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I just upgraded to the latest version of Firefox and deleted my blocked sites!

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I had a long list of blocked adware sites that keep invading my Firefox even though I have blocked all popups. Well they have figured out a way to run in the background so I have to block each one as they appear. I had quite a list but then Firefox sent an update and it wiped them all out! I am really angry because now they are returning!

I had a long list of blocked adware sites that keep invading my Firefox even though I have blocked all popups. Well they have figured out a way to run in the background so I have to block each one as they appear. I had quite a list but then Firefox sent an update and it wiped them all out! I am really angry because now they are returning!

All Replies (6)

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Sorry no one answered this when you posted.

As you posted in another thread* it appears you continue to have a problem. This is probably caused by adware or malware on your computer. Follow the advice in these two articles

You will need to scan with multiple an up to date tools. Please post back to say how you get on including what you try and the results you get.


Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.

You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one. Windows 8 has antivirus built-in already.

Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

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No. It's not malware. I have one of the most sophisticated malware detectors in the industry. This is a Firefox enabled bug. Just like Microsoft has purposely left openings in their OS, so has Firefox and you know it! Plus, when I upgraded to the newest version of FF, it erased all of my blocked sites! This is bogus!!!!

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crrice6640 said

I had a long list of blocked adware sites that keep invading my Firefox even though I have blocked all popups. Well they have figured out a way to run in the background so I have to block each one as they appear. I had quite a list but then Firefox sent an update and it wiped them all out! I am really angry because now they are returning!

The same thing happened to me!

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Note that the System Details list from November shows two Flash plugins, so if you still have multiple Shockwave Flash plugins then only keep the current Flash plugin.

  • Shockwave Flash 14.0 r0
  • Shockwave Flash 15.0 r0

You can find the latest Flash player versions for Firefox on this page:

See this about uninstalling Flash players:

Note that this will remove all installed Flash players.

Were those sites blocked in Firefox or did you maintain this list with an extension

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Hi crrice6640, where you did enter the list of sites to block? Was it in a Firefox dialog (such as cookie permissions) or in an add-on dialog (such as AdBlock Plus or NoScript)?

This kind of data is lost if you use the Reset/Refresh feature but in that case, it usually is moved to a folder on your desktop named Old Firefox Data.

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crrice6640 said

No. It's not malware. I have one of the most sophisticated malware detectors in the industry.

I believe the malware cleanup suggestion was in relation to your sitescout ads problem. Different tools find different programs, and each vendor has its own approach to "legitimate" but typically "unwanted" software.

Such programs can act in many ways, such as simply launching pages in your default browser on their own schedule, or watching your web requests and generating ads contextually. I don't think we have enough information to pin it down at this point.

Here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up bad add-ons. Sorry for the length -- it's not as bad as it sounds:

(1) Open the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This can help in smoking out undisclosed bundle items that snuck in with some software you agreed to install. Take out as much trash as possible here.

(2) Open Firefox's Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Plugins. Set nonessential and unrecognized plugins to "Never Activate".

In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable (or Remove, if possible) unrecognized and unwanted extensions.

Often a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

Any improvement?

(3) You can search for remaining issues with the scanning/cleaning tools listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. These on-demand scanners are free and take considerable time to run. If they finish quickly and especially if they require payment, you may have a serious infection. I suggest the specialized forums listed in the article in that case.

Success?