I am having this same issue too. It's really annoying me and I'm probably just going to go back to Firefox 3 if I can't find a fix for this issue soon. Oh and I'm on Windows 7 so it's multiple OSs =\

This can be a problem with the file places.sqlite that stores the bookmarks and the history.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox

Yes, you post that on every help request posted on this issue. If you would have read my message, you would have quickly seen that I have already done this fix that you post so ubiquitously. It doesn't fix the problem.

Same problem here. Intranet application om MSSQL Windows 7 Hope you can solve this indeed annoying issue

Thanks, M

I too am having problems with the back button. The way it works is totally inconsistent - sometimes it seems to work and sometimes it doesn't. This is only one of a long list of problems I am having with firefox 4 anybody know how to rollback to a previoius version. If not I an going to rollback my machine to a "good" version.

I had a problem with the back button and fixed it by disabling McAfee SiteAdvisor add-in.

I don't use the SiteAdvisor program.

I am having a problem with the back button also in Firefox 4. Firefox forgets the 1st page in any new session or tab. If I open a tab to say bbc.com and navigate to guardian.com I can't click the back button to get back to bbc.com.

What happens if you start FF in safe mode? http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Safe%20Mode

I don't know. I don't have time to fool around with it. I don't run in "safe mode" so I don't see how this is relevant.

Safe Mode is a special Firefox execution mode that can be used to troubleshoot issues in Firefox. In Safe Mode, you can reset some settings or disable add-ons that might be the source of the issue. By comparing Firefox behavior in normal mode to its behavior in Safe Mode with various items disabled, you may be able to diagnose issues.

Thanks, but like I said, I really don't have the time to fool around with it. How hard is it to build a back button that works? I've been using FireFox for years. I don't have a bunch of exotic extensions installed. I have never had this problem before, and I am extremely disappointed in FireFox that they have come out with an "upgrade" that doesn't work for thousands of users.

I disabled SiteAdvisor also, after reading various comments, and my back-button is working properly again. Thanks.

Same problem here. When opening a new tab and clicking a link on a new page, FF loses track of the original page. Annoying, but I'd rather keep site advisor and live with it if those are my only options

I don't use SiteAdvisor and my forward and back buttons are completely dead in FF 4. I reverted to 3.6 and life is good.

This happened to me as well,since day one when I upgraded to FF4:back/forward buttons greyed out and unclickable.First I tried restarting with all of my extensions disabled,didn't work.Then I tried a fresh,clean install of FF4 with no extensions,didn't work.I ended up going back to 3.6.16,because I have to have my back/forward function. (And no,I don't have the McAfee SiteAdvisor add-in.I'm using Windows XP.) Oh well,3.6.16 it is until someone figures out how to go back/forward in Firefox 4.

Operating system: Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit (fully updated) CPU: Core i7 920

I am running the following addons: Adblock Plux 1.3.5 BetterPrivacy 1.490 CheckPlaces 2.4.5 Cookie Manager Button 1.0.1.6 Cookie Monster 1.0.5 Element Hiding Helper for Adblock Plus 1.1.1 McAfee SiteAdvisor 3.3.1 NoScript 2.1.0.1 RealPlayer Browser Record Plugin 14.0.1

Disabling all of those addons does nothing to resolve this issue.

I had the same problem as everyone else running on Win7.

I was about the follow the KB article that tells you to delete/rename the places.sqlite file, but I noticed that when I exited out of FF4, it automatically renamed places.sqlite to places.sqlite.corrupt.

I then started FF again and the back/forward/history functions were all fine.

However, my bookmarks are empty. I couldn't export them previously as they had all disappeared and I can't import any of my bookmark backups.

It comes back with the message:

"Could not process backup file"

I've tried all 6 of the bookmark backups without any success.

At least I have the back/forward buttons working again, which means FF4 is finally usable.

It amazes me that an issue with a core function like this wouldn't have been picked up in beta testing.

Like the others, I've had this problem, but it's not consistent. It happens mostly on my FF homepage (foxnews.com). I click to read an article and yet the back button is grayed out. I agree with peter99's statement, "It amazes me that an issue with a core function like this wouldn't have been picked up in beta testing." I'm sure that for every person who found, read, and posted in here, there are a few hundred who did nothing, or even switched browsers. I'll wait to see what happens with 4.1 or 4.0.1. Maybe the problem will be fixed.

Starting in FF 4 safe mode doe NOT alleviate the problem. Starting with all add-ins disabled (under Win 7), the back and forward buttons remain greyed out, regardless of how many web pages are opened and regardless of the navigation patterns used (links followed, successive urls entered into address bar, etc.)

Re-installing FF 4 does NOT fix the problem. The arrows immediately become usable again when FF 3.6 is reinstalled.