Sounds like two or three problems. One with Firefox (re-installation is recommended) and another where no web browser can connect to the internet; plus Chrome stopped working, too.

First thing to do is to run a full, deep scan with your anti-virus application.

I gave my computer a full scan and the problem persists. Let me just give a bit more detail.

My computer has slowly been failing on me. Why i haven't gone a bought a new one or gotten this one repaired would take too long to explain. Lets just say priorities.

SO, I turned on my computer after 3 days of not using it. The last time I tried to turn it on it either just beeped ever 2-3 seconds or made a sound kinda like an engine turning on or off( I cant remember which one it was but if I'm ever unable to use my computer, these are usually the instances that stop me from doing so.

As I was saying, I turned my computer on for the first time in 3 days and A screen comes up saying I should use system restore probably because of the couple of instances it tried turning on the computer, it not working properly and proceeding to turn it off improperly witht the tower button. So I let it do what it has to do.

What happens next I'm not sure has to do with the problem as I was also given this warning when I used my laptop the day before and am still able to use the internet on it. The message was about a search option(or something?) had to be removed. I let the antivirus do its thing and after that is the first time I see the message "Could load XPCOM.". I ignored it and proceeded attempting to go online for the first time in 3 days.

I click on Firefox for the first time, "Couldn't load XPCOM" shows up. I try again and again and the same thing keeps happening. I try chrome and the a message pops up saying it stopped working. I try internet explorer and its browser popos up but with a 404 message. the Browsers for Firefox and chrome never show up.

I tried a virus scan and nothing came up. I cant re-download firefox because I cant get online through any of the other browsers. Darn. Help.

This usually happens because of a failed Firefox update that left you with a mixture of old and updated files in the Firefox program folder.

Do a clean reinstall and delete the Firefox program folder before (re)installing a fresh copy of the current Firefox release.

• Download the full Firefox installer and save the file to the desktop
  https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/

If possible uninstall your current Firefox version to cleanup the Windows registry and settings in security software.

• Do NOT remove "personal data" when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because this will remove all profile folders and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords including data in profiles created by other Firefox versions.

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

• (32 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
• (64 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"

• 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 personal data are stored in the Firefox profile folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure NOT to remove personal data when you uninstall Firefox as that will remove all Firefox profile folders and you lose your personal data.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Clean_reinstall