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How can I fix Firefox going black on my HP Notebook, Windows 8.1?

  • 2 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 23 views
  • Last reply by joye456

joye456
joye456
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I have an HP Notebook 15 which uses Windows 8.1

Product name:HP 15 Notebook PC Product number:J2X46UA#ABA BIOS:F.24-09/26/2014 Keyboard revision:57.36 Total memory:4.00 GB Processor name:Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU N3540 @ 2.16GHz

Firefox will go unpredictably to a black screen, usually in the middle of a longer period of browsing. I cannot close the window or anything else when this happens. The only thing I can do to return to Firefox is to restart the laptop. When Firefox restarts, it does not offer to restore the previous session.

I have already updated the graphics driver as advised elsewhere. It did not eliminate the problem. HP offers no solution.

Yes, I am using the latest version of Firefox: 34.0.5

I did notice that the compatibility troubleshooter does not offer Windows 8.1 as a choice, only Windows 8.

I have an HP Notebook 15 which uses Windows 8.1 Product name:HP 15 Notebook PC Product number:J2X46UA#ABA BIOS:F.24-09/26/2014 Keyboard revision:57.36 Total memory:4.00 GB Processor name:Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU N3540 @ 2.16GHz Firefox will go unpredictably to a black screen, usually in the middle of a longer period of browsing. I cannot close the window or anything else when this happens. The only thing I can do to return to Firefox is to restart the laptop. When Firefox restarts, it does not offer to restore the previous session. I have already updated the graphics driver as advised elsewhere. It did not eliminate the problem. HP offers no solution. Yes, I am using the latest version of Firefox: 34.0.5 I did notice that the compatibility troubleshooter does not offer Windows 8.1 as a choice, only Windows 8.

All Replies (2)

Diego Victor
Diego Victor
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Hello,

Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration. Since this feature was added to Firefox, it has gradually improved, but there still are a few glitches.

You might need to restart Firefox in order for this to take effect, so save all work first (e.g., mail you are composing, online documents you're editing, etc.).

Then perform these steps:

  1. Open Firefox Options window (Preferences on Mac or Linux) as follows:
    • In Firefox 29.0 and above, click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options for Windows or Preferences on Mac or Linux.
    • In Firefox 28.0 and previous versions, click the orange Firefox button at the top left, then select the "Options" button, or, if there is no Firefox button at the top, go to Tools > Options.
  2. In the Firefox Options (or Preferences) window, click the Advanced tab, then select General.
  3. In the settings list, you should find the Use hardware acceleration when available checkbox. Uncheck this checkbox.
  4. Now, restart Firefox and see if the problems persist.

Additionally, please check for updates for your graphics driver by following the steps mentioned in the following Knowledge base articles:

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Thank you.

joye456
joye456 Question owner
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Done.

Thank you. I will let you know if my Firefox screen goes black again.

I appreciate your prompt reply. It was very clear. Thanks again.