If you press Ctrl+k can you open the web console in the lower part of the problem window? If so, try pasting the following line of code into the console and pressing Enter to run it:

var els = document.children; for (var i=0; i<els.length; i++) els[i].innerHTML = "";

That should clear the document and hopefully prevent the page from blocking you from closing it.

If you need a Plan B, I have some other thoughts.

Thanks for your help jschere2000. I did as you directed, and the pop up window, popped up, asking if I wanted to leave the page. I clicked on yes and it just popped up again and again and again. I'm ready for plan B!!!

ed

Go ahead and forcibly shut down Firefox using the Task Manager.

Ctrl+Shift+Esc > Processes tab > select firefox.exe > "End Process" button

Next, open your currently active Firefox settings folder using the Start menu search box to open this abbreviated address:

%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

If you see more than one folder, click into the most recent. If there's only one folder, click into that.

Look for files starting with sessionstore. Typically you will find sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak. If Windows is hiding the file extensions, you can unhide them using the method described in this support article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/865219.

Rename the sessionstore.js file to something like sessionstore_bad.js so Firefox doesn't restore that last set of windows and tabs automatically.

Then leave that window open and restart Firefox.

If you want to re-open some of the pages in that last session, you can use the tricks in the following threads to "mine" the sessionstore_bad.js file to extract the URLs:

• Using Firefox's Browser Console (formerly known as Error Console): https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/969046#answer-471950

• Using Firefox developer tool "Scratchpad": http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=622036&start=60&p=12098147#p12098147

Success?

jscher2000.......you are scarey smart!!!! I did everything you instructed. BTW, your instructions were crystal clear. I got to the point where I was to reopen FF. It asked if I wanted to "restore" the last session. I said yes, and the "bad" window came up. I closed FF and restarted FF again. I cursed (sp) down through the list of files to be restored and "removed" the bad window, and then did a restore. Everything worked perfectly!!! All good stuff was as before, and the bad window was gone. Thanks SO VERY MUCH. I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season.

Ed

Thank you for the post-mortem. Hopefully others finding this thread in their web searches will be able to follow along as well.

I got the RCMP locked computer version by chance some months ago and resorted to forcing Firefox closed (use Linux) and then unchecking the one tab upon crash restore the next time Firefox started.

Hello all once again. I am sad to report that once again the looming lockout window showed up. I mistakenly closed FF before performing the sequence of actions that inactivated it before, and now I'm locked out of internet access regardless of using FF or even IE. Am I totally screwed now, or can any of you incredible geniuses save my sorry behind again?

Head hanging in shame, Ed

Hi Ed, let's give Firefox temporary amnesia about your previous tabs and windows until we can gain control over your post-crash startup options.

(1) Move your sessionstore.* files to a safe location

Open your Firefox profile folder using the start menu search box or using the address bar of a Windows Explorer window. Paste the following:

%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

You might have only one folder here, or you might have more than one. Open the most recent and look for files whose names start with sessionstore. The last modified date/time should be very recent. Move these files to a safe place, like your Documents folder.

Leave this window open for later use.

(2) Start up Firefox and turn off automatic post-crash session restore

We want to always get the window letting you opt out of bad tabs. Here's how to change this hidden setting:

(A) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(B) In the search box above the list, type or paste sess and pause while the list is filtered

(C) Double-click the browser.sessionstore.max_resumed_crashes preference and enter 0 (that's a zero) and click OK.

Exit Firefox.

(3) Bring back your sessionstore files

Copy the sessionstore files from your Documents folder (or wherever you stashed them) back to your Firefox profile folder. You can overwrite the ones Firefox created during your brief session in Step #2.

While you are viewing your profile folder, do you see a user.js file (if you see a file named user without the .js, Windows may be hiding file extensions from you; you can make sure you see file extensions by changing a setting as described in this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/865219)? If so, rename that as it may override the change you just made. olduser.js should do.

(4) Now, finally, start Firefox normally. You should be able to avoid launching the problem tab.

Hi JS, I followed your instructions. I did not have any trouble with them, and everything responded as you had instructed. Unfortunately, however, when I attempted to start up FF, I get the same error msg. that the server (for the site) could not be connected to, and to try later as it may be busy......etc.

I had made copies of ALL session* files to documents, including the session.bak files, and then overwrote the files in the folder produced via that appdata command, AFTER following your instructions.

There was no user.js file in there, FYI

Sorry 'bout this......

ed

Hi Ed, I was thinking that you had the problem of not being able to close a problem tab. But now you have a different issue that none of tabs load pages at all?

JS, yes, I'm sorry for not being clearer. No matter what site I attempt to open, I am met with the error msg. that FF cannot establish a connection to that server. Am I any clearer in describing my pblm?

If it is of any help, I cannot open any sites via IE either!!!

I went through a rather lengthy debuging process with my internet carrier. I am contacting you via a different laptop than the one I'm having a pblm with. I can use FF on this computer, but not the one that is blocked. I tell you this so you know that the pblm is not with my Internet connection, but is specific to that singular computer.

ed

Hi Ed, you might have covered everything in this support article already, but just in case: Firefox and other browsers can't load websites.

JS, I referenced your suggestion. What I ended up doing was to do a restore. I made this decision because the "problem" occured this afternoon, I had not made any "important" changes, data entry, etc. since then, so I went back 24 hrs. and restored. Wa La!!!!! I'm back where I started before the problem.

I would like to thank you ever so much for your help, you kindness, and in particular, offering me a direction to go, once we exhausted the FF trouble shooting protocol! I wish you and yours a Happy New Year.

Thanks again, ed