Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

firefox will not start

  • 9 replies
  • 7 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by kobe

more options

After installing Microsoft Updates in early July (includes Visio and Offices display updates), some web pages (inc BBC News) failed to display (pictures) properly. Uninstalled Firefox 22 then re-installed.

Double click Firefox icon, egg-timer shows for four seconds then stops. Nothing displayed. Task Manager shows Firefox application for the four seconds then it disappears.

Application error text and an .evtx files available from Event Viewer in Computer Management

After installing Microsoft Updates in early July (includes Visio and Offices display updates), some web pages (inc BBC News) failed to display (pictures) properly. Uninstalled Firefox 22 then re-installed. Double click Firefox icon, egg-timer shows for four seconds then stops. Nothing displayed. Task Manager shows Firefox application for the four seconds then it disappears. Application error text and an .evtx files available from Event Viewer in Computer Management

Chosen solution

Hello,

Certain Firefox problems can be solved by performing a Clean reinstall. This means you remove Firefox program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps:

Note: You might want to print these steps or view them in another browser.

  1. Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org and save the setup file to your computer.
  2. After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu).
  3. Delete the Firefox installation folder (not the profile folder, or all your personal data will be lost), which is located in one of these locations, by default:
    • Windows:
      • C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
    • Mac: Delete Firefox from the Applications folder.
    • Linux: If you installed Firefox with the distro-based package manager, you should use the same way to uninstall it - see Install Firefox on Linux. If you downloaded and installed the binary package from the Firefox download page, simply remove the folder firefox in your home directory.
  4. Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
    1. Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
    2. Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.

Please report back to see if this helped you!

Thank you.

Read this answer in context 👍 2

All Replies (9)

more options

Can you post the exact error that firefox had launching from the event viewer?

more options

Log Name: Application Source: Application Error Date: 07/08/13 16:42:25 Event ID: 1000 Task Category: (100) Level: Error Keywords: Classic User: N/A Computer: SonyVaio Description: Faulting application name: firefox.exe, version: 22.0.0.4917, time stamp: 0x51c06b1b Faulting module name: ntdll.dll, version: 6.1.7601.17725, time stamp: 0x4ec49b8f Exception code: 0xc0000005 Fault offset: 0x0002e059 Faulting process id: 0xa2c Faulting application start time: 0x01ce9384b48e7929 Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe Faulting module path: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ntdll.dll Report Id: f4c2a165-ff77-11e2-b8dc-54424960f016 Event Xml: <Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">

 <System>
   <Provider Name="Application Error" />
   <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID>
   <Level>2</Level>
   <Task>100</Task>
   <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
   <TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-08-07T15:42:25.000000000Z" />
   <EventRecordID>82305</EventRecordID>
   <Channel>Application</Channel>
   <Computer>SonyVaio</Computer>
   <Security />
 </System>
 <EventData>
   <Data>firefox.exe</Data>
   <Data>22.0.0.4917</Data>
   <Data>51c06b1b</Data>
   <Data>ntdll.dll</Data>
   <Data>6.1.7601.17725</Data>
   <Data>4ec49b8f</Data>
   <Data>c0000005</Data>
   <Data>0002e059</Data>
   <Data>a2c</Data>
   <Data>01ce9384b48e7929</Data>
   <Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe</Data>
   <Data>C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ntdll.dll</Data>
   <Data>f4c2a165-ff77-11e2-b8dc-54424960f016</Data>
 </EventData>

</Event>

I cannot attach the .evtx file - it contains non-printable characters.

more options
more options

Item 1has locked the computer up - it will not shut down. Items 2 & 3 require Firefox to be running! Making IE default and will try in the morning - if it will boot.

more options

Have you created a new profile and tested? Usually the cause of that error is a corrupt user account, do you get errors running other applications?

more options

New profile in what? A new computer user account? It cannot be in Firefox as it will not load. Firefox is the only program affected (as far as I know - Word and Excel 2010 programs work correctly). Also found in Device Manager this morning that SBRE is not working - file not found - although this is not listed in the fault log.

more options

A new windows profile "As a test", if it works there is something wrong with your current profile.

more options

New computer user account created but that user has the same problem with Firefox - the "turning circle" (default "in use" icon) appears for four seconds then disappears.

more options

Chosen Solution

Hello,

Certain Firefox problems can be solved by performing a Clean reinstall. This means you remove Firefox program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps:

Note: You might want to print these steps or view them in another browser.

  1. Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org and save the setup file to your computer.
  2. After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu).
  3. Delete the Firefox installation folder (not the profile folder, or all your personal data will be lost), which is located in one of these locations, by default:
    • Windows:
      • C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
    • Mac: Delete Firefox from the Applications folder.
    • Linux: If you installed Firefox with the distro-based package manager, you should use the same way to uninstall it - see Install Firefox on Linux. If you downloaded and installed the binary package from the Firefox download page, simply remove the folder firefox in your home directory.
  4. Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
    1. Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
    2. Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.

Please report back to see if this helped you!

Thank you.