If you have submitted crash reports then please post the IDs of one or more recent crash reports that have a "bp-" prefix:

• bp-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

You can find the Report ID of recent crash reports on the "Help > Troubleshooting Information" page (about:support).

• Click the "All Crash Reports" button on this page to open the about:crashes page and see all crash reports.

If necessary then you can open about: pages via the location/address bar.

See:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Mozilla_Crash_Reporter
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Mozilla+Crash+Reporter

These are all I could find. I know there are much more, but I guess adding a new profile and deleting the old one is the reason for not seeing all of the crash reports.

Submitted Crash Reports Report ID Date Submitted bp-b90ba81e-a933-4d1d-8451-9f8592150518 5/18/2015 7:24 PM bp-ee5cf48b-59c0-4a8e-bdae-209132150518 5/18/2015 10:59 AM bp-850a2f4a-0ced-4dcc-971f-22ba82150517 5/17/2015 1:34 PM bp-1afb66e9-d6bf-429b-a978-4b73e2150516 5/16/2015 1:25 PM bp-76379c12-ff57-47e0-b7f5-597092150515 5/15/2015 6:04 PM bp-3a4808f0-af14-4662-a62c-f53ec2150515 5/15/2015 12:09 PM bp-ae8b6575-7e22-49c3-bcde-ace352150519 5/15/2015 9:23 AM

These are my Extensions, Themes and Plugins:

Software:Firefox 38.0.1 (20150513174244) OS:WINNT (x86-msvc)

Mon May 18 2015

Extensions: Total number of items: 15 - Adblock Plus 2.6.9 - Addon List Dumper (restartless) 0.2 - Answers 2.3.54 - ChromEdit Plus 2.9.10 - Classic Theme Restorer 1.3.2 - ColorfulTabs 27.3 - CookieCuller 1.4 - Flash Video Downloader - YouTube HD Download [4K] 7.2.4 - Forecastfox (fix version) 2.2.6 - Internote 3.0.2 - LastPass 3.1.1 - Print Edit 15.6 - Restartless Restart 9 - Tab Mix Plus 0.4.1.7 - TextMarker Go 0.7.4

Themes: Total number of items: 1 - Noia Fox

Plugins: Total number of items: 6 - Foxit Reader Plugin for Mozilla - Java(TM) Platform SE 8 U45 - Microsoft® DRM - Microsoft® DRM - OpenH264 Video Codec provided by Cisco Systems, Inc. - Shockwave Flash

Unfortunately the crash reports have an [@ EMPTY] signature and no data is available about the cause of the crash.

You can try to disable hardware acceleration in Firefox.

• Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"

You need to close and restart Firefox after toggling this setting.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

Thanks cor-el. I'll set that now and get back to you tomorrow with the results.

cor-el:

I disabled hardware acceleration last night and have been running for several hours this morning. In the past, it would sometimes take 4 or 5 hours before a crash or lock-up. My graphic card is an AMD/ATI 9550 and the AMD site has a newer driver. I'm a little hesitant about updating the display software simply due to the age of my graphic card. Plus, there are 2 versions available from the AMD site and I'm not sure which one to download. I'll email AMD Support and ask my questions and get back to you with the answers. In the meantime, still no problems after 5 hours.

cor-el:

12 hours and no crashes or system hangs!! This a good sign, but I want to give it another day before dancing for joy. If your suggestion fixed the problem, then my question would be: Why now? I have had the same graphics card for years along with Firefox with no problems. Not sure I understand why turning off hardware acceleration would be the culprit. If no problems occur tomorrow, then I'll turn the acceleration back on and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

cor-el:

Almost 48 hours and no crashes or hangups. I was about to congratulate you on your de-bugging ability, but, went out for a couple of hours, left Firefox up and it was still running when I returned. Clicked on a link and Firefox immediately crashed. BP #: bp-ed46e118-bfe3-4dbe-a33c-77b0b2150520

What can we do now? I'm willing to try anything at this point.

