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Won't open certain pdf files and crashes

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  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by rohe1318

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Firefox v88.0.1 on Win 10 Pro 20H2 PC, Windows Security (Windows Defender). All fully up-to-date.

This problem only started recently: When link is clicked in FF to open certain pdf files, a new, fully formatted FF window opens, but the body is blank white and the pdf never loads. Doesn't happen with all pdf files listed on the "referring" page, but just some of them on a certain well-known and trusted web site, and it's very reproducible.

Setting FF to open pdf files in Adobe Reader doesn't help. Same ones open but the others still won't. Other people tell me they have no problems opening those pdf files in FF.

I completely uninstalled and re-installed FF but that didn't help. Doesn't matter how I set the security/privacy options, have Ghostery on or off (only extension installed). Use recommended performance settings is enabled, DNS over HTTPS is off, tracking protection can be standard or strict, etc.

If I click Manage Exceptions under Enhanced Tracking Protection, there's no way to enter any exceptions so I can't exempt the website in question.

If I keep trying to open one of those pdf files, FF becomes totally unresponsive. Task Manager lists ~4-5 FF entries but I can't End Task for most of them, and I typically have to reboot PC. Windows creates a firefox.dmp file which says: FAULTING_THREAD: 000012f8 PROCESS_NAME: firefox.exe ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0x80000003 - {EXCEPTION} Breakpoint A breakpoint has been reached. EXCEPTION_CODE_STR: 80000003

I've run out of things to try...

Any ideas ?

Thanks!

Firefox v88.0.1 on Win 10 Pro 20H2 PC, Windows Security (Windows Defender). All fully up-to-date. This problem only started recently: When link is clicked in FF to open certain pdf files, a new, fully formatted FF window opens, but the body is blank white and the pdf never loads. Doesn't happen with all pdf files listed on the "referring" page, but just some of them on a certain well-known and trusted web site, and it's very reproducible. Setting FF to open pdf files in Adobe Reader doesn't help. Same ones open but the others still won't. Other people tell me they have no problems opening those pdf files in FF. I completely uninstalled and re-installed FF but that didn't help. Doesn't matter how I set the security/privacy options, have Ghostery on or off (only extension installed). Use recommended performance settings is enabled, DNS over HTTPS is off, tracking protection can be standard or strict, etc. If I click Manage Exceptions under Enhanced Tracking Protection, there's no way to enter any exceptions so I can't exempt the website in question. If I keep trying to open one of those pdf files, FF becomes ''totally ''unresponsive. Task Manager lists ~4-5 FF entries but I can't End Task for most of them, and I typically have to reboot PC. Windows creates a firefox.dmp file which says: FAULTING_THREAD: 000012f8 PROCESS_NAME: firefox.exe ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0x80000003 - {EXCEPTION} Breakpoint A breakpoint has been reached. EXCEPTION_CODE_STR: 80000003 I've run out of things to try... Any ideas ? Thanks!

All Replies (3)

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Thanks for the quick response.

I booted in Safe Mode and the troublesome pdf files that I tried opened, but FF "stopped responding" and showed an hour-glass after I opened several of different pdfs. (I opened them one at a time, and closed each one before opening the next one).

FF also froze a couple of times when I right-clicked the link to a pdf so I could choose to open it in a new window. Each time it stopped responding, I clicked the button that popped up to end the process and PC went back to desktop and I could re-open FF and try again.

So it suggests something loading at normal startup might be preventing FF from opening certain pdfs (but not all), but that doesn't explain why FF is freezing randomly even in Safe Mode.

Any additional thoughts? Thanks again - appreciate your help!

Modified by rohe1318

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New info...

This morning after a cold boot, FF was able to open ~5 or 6 of those troublesome pdf files, but after a while it lost that capability again.

The ones that opened earlier today still open when I click the link on the website, probably because they were cached in some temp folder on my PC when they were opened the first time. But now any different pdf files I try to open only give the fully formatted FF window with a blank white space where the pdf should appear.

If this is an issue with some app or Windows process that loads at boot, why can FF open these pdfs for a while but then suddenly stop opening other ones? They're all hosted by the same website and have related URLs.

Thanks for any additional ideas and suggestions!