Firefox crashes
Since 61, Firefox is crashing multiple times per day. Mostly when I click links out of email, but not exclusively. Most disturbingly, I keep installing 61.0.2 and after a crash the version is always 61.0.1. I have repeatedly deleted everything to do with Firefox and reinstalled 61.0.2 from scratch and still it reverts to 61.0.1 on crashing. System is up-to-date. Security is up-to-date. Crashlog files don't contain a long ID at all - just a single 8ish digit number. I've given up on Firefox for now and using Safari. I don't really have a question - I'm just telling you that (a) Firefox is effectively unusable for me and (b) something very weird is going with the reverting to a different version.
Automatically add button resulted in badness. See attached file.
Note that when I opened Firefox, it wanted to upgrade back to 61.0.2 and I let it.
All Replies (18)
Hi mlhorner, sorry to hear about the crashes. In order to understand what might be causing the problem, we would need more information.
If you are getting the Mozilla Crash Reporter form, your Firefox may have logged some data that would help track down the cause of the problem. You can submit that data to Mozilla and share it with forum volunteers to see whether it points to the solution. Please check the support article "Firefox crashes - asking for support" for steps to get those crash report IDs from the about:crashes page, and then post some of the recent ones here.
Also if you want to get Firefox working again, could you test the email links in Firefox's Safe Mode? That temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, and some other advanced features of Firefox that might make it more prone to crashing on some systems.
If Firefox is not running: Hold down the option/alt key when starting Firefox. (Windows users: hold down the Shift key instead of option/alt.)
If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:
- "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
- Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
and OK the restart.
Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).
Any less crashy?
The reinstall being the wrong version is confusing. Are you downloading the DMG file from the main page here:
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/new/
There's also a page to select alternate language linked below, but as long as the site detected your preferred language correctly from Safari, you shouldn't need to use it:
Notice that I said the crash reports were empty. I found them on my drive and nothing there had more than about 8 numeric characters in it. Two I have once again uninstalled Firefox as completely as I can manage because it's behavior is so strange. I did paste the the info from help ->.... I'm downloading from the big green download button on the mozilla website. I'm sorry if the info I have isn't everything you want. My goal was to let you know that crashes are causing a reversion to the previous version which in and of itself is problematic.
To prevent issues please download from here : https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ It is the Full Version Installer and not the Stub Installer your downloading which some people have problems with, like possibly your having. To be Checked and turned off unless needed for accessibility : Please : go to the Firefox 3 Bar Menu --> Options --> Privacy & Security panel and under Permissions check (put a tick in the box) the setting to Prevent Accessibility Services from accessing your browser.
Multi-Processor Support : Go to the 3 Bar Menu then Options --> General --> Performance and untick everything. change the recommended size lower then see how it runs. Note: 1 = No Multiprocessor = slow again. Try 2 Restart Firefox after making these changes please. Note : Hardware Acceleration is for Video Card, Monitor to see if remain off or to turn back on.
Only Disable as last resort.
Multi-processor Can completely disable it this way in about:config : dom.ipc.processCount set to 1 browser.tabs.remote.autostart = false browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2 = false
Only move to esr if low ram and old system.
Firefox Extended Release Version : Firefox ESR does not come with the latest features but it has the latest security and stability fixes.
If do please :
mlhorner said
My goal was to let you know that crashes are causing a reversion to the previous version which in and of itself is problematic.
I am not very familiar with program updates on Mac; I'm a Windows guy. On Windows, the old version files are replaced with new version files, so it is literally impossible for the version to roll back. To get the old version, it needs to be downloaded and installed over the existing files. So I have no insight on or explanation for what you're seeing. My only guess is that the update isn't installing completely for some reason.
Did what Pkshadow said (up to the only as a last resort part). Computer has been asleep all day. I just got back on it and pretty quickly Firefox crashed. When Firefox re-opened, the version says 61.0.1 and wants to upgrade again to 61.0.2. Very weird. Crash report submitted. Crash ID: bp-cf96d6c3-2a3f-4752-a905-0941c0180826
Thank you for the crash report ID. It leads to a bug tracking system entry indicating this version confusion affecting Mac users should be fixed in Firefox 62, which is due out in less than two weeks.
