You should first of all try to reset the homepage. If that does not work you may have inadvertantly downloaded some search bar or other software that is making changes to Firefox. You need to find and remove the software, you may then have to undo the changes that have been made.

• see remove a toolbar that has taken over your Firefox search or home page

P.S.

Have you changed Internet Service Provider ?

I note ATT.net may be http://att.my.yahoo.com/

Maybe you are just opening a different yahoo related email or homepage, if so asking Yahoo or AT & T support may be the best option.

The only software I have recently installed is PC Cleaner. Since then I have had this problem. I contacted Technical Support for PC Cleaner, and after 3 hours they could not correct the problem. Later, what I have found out on my own is that if I go to Tools/Options/Privacy, and unclick on "Clear history when Firefox closes" it works the way I want it to. I have reinstalled FireFox, and initiated PC Cleaner to remove any errors, but did not help. Also even if I can get Firefox, all the homepage settings that I make will not remain when I log off unless I unclick the block mentioned above. I can remove PC Cleaner, click on the box named above, and see what happens. What do you think?

Sounds like a problem with the cookies.

"Remove Cookies" from sites causing problems:

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"

If clearing cookies doesn't work then it is possible that the file cookies.sqlite that stores the cookies is corrupted.
Rename (or delete) cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and delete other present cookie files like cookies.sqlite-journal in the Firefox Profile Folder in case the file cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Open Containing Folder

Will try your suggestions. Thanks for the help. Will let you know the results.

I posted without seeing the answer above. Try that first.

My initial thought was some software had hijacked your homepage and search settings, but I am not sure if the problem is with Firefox being changed or if it is some change relating to Yahoo or your Yahoo customisation.

• I am assuming the page ATT.net is Yahoo related. Is that correct ?
  • what is the URL/page address that you see ?
    (can you paste the address into your reply)
• Who supplies your Internet Broadband?
• and what is their main page? ( is it AT & T or a related Company?)
• Are you still able to go to and open my.yahoo when you want to ?
  • my local page for my.yahoo is http://uk.my.yahoo.com/, what is yours ?

As a test would you try to temporarily set Firefox to open at some other page as a homepage. Try using https://support.mozilla.org

• see how to set the home page

That at least proves you are able to change Firefox settings.

Using PC cleaner type software could possibly result in unexpected changes. What exactly is the software you have installed ? (full name and version)

ATT. is my ISP, and I can access that page ATT - NET etc., with a separate login. I did go look at my stored cookies, and I didn't see any that were different from what I've always had. When all is working as I want, the uppermost bar shows as My Yahoo - Mozilla Firefox, and the URL is my.yahoo.com. At the moment all seems to be working ok, however, I am going to print the responses herein, and pursue this further. I agree with you that I have a corrupted cookie somewhere. I have to mention that what started all this was when one day I clicked on the Mozilla icon, it took me to a blank page with a message that read "Welcome to ngnix", which I was told was caused by a virus. I have Norton so I was doubtful as to a virus, and eventually led me to PC Cleaner in an attempt to correct the problem. The rest is I have stated. Again, thanks to all for your assistance. Joe

Its happened again. When I try to click on to my homepage, (My Yahoo - Mozilla Firefox) I get a blank page that says "Welcome to nginx", and have no idea how to permanently get rid of it. I can fiddle around with my Privacy section in the Options window, and get back to Mozilla homepage, but lose all my settings. Secondly, as suggested I went to Help/troubleshooting/my profile, and found files cookies.sqlite; cookies.sqlite-shm, and cookies.sqlite-wal. I need to know what these files are, and do, and is there a problem in deleting them. If I do what affect will it have on other programs, and if I need them, how can I get them back. Thanks for your help

By renaming the files or copying them elsewhere you will keep open the option or recovering the cookies you have.You will loose some info but it will be recreated as cookies are again stored and you login and use the various websites.

It looks as if you could have had a problem with some form of malware or search redirection. You may now just have to deal with whatever settings have been reset, or you may still have active malware.

You may be interested in

• Clear cookies and site data in Firefox
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Cookies#Where_are_cookies_stored
• http://nginx.org/en/docs/welcome_nginx_facebook.htm
• http://nginx.org/en/docs/welcome_nginx_facebook.html
  • note that includes a suggestion to try GooglePublic DNS as a troubleshooting step https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/

Thanks John. I will go through the information you have provided. When I tried the url http:/nginx,org/en/docs/welcome_ngix_facebook.htm, I get a blank page "404 not found". I will go through the other urls, and see what happens. I will post my results later today. Joe

I corrected the link, I had omitted the L in html.

Thanks John99. This problem has really got to me. I am able to get to the homepage I want, but still unable to get it to retain the homepage layout settings. When I exit my homepage, and then log back in, the settings I selected are gone. Need to resolve that issue. Also when I try to delete the file "cookies.sqlite" the software will not allow me to delete, and also the same name but with other extensions. I clicked on to the url you corrected, and I'm going to go through those procedures, and see what happens. I still haven't figured out what started this whole process when all was working fine. I have run virus scans and nothing shows up. I'll keep trying. Thanks again. Joe1993out

Hi Joe,

Try ensuring Firefox is closed down before deleting the profile files.

If files are not deleting, or are getting recreated after you think they are deleted is it due to any security related software preventing changes?

Note you can easily look at the human readable cookies content for sites, and for that matter delete them individually. As an example

1. look at one of the KB articles : Clear cookies and site data in Firefox
   • note it has selectors for Firefox version and OS on the right of the page. It should agree with your OS look at the & browser version, make a note of what it shows
2. now change these. Look at say the Mac browser version, by clicking the selector. Then close the tab.
3. when you look at it again, by for instance using the above link. It will now instead show Mac versions. Other KB articles will also show the wrong version.
4. reset by deleting the cookies for_os & for_browser (remember to close the wrong pages, or they will set the cookies if they reload)
   • you can find the cookies by following instructions in https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored#w_delete-cookies-for-a-single-site
   • or whilst on a kb page by drilling down from the site identity button as mentioned in How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure?
     (use More Information -> View Cookies) and scrolling to search for the two cookies.

John, I finally got the settings on my homepage to hold even after I log off. What seems to make a difference is when I go to Tools/Options/Privacy and clear the block "Clear history when Firefox closes". I am printing the last instructions you sent, and will continue to look into it. For the moment the homepage is as I want it, at least for the moment. Thanks, Joe

Try to remember where "Clear History"may leave you.!!!

In particular check your current cookies and how they may change. So compare what happens after you have cleared cookies with when you do not, and look at the human readable ones; it may help explain things.

Thanks John, I will check further. At the moment I am traveling, and cannot do much troubleshooting. As long as I have what I want for the moment, I will have to wait until I get back home to do much more. Internet accessibility where I am is very slow. I have printed all the info you have provided for later use. Thanks for all your help. Joe