oh i forgot to include, firefox version 110.0 (64-bit). windows 10 pro.

Could be something similar like this bug that supposedly got fixed in 110 :

• 1807687 - Focus rings randomly displayed on all links until firefox is restarted [110]
• https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html

You can try to reset the preferences.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-preferences-fix-problems

You can create a new profile as a quick test to see if your current profile is causing the problem.

See "Creating a profile":

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-remove-switch-firefox-profiles

If the new profile works, you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over problems.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

im reluctant to outright delete my current preferences as it would be a mess to re-jig, i did try creating a new profile, as well as restarting firefox multiple times. on the new profile the same behaviour is exhibited.

is there a way i can back up my preferences before deleting them?

If a new unmodified profile also has the problem then the cause comes from elsewhere and renaming (prefsSAV.js) or removing prefs.js likely won't help else well. Maybe some OS accessibility feature got enabled.

unfortunately im not sure what one that would be, everything in the "ease of access" (which i think is what they are calling accessibility on windows now) section is turned off. though i doubt that would be causing it anyway as no other program is acting funky.

I've run into the same problem, also since the latest update (v110). (See my other posting. )

I've checked on another PC in my office, they're running Firefox v109.0.1, and this issue doesn't occur.

I've tried everything to fix it too and it definitely doesn't occur on any other browser, which I use two others regularly. It is rather exasperating since, as far as I'm concerned, it breaks Firefox. Now I get these ugly blue boxes around everything I click (unless the particular control has a CSS associated with it).  :-(

Ah Ha! I figured out the solution. I downgraded to Firefox v109.0.1 (Portable Apps). Firefox v110 is broken in this respect and v110.0.1 didn't fix it. I can't use Firefox with this injection of a style into other parties web pages because they make all of these enterprise sites we use very ugly and their support people tell us not to use Firefox.

A problem, of course (why wouldn't there be), is when we started up with the profile we use on v110 we get the message that Firefox is an older version from the profile. Thus we cannot use the newer profile...Ugh. However, I did manage to keep an older profile from before the auto upgrade (the upgrade occurred without my permission I might add) of Firefox from v109 to v110. Now all runs fine.

What a mess this turned out to be.  :-(

So Firefox automatically updated to v111.0 and I tried that. Unfortunately, the focus, blue box, and ability to press a key to select individual items in the dropdown list are broken. I now can't use Firefox for the ERP application we utilize. I have to alert everybody to not use Firefox.

Bummer, since I've been a stout Firefox fan these last 20 years.  :-(

This could be related to having selected "Underline access keys when available" in the Windows Ease of access settings.

See:

• /questions/1406053 Blue Box Appears around link (or control) when I Click on it for most Web Sites.