Clipboard-related issues in Firefox
I'm using Firefox, updated to version 140.0.4, on my Windows 11 laptop. Since Edge is my primary browser, I normally only use Firefox for two particular websites that don't work well in Edge. Beginning in March 2025, I've had a strange problem with one of those websites. In certain situations, words or phrases pop up in text boxes, meaning that if I want to type something, I first have to delete the word or phrase. Since it's a game website (not a video type game -- actually contract bridge) and the game is somewhat time-sensitive, this is very annoying. The words and phrases are ones that are appropriate to the website (i.e., not random), and seem to be the same in each session. That's why I labeled this as a "clipboard-related" issue.
Clearing the cache seems to help for a short time, but the problem always returns. <Ctrl>-F5 also helps, but seems to work for some text boxes but not others. In fact, <Ctrl>-F5 works for one type of text box, the type that I use most often, for the remainder of that session. But if I use one of the other text boxes, it doesn't help.
If that isn't strange enough, there are two additional oddities: For the other text boxes, the ones that are unaffected by <Ctrl>-F5, if I continue to use them, they eventually stop popping up words and phrases, again just for the remainder of that session.
The other oddity is that I'm using the free version of the LastPass plugin, and every time one of these words or phrases pops up, the LastPass symbol (a red box with three white dots) also appears at the right of the text box. This is completely inappropriate, since these text boxes have nothing to do with logging in or passwords. For this reason, I'm going to try to contact LastPass to ask about the same issue. However, their support isn't very responsive, so I'm hoping that somebody in the Mozilla forum will have a solution.
As I said, the problem only occurs on this one bridge website, and although I've been using Firefox to access it for several years, the issue never occurred before March 2025.
All Replies (2)
Ctrl+F5 (or Ctrl+Shift+R) is equivalent to first clearing cache and then reloading the page. Where that helps, it is consistent with the theory that the page retained form data from a previous use, which could occur if the site doesn't navigate with fresh page loads but modifies the page using a script.
For the other fields that aren't showing text from cache, my thoughts would vary based on where/how they appear:
(1) Text appears already filled into the field.
- Some pages may do this intentionally, based on previously set cookies or local storage data. If you wouldn't lose your position in the game, you could clear cookies and site data either by clicking the lock icon at the left end of the address bar (and using "Clear cookies and site data..." on the drop-down) or by remove individual items from the Storage Inspector (Shift+F9).
- Some add-ons might do this. If you disable LastPass, does that have any effect on the issue?
- Firefox's Password Manager might do this, but you can configure it not to fill fields until you interact with a drop-down. See: Manage your logins with the Firefox Password Manager.
(2) Text appears in a little drop-down list below the form field.
- Firefox's Form History feature may do this. See: Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms.
- If it is an address field, the list could be from Address form fill. See: Automatically fill in your address on web forms.
To narrow the scope, the behavior is definitely (1) text appears already filled in, not (2) in a drop-down. The website page would not do this intentionally, and never did for years before March 2025.
I checked the Firefox password manager, and the only item listed for the site is the actual login password, not any of the words or phrases that keep popping up.
It didn't occur to me to try disabling LastPass, but now that you mention it, it seems like the obvious solution. Thanks! Of course, if I wanted to use Firefox to access other websites, I'd have to re-enable it. But that would occur very rarely, since Edge is my primary browser.
Unfortunately, I can't test your solution until I play again, which won't be until the weekend. But I'd be surprised if the issue persists.
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