Mysterious errors in Firefox 60.0.1 on Windows 10 PC
After the update from version 59.0.3 to version 60.0.1 on 2018-05-28, Firefox has a strange error: the Search options were no longer available. I.e. Tools > Options works, but clicking Search on the upper left menu does nothing. Browsing in this crippled 'wrong' FF is difficult: in the address field, URLs are only accepted when given in full (http:\\www.website.nn). And in the search field, the default search engine is undefined and could not be changed, and there were no search engines available at all in the magnifier dropdown list.
This is what I did to get it right: 1) Test whether it is the profile or, PC or something else. It appeared to be one user account on one PC only. 2) Re-install FF. (Did not help.) 3) Disable all add-ons and the sync. (Did not help.) 4) Restore the profile from a backup of two weeks earlier. (Did not help: FF is instantly wrong again.) 5) Delete and re-create the profile (now FF is OK). 6) Copy some parts one-by-one from several old FF 59.0 profiles (e.g. the Places Database file places.sqlite) to the new profile. (Did not help: FF is instantly wrong again.) 7) Copy the places database through importing the bookmarks (large set!) via HTML (now FF is OK, until some reboots later: wrong again.
Strange: a) One strange thing is that, if FF worked again, the error came back after rebooting the PC. Some times, FF was OK after the reboot, but the error came back on the 2nd, or 3rd... reboot. b) Another strange phenomenon was that, if FF was ‘wrong’, at a certain moment, FF opened OK via a web page link or shortcut.
Now, I repaired FF for the 10th time in several scenarios. FF worked prefect for some time, until I just rebooted my PC: wrong again! My ideas on how to solve this problem are exhausted. Please, give me some hints.
All Replies (5)
If I could summarize this mystery: a new Firefox profile is okay until EITHER:
(A) The old places.sqlite database is introduced into the new profile, or
(B) The system is restarted (once or a few times, it varies)
but
(C) Even then, launching Firefox using a Windows Favorite or link in another application yields a window with a working address bar
Result (A) strongly implies that some kind of Places database corruption is breaking the address bar. There is a connection there, because the drop-down draws heavily from that database.
But then (C) can't really be explained unless an external link and your regular Firefox shortcut use different profiles. (Or perhaps different command line or compatibility parameters?)
Considering (B), what could be happening at system startup that corrupts the Places database? Sometimes "cleaning" software may be a factor, or malware, but since it does not happen on every startup, does it seem related to starting up on a new day??
If you haven't already, you might also try:
Clean Reinstall
This takes about 5 minutes. It's not about 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. It's not essential to uninstall Firefox, but you can if you like, saying No to any request about removing personal data.
It only takes a few minutes.
(A) Download a fresh installer for Firefox to a convenient location:
https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/
(B) Exit out of Firefox (if applicable).
If you use Microsoft Office, please change your default browser to Internet Explorer temporarily before the next step.
(C) Using Windows Explorer/My Computer (hold down the Windows key and press E to launch it), right-click > rename the program folder as follows (you might have one or both):
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox =to=> C:\Program Files (x86)\OldFirefox
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?
Hi, thanks for your suggestion, but since FF works for other users without problems, I think that this can't help. Note that all went wrong directly after the (regular) FF update.
Recently I imported the Places Database via HTML in a new profile. I ran a check tool which e.g. deleted erroneous links. Nothing helped.
Modified by armanic
Please note that works for others has nothing to do with your issue though they maybe commonalities. Especially since in ver 60 there was code change and also anything that worked prior to ver 57, Nov 14, 2017 does not mean it will work now.
Thanks for your response. But, in general, FF profiles that work in previous versions of FF also work in new versions. Otherwise, the update should also update the profile or at least give warnings. In my case, the old profile SOMETIMES work. This is not normal.