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Why does firefox keep hijacking my homepage (google)?

  • 2 iimpendulo
  • 2 inale ngxaki
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  • Impendulo yokugqibela ngu JayJa

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I imagine that since the latest upgrade, Firefox continually opens 3 tabs(all firefox related) I can close them, then change my homepage back to google, adjust the toolbar again to my customized prefs. This only lasts as long as the browser stays open. Any new instance of the browser reopening results in the same BS. Checking the user files reveals that the homepage is over ridden by firefox. I'm sure that this is because I don't (won't) sign in. Why should I? Firefox never needed this before. For an open sourced app to ask (no, demand) this, only will drive me to an alternative browser. Firefox is about as useful to me now as IE and Chrome. Very disapointed!

I imagine that since the latest upgrade, Firefox continually opens 3 tabs(all firefox related) I can close them, then change my homepage back to google, adjust the toolbar again to my customized prefs. This only lasts as long as the browser stays open. Any new instance of the browser reopening results in the same BS. Checking the user files reveals that the homepage is over ridden by firefox. I'm sure that this is because I don't (won't) sign in. Why should I? Firefox never needed this before. For an open sourced app to ask (no, demand) this, only will drive me to an alternative browser. Firefox is about as useful to me now as IE and Chrome. Very disapointed!

Isisombulu esikhethiweyo

Thanks jscher2000

There were in fact 3 prefs.js files prefs.js was corrupt

prefs-1.js and prefs-2.js are now irrelevant. I should be able to delete them. The new prefs.js keeps my prefs as they were and how I want them.

Incidentally, the user.js is from a year ago when I used Zone Alarm. I wasn't able to delete it, so I renamed it. Likely there is a registry issue with it as I can't find anything else referring to Zone Alarm on my PC. I'm not concerned. Once again, thanks.

Funda le mpendulo kwimeko leyo 👍 0

All Replies (2)

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You do not need to sign in with Firefox 45 or any previous version.

It sounds as though you know how to inspect the prefs.js file in your profile folder. After you change your home page, and allowing several seconds for Firefox to update the file, is your change reflected in there under browser.startup.homepage ? (Toolbar layout changes also are stored in prefs.js under browser.uiCustomization.state so that difficult-to-read preference would vary from the default.)

Note to anyone reading: please do not double-click a JS file because Windows will try to execute it, which could have unpredictable results. Instead, right-click > Edit the file.

You implied that you might have seen a user.js file in your profile folder. That's an optional file typically created by third party software or advanced users. If you did not create it yourself, you can rename or remove it.

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Isisombululo esiKhethiweyo

Thanks jscher2000

There were in fact 3 prefs.js files prefs.js was corrupt

prefs-1.js and prefs-2.js are now irrelevant. I should be able to delete them. The new prefs.js keeps my prefs as they were and how I want them.

Incidentally, the user.js is from a year ago when I used Zone Alarm. I wasn't able to delete it, so I renamed it. Likely there is a registry issue with it as I can't find anything else referring to Zone Alarm on my PC. I'm not concerned. Once again, thanks.