For now, you might try a few quit/restart cycles to make sure Firefox has not just updated, but updated and succesfully shut down a couple times before you proceed with further browsing.
That probably won't prevent links from crashing, but hopefully it will produce more useful reports that aren't related to this upgrade issue.
Firefox crashed again while it still thought it was 61.0.2 but there's no ID for the log. The crash log says submitted, but there are two files in the pending folder and no file with Crash ID: bp etc.
mlhorner said
Firefox crashed again while it still thought it was 61.0.2 but there's no ID for the log. The crash log says submitted, but there are two files in the pending folder and no file with Crash ID: bp etc.
The crash log on the about:crashes page? Usually you can view the report by clicking that link. If the link isn't working, and there's nothing on disk, I don't know how to find it.
Right. Thanks. I think going there got it to actually submit. At any rate, it gives ID: 1a4b7cf1-3a0a-40e2-80f9-935ee0180827 Note that the vast majority of the up time was the laptop being asleep.
Hi, without the bp- and as a link there is nothing we can do with the numbers.
This is the same mismatched versions error as before: "Signature: parentBuildID != childBuildID"
https://crash-stats.mozilla.com/report/index/1a4b7cf1-3a0a-40e2-80f9-935ee0180827
I thought if you restarted Firefox a few times before the crash occurred, then we would get past that one. ???
Sorry. I wasn't paying attention to the fact that about:crashes wasn't giving me the proper form of ID. However, going there did create the file on my disk with the number you do want. Crash ID: bp-1a4b7cf1-3a0a-40e2-80f9-935ee0180827. Wait, those are the same number just with bp in front. If this isn't the number you want, I'm out of ideas. I've looked both places that are suggested and this is all that shows up.
It looks like the crash you are experiencing has been fixed in Firefox 62. That version will be released on Sept 5th.
You can either wait, and then install the update then, or install the beta version of Firefox now, https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/channel/desktop/
Either way, this is fixed in that version.
Yesterday I installed Firefox 62.0.0 hoping the bugs here had been fixed. This morning I had not been in the browser for more than a few minutes before Firefox crashed. The report was supposedly sent because the submit log says: [Sun Sep 9 10:53:41 2018] Crash report submitted successfully However, last crash merely says 1536504792 and the pending folder has a .dmp and a .xtra file both named 43F09A9D-0D61-4374-8DAF-03607F1D56CB. Furthermore, when I restart Firefox, it is at 61.0.1 again. So all three problems remain: frequent crashes, reversion to version 61.0.1 after every crash regardless of what I have deleted before reinstalling, claim that a crash report is filed but in fact I have to trigger the report manually. As expected, about:crashes only lists an unsubmitted crash report. I click on the unsubmitted report and after about a minute (not a few seconds) the report appears on-screen with the id 237c24b1-3a91-40e2-abb3-fe3130180909 so I think it's now submitted. I've just spent 20 minutes on this, so I am once again going to have to switch back to Safari so I can actually get things done.
I'm very suspicious that my crashes were being caused by Firefox repeatedly being reinstalled in the background (originally with 61.0.1 which was inconsistent with what I was trying to use at the time). I have not been using Firefox at all since last post and have deleted it from my system multiple times but after a few hours, Firefox (now 62.0.0) is always back again. Tech support at school says they are not pushing it out to us. I have nothing set up to automatically install anything - not even updates without asking. Any clue what could be causing this? I'm not touching Firefox with a 10 foot pole until I understand why it is acting like a very bad virus. Both Avast and Malwarebytes say my computer is completely clean. I know it's not coming from some weird TimeMachine restore because it happens even if I'm not connected to TimeMachine. My search skills are failing to turn up anything similar so I'm hoping someone here has a clue.
This is a school computer? then it very likely has some sort of software (such as deep freeze) that resets the computer every night to some other state. Firefox won't reinstall itself.
Tech support says not. The reset happens much more often than once per day.
Tech support isn't telling the truth then, or you have something else on your computer preventing changes to Apps from being permanent.