BTW - This is the longest period without a crash or hangup, if that means anything.

cor-el: Another one 2 hours later: bp-7dfad4ed-aca6-4ed8-81ae-56d562150520

Another at 1:14 PM EST today 05/21/2015: bp-c0e231c9-cb95-472b-9d97-8908d2150521

NOTE: 90% of the time, the computer has been idle for a few hours and the screensaver has kicked in. The other 10%, Firefox crashes as soon as I click the Firefox icon.

This crash occurred this AM when I clicked on the Firefox icon. The crash was immediate, Firefox never fully loaded.

bp-eb3ee0c5-0445-4266-a073-72eaf2150523

This crash occurred about 3 hours after the post above and is the only crash that happened while I was typing.

bp-86ae73ca-9be1-4c96-9f31-d956e2150523

All the crash report have an @EMPTY signature. You can check that by clicking the links on the about:crashes page. Unfortunately such crash reports show no data about the cause of the crash.

Do a malware check with several malware scanning programs on the Windows computer. Please scan with all programs because each program detects different malware. All these programs have free versions.

Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:
  http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
• AdwCleaner:
  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
  http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml
• SuperAntispyware:
  http://www.superantispyware.com/
• Microsoft Safety Scanner:
  http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
• Windows Defender:
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-defender
• Spybot Search & Destroy:
  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
• Kasperky Free Security Scan:
  http://www.kaspersky.com/security-scan

You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.

• Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller:
  http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446

See also:

• "Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-caused-malware

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

• Download the 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.

If you keep having problems then also create a new profile.

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

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

cor-el: Your last reply was "Unfortunately the crash reports have an [@ EMPTY] signature and no data is available about the cause of the crash.".

Is there some software I can install that, at the moment Firefox crashes, would capture the debugging information that is missing from the current crash reports?

Are you going to continue working on this problem, or have you gone on vacation? As a long time Firefox user, I would like to to able to not face a day where Firefox can crash at any time, especially when I've just spent an hour drafting a blog entry, only to have it lost when Firefox decides to crash.

Is it one of the add-ons or plugins that is causing the crashes or could it be caused by one of my running software?

1. 1 - My computer does not have Viruses, Malware, Rootkits or Spyware.
2. 2 - As I outlined in my initial post, I have uninstalled and reinstalled the current and previous versions of Firefox.
3. 3. - I completely removed all traces of Firefox from the hard drive and registry before each installation.
4. 4. - I created a new profile and deleted the old profile.

I have tried everything you outlined in your post with no success.

What else can we try?

All of these today: bp-a7af905c-647c-4265-821a-7cdd82150525 5/25/2015 6:19 PM bp-4dd19d2f-6403-4246-9a6b-c06e82150525 5/25/2015 6:19 PM bp-aaf19022-d310-4231-9d9a-8fba72150525 5/25/2015 3:52 PM

The crash reports still all have an @EMPTY signature.

Did you run any of the malware scanners I posted above?

Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test.

• http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/how-to-start-windows-in-safe-mode/

cor-el: Please see my post above (5/23/2015 2:22 PM), in reply to your Malware post.

I guess what is missing for me at this point, is, I have no idea what "@EMPTY signature" means, as I'm not a Mozilla technician.

Would you please explain why the crash reports can't be debugged when the signature is EMPTY and, also explain what causes the crash reports to have no signature.

Also, in a previous post, I asked "Is there some software I can install that, at the moment Firefox crashes, would capture the debugging information that is missing from the current crash reports?". Could you reply please?

In response to your reply, I'm assuming that you want me to run Firefox in Windows Safe Mode for awhile to see if it will crash. Is that correct? If it is, then I'm guessing that you think there is an interaction between Firefox and a running program on my system. If that's the case, then why wouldn't it be Mozilla's responsibility to insure that Firefox acts nicely with other programs?

I'll do what you ask, but if there are no subsequent crashes or hangups, then what? Do I have to remove my running programs one at a time to see which one causes the problem? And then what? Is it Mozilla's responsibility to fix the problem, or the offending program's author?

I have the feeling that no matter what I find, I'm just going to have to live with Firefox crashing or hanging my system. So be it.

I'll get back to you.

Thanks

Edit: Added Windows Safe Mode.

Another one: bp-f83098fa-7475-4441-bf3c-2885d2150526

And another one: bp-8f511954-a406-4f51-822e-ecc062150526