7 to get to the Task Manager
add to columns in processes: View > Select Columns... > Command Line

So you will be able to see the actual command line that started it, you will be able to tell if you had a profile named on it or not

Windows 7 allows you to pin things to the Task Bar -- suggest you don't, but I don't think that has anything to do with the problem.

There are some quick start add-ons that are supposed to preload some modules so Firefox will start quicker -- again I would not recommend that, as that is the Operating System's responsibility even if Microsoft may it for their own stuff. Such things I'm sure would interfere with updates, and using multiple versions of Firefox at the same time. Thought I'd find several, but you would know if you installed anything like it.

See how far you get with that much information. If not tell us exactly what the start commands for the two firefox.exe indicate.

Windows 7 Home Premium

http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/win7.htm

Quick Launch (is available on Windows 7)

http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/win7.htm#quicklaunch
Xennified
Xennified Question owner
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I made a screenshot of the two processes. I don't have any quick start addons or anything that should be starting Firefox automatically. The one I opened was just from a link on one of my Rainmeter RSS feeds. I don't like having programs pinned to the taskbar, I use a dock for my shortcuts and I tend to have a lot of programs open at times, so I want as much space as possible on there.