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Some websites I frequently visit don't display correctly on Firefox (page layout as if there was no CSS style sheet).

  • 10 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by d4n13ltr3

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Hi,

Some websites I frequently visit don't display correctly on Firefox (desktop): page layout is as if there was no CSS style sheet (see the attached file)

My soft seems to be up-to-date (75.0 64 bits) Could this be related to my OS? I'm on MacOS 10.12.6. Or is this a Firefox issue?

Thanks Dan

Hi, Some websites I frequently visit don't display correctly on Firefox (desktop): page layout is as if there was no CSS style sheet (see the attached file) My soft seems to be up-to-date (75.0 64 bits) Could this be related to my OS? I'm on MacOS 10.12.6. Or is this a Firefox issue? Thanks Dan
Attached screenshots

All Replies (10)

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Hi Dan, there are a few possible reasons for this:

  • Firefox can't connect to that server because of a secure connection problem
  • Firefox can't connect to or can't retrieve files from that server because it is blocked by something
  • Firefox doesn't apply the style sheet because of a content-type mismatch or other reason
  • Firefox stops rendering the page prematurely before applying styles

To start to gain some insight into the problem, do you want to give some example URLs? The first thing I look for is where the style sheets are hosted -- commonly sites use separate servers for infrequently changed files like .css and .js files, and I'd ask you to test whether you can retrieve files from secondary servers when you load the URL directly in a new tab. To investigate that yourself, open the Network Monitor in the lower part of the tab -- either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > Web Developer > Network
  • (menu bar) Tools > Web Developer > Network
  • (Mac) Command+Alt+e

When you reload the page, Firefox should start listing all the files it is requesting, along with information about whether the request was successful. This should show the additional servers. If you right-click (Ctrl+click with a one button mouse) one of those requests you can "Open in New Tab" as a test or to see file-specific error messages.

Anything unusual?

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Actually, before we dive in too deep, sometimes when a site updates Firefox clings to old cached files or obsolete cookies, and the mashup breaks things, so this is always worth a try:

(1) Clear Firefox's Cache

See: How to clear the Firefox cache

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, click the lock icon at the left end of the address bar. After a moment, a "Clear Cookies and Site Data" button should appear at the bottom. Go ahead and click that.

In the dialog that opens, you will see one or more matches to the current address so you can remove the site's cookies individually without affecting other sites.

Then try reloading the page. Does that help?

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Hi Thanks for your message. I tried both clearing the cache and removing the site's cookies: it doesn't change a thing. I'll try the other option (the one you suggested first) Dan

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It's getting better but still not what it should be. I now have some images, but the layout is not complete: for instance, the top navigation bar is missing!

In the Development/network section: I reloaded the same page several times and it didnt always showed the same number of requests. Is it normal?

I'm afraid it's a little bit too technical for me to investigate further here. A site I'd like to access is https://www.creditmutuel.fr It's a bank (quite annoying not to be able to open it!) And oh, yes, I didnt mention: I 'm in France

Can you help? Dan

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Hi Dan, when I check the Network Monitor, their main style sheet loads from this address -- does your Firefox open it?

https://cdnsi.e-i.com/INGR/sd/cm_2015/15.79.6/fr/css/ei_base.css

The expected result is a wall of text starting with

/*! ---Minification de fichier en LESS--- */.e_invisible{position:absolute;top:0;left:-

Every week it seems at least one user reported a problem loading content from a server with "cdn" in its name. CDN is an acronym for Content Distribution Network. I'm not sure whether anyone has definitively identified the reasons for this difficulty.

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Hi again When I follow the link or copy the URL in the address bar, I see what you describe: the content of the CSS. If I type the site URL: same issue, an "unachieved" page layout .

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I wonder whether Privacy Badger could be involved in this. Does it have a toolbar button to manage what it is blocking an make exceptions?

Alternately:

Could you test in Firefox's Safe Mode? In its Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, any userChrome.css/userContent.css files, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the Shift key when starting Firefox. (On Mac, hold down the option/alt key instead of the Shift key.)

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" Help button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
  • (menu bar) Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any improvement?

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Yes! - "Deactivate Privacy Badger for this site" > it works - Restart Firefox in Safe mode > it works

I guess I could leave Privacy Badger deactivated for the site. What would be the other option? I can't have Firefox in Safe Mode permanently, can I?

Thanks, Dan

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I think leaving Privacy Badger deactivated for the site is best. Safe Mode is a bit slower because video is not accelerated and scripts are not compiled.

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OK. Thanks a lot for your help! Dan