Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Firefox 19.0.2 doesn't remember my place when I use the back button. It always goes to the top of the page ~ why?

more options

I'm using a PC with Vista, and FF 19.0.2. This problem only started after the latest FF update! Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling is NOT fun ~

I'm using a PC with Vista, and FF 19.0.2. This problem only started after the latest FF update! Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling is NOT fun ~

All Replies (16)

more options

Usually if Firefox has cached the long page and the page hasn't expired (i.e., the site does not require Firefox to get the page again), then this problem does not occur.


Does this happen on all sites, or just a few particular sites? When you have a problem with one particular site, a good "first thing to try" is clearing your Firefox cache and deleting your saved cookies for the site.

(1) Bypass Firefox's Cache

Use Ctrl+Shift+r to reload the page fresh from the server.

Alternately, you also can clear Firefox's cache completely using:

orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Options > Advanced

On the Network mini-tab > Cached Web Content : "Clear Now"

If you have a large hard drive, this might take a few minutes.

(2) Remove the site's cookies (save any pending work first). While viewing a page on the site:

  • right-click and choose View Page Info > Security > "View Cookies"
  • Alt+t (open the classic Tools menu) > Page Info > Security > "View Cookies"

Then try reloading the page. Does that help?


The temporary workaround is to use Ctrl+click (or right-click) to open links in a new tab so that the long page doesn't need to be reloaded even from the cache...

more options

Thanks for your reply, but clearing the cache, nor refreshing the page did not solve the problem on Food.ccom ~ opening every forum post that I'd like to read in a new tab is cumbersome and just as time consuming as scrolling! Others have reported the problem on Food.com also, although Food.com claims no responsibility!

http://www.food.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?p=5869958#5869958

Too, updating to FF 20.0 did not solve the problem either! Thanks for any further consideration to resolve the issue.

more options

I get the same problem on that page. (IE9 seems to do the same thing.)

Bug #215405 fixed this years ago, but a recent change somewhere might have broken the fix without anyone noticing. I'm going to look at it again this evening if no one has suggested a solution or better workaround by then.

more options

Looks as though this was logged into Bugzilla a few weeks ago and the developers are working on a fix: Bug #851445 – Back button does not restore scroll position on a specific site (Allegro.pl). No need to add a comment at this stage.

more options

It doesn't happen if I disable JavaScript in this tab temporarily, so it looks that in this case some script is causing an inerruption and preventing Firefox from restoring the position.

more options

I have this problem after update on multiple machines. Firefox version is 22.0. When you press back, you go to the top of the page instead of the place where I was previously. Affects all websites.

Can you please not change things if you break fundamental other things. What is even the point of all these fanatic changes. Seems like I get a new firefox version every month.

extensions in use on this particular machine where I am seeing this issue: status4evar ghostery adblock plus noscript webdev download statusbar flashblock oldbar remove cookies for site user agent switcher

The bug 851445 is marked as resolved but clearly it is not.

more options

Hi backbuttonsucks, bug 851445 has Target Milestone: mozilla23 which I think means it is fixed in Firefox 23. Sometimes bug fixes are uplifted to an earlier version, but I don't see mention of that in the comments.

more options

Did you try Safe Mode to make sure that this isn't caused by an extension?

more options

yes it happens in safe mode.

As per cher though, seems that it is fixed in 23. I assumed it was fixed in this version as the post where i got the bug tracker link from was from a few months ago and the last time it was updated was in may

i guess Ill wait then. sucks. wish i could downgrade back to v21 but i have had problems with doing that in the past.

more options
more options

beta did not help. and now my firefox icon is annoyingly smaller as well.


  • sigh*
more options

Hi backbuttonsucks, what page did you test on? Perhaps the bug wasn't solved for all pages.

You can reinstall Firefox 22 from the main page: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/fx/#desktop

If you run that installer, it should replace the beta files with the release files, without disturbing your settings. But it's not a bad idea to make a backup of your settings folder (AKA your Firefox profile folder) before a downgrade. This article has tips on that: Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles.

more options

It is usually best to uninstall Firefox in case you are downgrading to an older version as is the case with going from beta to the current release.

  • Do NOT remove personal data when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because all profile folders will be removed and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords from profiles of other Firefox versions.

Your bookmarks and other personal data are stored in the Firefox profile folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure that "remove personal data" is NOT selected when you uninstall Firefox.


more options

Sure it happens on all websites really. You can test with www.slashdot.org or www.fark.com

steps to reproduce: Open browser -> go to page -> scroll down -> click comments link -> scroll down -> click on sub comment -> press back -> you are now at the TOP of the previous page -> press back again -> you are now at the TOP of the original page.

basically any page, you return to the top as opposed to the place on the page where you had originally left.

I will not remove beta firefox as i assume it will flip over and update to production version when that becomes available.

more options

I accidentally just hit "reset firefox" so i had to restore from shadow copies the browser and profile from a few days ago. so back on version 22 now.

I would put a few confirmations on that button damn.. it really screwed up my firefox by a simple mis click.

more options

There's no warning on Reset? I thought there used to be; I haven't used it for a very long time.

For future reference, the beta version updates to the new beta version when it comes out instead of switching to the released version.