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While running or when being minimized Firefox disappears off screen and off of menu bar ( bottom bar ) ??

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  • 16 have this problem
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  • Last reply by inzaratha

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When I am running firefox and minimize it ( or sometimes not even then ) it completely disappears off the screen and off the bottom menu bar, so it is still running but I am unable to see it or access it. If I open it again I would not have all my saved tabs, so the only way I have been able to deal with it so far is to open the task manager and ask it close firefox ( I cannot access the applications tab in task manager either ) then I have to reopen firefox. Needless to say this is annoying and a waste of time. It has happened since the upgrade, in fact, I have had several problems since the upgrade but it is mostly worked around. Since the upgrade it is much slower than before too.

When I am running firefox and minimize it ( or sometimes not even then ) it completely disappears off the screen and off the bottom menu bar, so it is still running but I am unable to see it or access it. If I open it again I would not have all my saved tabs, so the only way I have been able to deal with it so far is to open the task manager and ask it close firefox ( I cannot access the applications tab in task manager either ) then I have to reopen firefox. Needless to say this is annoying and a waste of time. It has happened since the upgrade, in fact, I have had several problems since the upgrade but it is mostly worked around. Since the upgrade it is much slower than before too.

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Sounds more like you pressed the "X" which closes the window but not necessarily Firefox even if it is the last Firefox window, can get you into the predicament you are in. Minimize is the "_" look like a bold underscore.

To tell if Firefox is actually running or not you have to look at the "Processes" tab in the Windows Task Manager for "firefox.exe", not at the "Applications" tab. The keyboard shortcut in Windows 7 is "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" for the Windows Task Manager".

To properly close Firefox

  1. close Firefox with File > Exit or "Firefox" button > Exit. Give Firefox some time to close and check that it finished via Windows 7 shortcut to WTM "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" in the "Processes" tab make sure that firefox.exe is no longer running --
  2. if it is still running then terminate it by selecting the use "End Process" button or from context menu.

The main problem with the above is that it is very unlikely that you are mistaking the two buttons, so I'm at a loss here. You could hit those buttons through the shortcut "Alt+Spacebar" and choose Minimize if selecting a button is difficult. I use that if the titlebar is inaccessible and I need to move the window (Move).

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No, I did not hit the x and firefox will still be running when I look up the processes on windows task manager it just is invisible and not on the menu bar. It is a weird problem I have never had happen before. Yeah, what you said about using the alt control and delete to access the task manager process is what I have had to do and I've had to end the process to close it and then open it again.

I would like to find a way to just bring it up again or not have it become invisible.      In fact it is invisble on my menu bar right now even though i am typing in it and it is obviously running but the screen of it is visible while it is invisible on the menu bar this time.     weird, I know.