Start Firefox using Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode {web link}

A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?

Thank you for your response.

No, as I mentioned in my post, when opened in 'troubleshoot mode', the buttons were back. But they went away again as soon as I opened in regular mode again.

Did you try to reboot the computer another time ?

OH. MY. WORD!!!!!!

Now, from an incredibly annoying, but singular problem (the missing buttons which, for no logical reason should EVER go missing from a properly designed brower) I've just lost ALL MY PRECIOUS EXTENSIONS, BOOKMARKS, AND *** KNOWS WHAT ELSE!!

In yet another poorly explained/written "help" article, it said to try "refreshing Firefox". So, I did. And now that has apparently created hellish new problems!!!

Like, what the fecking heck?!?!?

I've now spent THE LAST THREE AND A HALF F*****G HOURS trying to solve a problem that SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE and I'm back to a Firefox so irretrievably ugly, poorly designed, etcetera, etcetera (oh yeah---stock Firefox 94.0.1, that is) and I've lost my extensions....oh man.....

Oh, and this stupid "Support" site won't even upload a screenshot of the unfathomable "profile" folder/file that I attempted to share so that perhaps somebody could tell me what the ever-fecking-heck is going on!

AAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH.........

Nothing would prevail on me to use 'Refresh'. There should be a folder on your desktop containing your old data: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/refresh-firefox-reset-add-ons-and-settings

You can copy data from the old folder to your profile folder: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

You can find your profile folder by entering about:profiles in the url bar (use a new tab).

When using the refresh option, the old profile is placed in a folder on the desktop called Old Firefox. It should then copy your bookmarks and password files to the new profile. Sometimes, something goes wrong and nothing is copied.

When you are ready, we can start moving parts of your old data and Copy it to the new profile.

First; open your file browser to the New profile;

Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.

Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder

Linux: Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Directory. To its right press the button Open Directory.

Second, open another file browser to the Old Firefox folder on your desktop. Then open the folder with the latest date, or whatever one you want to use.

Warning ! ! Only Copy the files you are told. We will avoid anything that might cause problems. Here is the list of files;

cookies: cookies.sqlite Do not bother. Cookies will be created when you return to the website. However, you will have to log in everywhere. And you may lose any settings that websites store on your computer.

extensions(add-ons, themes): it would be better to download them fresh. If you need to remember what add-ons you had, open the extensions sub-folder and look at the .xpi files

logins.json and key3.db [v58+]key4.db : These are the password files. Copy Both !

persdict.dat : custom dictionary - words you added to the dictionary

mimeTypes.rdf [v55+]handlers.json : What to do with what type of file.

places.sqlite : History and Bookmarks.

prefs.js : Your settings. Note: If you were having problems, this could be contaminated.

cert8.db [v58+]cert9.db and possibly cert_override.txt : Stores all your security certificate settings and any SSL certificates you have imported into Firefox. If removed, the cert8.db, cert9.db file will be replaced.

search.json.mozlz4 : file stores the user-installed search engines that are available in the Firefox v47+

search.sqlite file and searchplugins folder store the search engines that are available in the Firefox Search bar before Firefox v47

Copy these files from the old to the new. You may get a message that the files already exist. Choose to over-write for each file.

"Nothing would prevail on me to use 'Refresh'."

Indeed! And, agreed!

But when one has never seen a thing, and the thing ('solution'??) presents as a word so innocent, so full of promise as "reFRESHHHH" (a scene of problem solved / angels wafting me to a better place of peace and functionality as it should be goes through one's head), well, I fell for it. (Not to mention we use a different "refresh" function how many dozens/hundreds of times a week on any webpage with no deleterious effect. In fact, it often straightens everything out and we're back in the game! Oh, happy day!)

Now that I'm a bit calmer, I'm trying not to fall over the cliff of 'design despair'. (It's a bugaboo of mine---bad design, and it's EVERYwhere---your car, modern appliances, windows, house floor plans, remotes, clothing, dog leashes, signs [ohhh...signs!], office spaces, elevator buttons, roads, truck back up alarms, street lights....and, of course....ENDLESS specific user interfaces for every practical use of technology imaginable. I could bore anyone for hours about how idiotic a specific design or 'feature' of a given thing is, and how even someone with a grade 4 education would never have designed the 'thing' that way.)

For the time being, I've managed to get back the....... *ahem* .......UNIMAGINABLY NASTY, USELESS 'STANDARD' Firefox 94.0.1---with its attendant blOATEd tabs...that have no demarcations between them...and compare to a person who's about 250lbs overweight....the huge, unnecessarily fat title bar...the splayed out Bookmarks drop down list.....(the generally non-existent means of effectively ordering and organizing my hundreds of bookmarks in the first place)....and all the other 'standard' fittings. And, of course, in this day and age when every Millenial and Gen.Z-er wants such endless customization as to be unimaginable to us 'of a certain age', you'd think Firefox would, ohh....I dunno....DESIGN THEIR BROWSER WITH ABOUT 769% more customizability than it currently has (or has ever had). And no, I don't mean pretty colours and dancing fairies---I mean highly granular, customizable functionality, at the very least.

I even managed to 'manually' remember a few of my most treasured add ons / extensions (<---and what the FECK is up with that?! Are they "Add ons" or "Extensions"?!? Pick a name and GO WITH IT, FOR FECK'S SAKE!!!!!), so I have back some minimal functionality.

I will break from my efforts for tonight, in the effort to preserve what little sanity I have left, and maybe go at it again tomorrow, after a nice pizza, Pepsi, salad and movie break now, with my little dog snuggled up beside me, telling me it's gonna be okay.....

Thank you again, to all who make suggestions.

Add-ons come in several types. >Plugins - These are programs that the browser finds already on your system. > > > Some plugins are built into the browser.

> Themes - These are background overlays to change how the browser is displayed.

> Extensions - These are sub-programs you can add to change how the browser works.

On the latest update - 99 - the Minimize, maximize and close buttons are missing...

On troubleshoot mode, the buttons does not show up any how... on customize the toolbar idem ... nothing ..

Removed ALL extensions Removed ALL plug-ins Removed HW Acceleration Restored the default Theme

Remains without the buttons...

any suggestion other than switch browser?

Thanks

João d'Oliveira Please go to the top of any support.mozilla.org web page and use the Get Community Support link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/new

Select the product for what the problem is (Firefox or whatever). Now select the category for the problem. At the bottom is Other.

Describe the problem in brief (one line). Then press <enter>. The website will display any prior posts that might help you. If nothing on the list can help, at the bottom press the button; ’’'None Of These Solve My Problem.

Now enter all the relative information on the problem. At the bottom of this, you can Add Images.

Under this is Troubleshooting Information. Please press the Share Data button. This will let us look at your system details. No Personal Information Is Collected.