Try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Firefox Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode that temporarily turns off hardware acceleration, resets some settings, and disables add-ons (extensions and themes).

If Firefox is open, you can restart in Firefox Safe Mode from the Help menu:

• Click the menu button , click Help and select Restart with Add-ons Disabled.

If Firefox is not running, you can start Firefox in Safe Mode as follows:

• On Windows: Hold the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
• On Mac: Hold the option key while starting Firefox.
• On Linux: Quit Firefox, go to your Terminal and run firefox -safe-mode
  (you may need to specify the Firefox installation path e.g. /usr/lib/firefox)

When the Firefox Safe Mode window appears, select "Start in Safe Mode".

If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, theme, or hardware acceleration. Please follow the steps in the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article to find the cause.

To exit Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

When you figure out what's causing your issues, please let us know. It might help others with the same problem.

Thank you for the response but I tried what you suggested and nothing has been corrected at all. It's just Firefox 45 that is a crappy update. I wish I could go back to whatever I had before the developers decided that they knew better than their own users how we surf and browse.

This update is a mess.

I just tried to open a new link by holing the CRTL key and lo and behold, it works!

Why suddenly impose a Mac shortcut on PC users?

What was wrong with the good old convenient right click context menu? It was one less click and I only needed one hand.

Here are the two context-sensitive I see. They change randomly.

toondoctor said

I just tried to open a new link by holing the CRTL key and lo and behold, it works!

Why suddenly impose a Mac shortcut on PC users?

Actually Ctrl+click is the Windows shortcut to immediately open a link in a new tab. On Mac, Ctrl+click behaves like a right-click. Or are you saying Ctrl+click gives you a context menu on Windows?? That would be really strange.

As a one-handed way to open a link in a new tab, try clicking using your mouse scroll wheel (or if you have a 3-button mouse, the middle button).

But your strange context menus are troubling. In case the update did not properly clean out and replace old program files, do you want to try this:

Clean Reinstall

We use this name, but it's not about removing your settings, it's about making sure the program files are clean (no inconsistent or alien code files). As described below, this process does not disturb your existing settings. Do NOT uninstall Firefox, that's not needed.

(A) Download a fresh installer for Firefox 45.0 from https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ to a convenient location. (Scroll down to your preferred language.) For maximum plugin compatibility, choose the 32-bit version.

(B) Exit out of Firefox (if applicable).

(C) Rename the program folder as follows:

(32-bit Firefox on 64-bit Windows)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox

to

C:\Program Files (x86)\OldFirefox

(Other systems)

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox

to

C:\Program Files\OldFirefox

(D) Run the installer you downloaded in step (A). It should automatically connect to your existing settings.

Any improvement in stability?

Note: Some plugins may exist only in that OldFirefox folder. If something essential is missing, look in these folders, but for obvious reasons, don't just copy everything over:

• \OldFirefox\Plugins
• \OldFirefox\browser\plugins

Thanks for the clean install tip but the bugs are still around, including the changing context menus. I even tried in safe-mode with add ons disabled and nothing changed.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions ("3-bar" menu button/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

• Switch to the DEFAULT theme: "3-bar" menu button/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance
• Do NOT click the "Refresh Firefox" button on the Safe Mode start window

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

You can try to disable hardware acceleration in Firefox.

• Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"

You need to close and restart Firefox after toggling this setting.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

You can check if there is an update for your graphics display driver and check for hardware acceleration related issues.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

Create a new profile to test if your current profile is causing the problem.

See "Creating a profile":

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Profile_issues

If the new profile works then 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.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

You may have to disable hardware acceleration in the new profile.

Hello. I deleted my profile and now things seem to be working correctly. Thank you all for your help and patience.