Firefox 13.0 crashes upon startup almost every time. As a result, all updates fail because Firefox needs to restart. What do I do?
For the past several versions of Firefox (I think since 10 or 11), I have had a lot of trouble getting Firefox to just start. I don't get any crash IDs. It just fails to start almost every time. Ironically, I seem to be able to get it to start only after I open another browser like Internet Explorer. Then it'll start until I close it. Then I have to repeat the same process (opening another browser, then trying to start Firefox) every time to get it to start again. Now, the problem seems to have gotten quite a bit worse with the version 13.0. It can't update because Firefox needs to restart to update. When it tries to restart itself, it can't. When I finally get Firefox to work (after opening IE), I get a notification that the update failed. I have looked at the advice on the website, but nothing helps. This is driving me crazy!
Isisombululo esikhethiwe
You can also check your security software (firewall) as it may not yet recognize the new Firefox 13.0.1 version.
A possible cause is security software (firewall,anti-virus) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
Funda le mpendulo ngokuhambisana nalesi sihloko 👍 2All Replies (4)
If there are problems with updating then best is to download the full version and uninstall the currently installed version and delete the Firefox program folder to remove any leftover files.
Download a fresh Firefox copy and save the file to the desktop.
- Firefox 13.0.x: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html
Uninstall your current Firefox version, if possible.
- Do NOT remove personal data when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because all profile folders will be removed and you will also lose your personal data like bookmarks and passwords from profiles of other Firefox versions.
Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.
- It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_Firefox
Your bookmarks and other profile data are stored elsewhere in the Firefox Profile Folder and won't be affected by a reinstall, but make sure that you do not select to remove personal data if you uninstall Firefox.
I'll try doing this tomorrow to see if it helps, but the problem isn't that Firefox isn't updating. It's trying to. It's downloading the updates as it should. The issue is that it won't start/restart in the first place. I'll have Firefox open, and once it closes (whether I close it or Firefox closes it to upload updates), it won't start again. I have to start another browser first to get it to start again. The problem has only recently (as of today) gotten so bad that Firefox can no longer update itself. I have doubts that re-installing it will fix this problem as I have had this problem for several versions now.
I don't like having to open Internet Explorer to get Firefox to work. I left Internet Explorer behind because it just had a huge number of vulnerabilities, and I got tired of constantly fighting viruses. I downloaded Firefox and added on Adblock Plus and all was good for awhile. Having to use IE to open Firefox just defeats the purpose. It works though. It's kind of like Firefox needs an internet connection already established to start working. It's just weird...
Isisombululo Esikhethiwe
You can also check your security software (firewall) as it may not yet recognize the new Firefox 13.0.1 version.
A possible cause is security software (firewall,anti-virus) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
cor-el, thank you! Your second suggestion fixed the problem. I had to configure the Windows firewall to allow Firefox through. It wasn't even on the list. Firefox now works and has updated. Again, thank you so much! You've helped me solve a problem that had been vexing me for months. It figures the problem was with Windows...