yet another XPCOM problem

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DragonLore
Posts: 23
Joined: September 28th, 2016, 5:48 am

yet another XPCOM problem

Post by DragonLore »

Hello,

I've been using Firefox as my browser of preference since the beginning. About 3-4 years ago I started using Sandboxie for a safer browsing experience, and then about a year ago, I started getting an error message when using Firefox with Sandboxie, and ended up switching to Chrome as my default browser.

Today I finally decided to resolve the issue, and have only made the problem worse. :( At first I was only getting this message:

The procedure entry point ?MozStackWalk@@YA_NP6AXIPEAX00@ZII0_K0@Z could not be located in the dynamic link library C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\xul.dll.

In my efforts to resolve this issue, I followed every suggestion I could find (mostly, with Sandboxie closed, I repeatedly uninstalled Firefox using Revo Uninstaller at the advanced level, uninstalled the Mozilla Maintenance Service, and removed the Mozilla folders from the appdata Local and Roaming folders, before installing a fresh download of the current version of Firefox). Now I can't boot Firefox at all due to a "can't load XPCOM error message.

I'd really like to return to Firefox as my browser of choice, if someone can help me resolve the errors.
Brummelchen
Posts: 4480
Joined: March 19th, 2005, 10:51 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by Brummelchen »

1. AdwCleaner AdwCleaner Download
Insert [Report] here, then [Cleanup]


2. Download Malwarebytes and install as "free"
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/
Insert context of logfile here
https://www.malwarebytes.com/support/gu ... ry_AL.html
(export as text file, copy and paste content)
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DragonLore
Posts: 23
Joined: September 28th, 2016, 5:48 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by DragonLore »

Hello Brummelchen,

I'm a longtime MBAM Premium user, and have run a current scan, with one PUP detected - IMGBURN, (which is always detected). If you still want me to post a log, I'll be happy to do so...
User avatar
DragonLore
Posts: 23
Joined: September 28th, 2016, 5:48 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by DragonLore »

Here is the AdwCleaner log:
# AdwCleaner 7.0.5.0 - Logfile created on Sun Dec 10 22:39:39 2017
# Updated on 2017/29/11 by Malwarebytes
# Database: 12-08-2017.1
# Running on Windows 8.1 (X64)
# Mode: scan
# Support: https://www.malwarebytes.com/support

***** [ Services ] *****

No malicious services found.

***** [ Folders ] *****

No malicious folders found.

***** [ Files ] *****

No malicious files found.

***** [ DLL ] *****

No malicious DLLs found.

***** [ WMI ] *****

No malicious WMI found.

***** [ Shortcuts ] *****

No malicious shortcuts found.

***** [ Tasks ] *****

No malicious tasks found.

***** [ Registry ] *****

No malicious registry entries found.

***** [ Firefox (and derivatives) ] *****

No malicious Firefox entries.

***** [ Chromium (and derivatives) ] *****

No malicious Chromium entries.

*************************

C:/AdwCleaner/AdwCleaner[C0].txt - [1425 B] - [2016/10/24 14:27:43]
C:/AdwCleaner/AdwCleaner[C2].txt - [1601 B] - [2016/10/24 14:35:41]
C:/AdwCleaner/AdwCleaner[S0].txt - [1478 B] - [2016/10/24 14:26:46]
C:/AdwCleaner/AdwCleaner[S1].txt - [1463 B] - [2016/10/24 14:35:25]
C:/AdwCleaner/AdwCleaner[S2].txt - [1453 B] - [2016/10/24 14:45:7]
C:/AdwCleaner/AdwCleaner[S3].txt - [1454 B] - [2017/12/10 21:55:15]


########## EOF - C:\AdwCleaner\AdwCleaner[S4].txt ##########

I didn't save the MBAM log and there isn't one in AppData - sorry - as I said, only one PUP was found... I'll re-run and post a scan if necessary, but it doesn't seem that malware is the issue here.
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Reflective
Posts: 2283
Joined: February 15th, 2007, 11:13 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by Reflective »

What I suggest you do to start with is to run Windows System Restore. Choose a _Restore point from a time prior to using Revo to uninstall Firefox. If you can't see enough restore points, checkmark the box to "Show more...." which you'll find on the menu.

Before you run System Restore though right click the MBAM icon in the systray and click "Quit Malwarebytes". If you don't Mbam will prevent the restore when the system reboots and you'll have to do it all over again.

Once you're back to the desktop with a successful restore, uninstall Sandboxie. If you're running Mbam Premium, all you're doing by installing yet more security is just adding another layer of icing on the cake to the one which is already there. It won't make the cake taste any better metaphorically speaking and might even ruin the flavor altogether. Mbam provides more than adequate protection on its own (I use it myself) and any additional security is entirely superfluous.

I can't see from your user agent which version of Firefox you had installed so perhaps you can clarify that please.

If you were using Firefox 56 or earlier, be aware that the latest version which is FF57.0.2 will only allow WebExtensions to be installed. All the so called "legacy" extensions you were running in a previous version won't work anymore.

If you were running a pre-FF57 version and want to continue to use your legacy extensions, then download Firefox ESR which will be supported until June 26, 2018.

After downloading ESR, uninstall the current Firefox installation using Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel, but don't uninstall any appdata.

Once that's done, run the ESR setup file. Assuming it opens without any issues, go to the Addons Manager (Ctrl+Shift+A) and remove the checkmark to update your legacy extensions automatically. In future you'll need to do that manually.

Also, copy/paste about:preferences#advanced into the location bar and hit Enter and click the Update tab. Remove the checkmark to update Firefox automatically and click the second radio button to "Check for updates, but let you choose whether to install them".

If you still run into the same problems again consider installing a Firefox fork instead. I'm using one myself called Basilisk which is based on Firefox 55 and will support legacy extensions indefinitely. To find out more about that and others, go to the Third Party/Unofficial Builds forum on this site.

EDIT: Assuming the restore was successful re-enable Mbam again via the tray icon.
Brummelchen
Posts: 4480
Joined: March 19th, 2005, 10:51 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by Brummelchen »

sorry, try a new profile

>> ?MozStackWalk@@YA_NP6AXIPEAX00@ZII0_K0@Z
is adware/malware (google search)

create a new profile
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_ne ... on_Windows
or
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Manager

This article explains how to selectively transfer Firefox user data and settings to a new Firefox profile
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_ ... _-_Firefox
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Reflective
Posts: 2283
Joined: February 15th, 2007, 11:13 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by Reflective »

Brummelchen wrote:sorry, try a new profile

>> ?MozStackWalk@@YA_NP6AXIPEAX00@ZII0_K0@Z
is adware/malware (google search)
Result of Bing search

Result of Google search

I think on the basis of those two results it's safe to say that that string doesn't have anything to do with malware. The links in the five results shown on Google all refer to executables and although they all seem to relate to Firefox in one way or another, they don't state where the files were downloaded from. If the OP is downloading from a Mozilla site I very much doubt it will contain malware.
User avatar
therube
Posts: 21703
Joined: March 10th, 2004, 9:59 pm
Location: Maryland USA

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by therube »

What version of FF?
What version of Sandboxie?

You weren't clear, are you running FF in Sandboxie?
Do you get the same error if you run FF outside of Sandboxie?

Do you "install" FF into Sandboxie?
What happens if you create a new Sandbox & install FF into that sandbox?
Fire 750, bring back 250.
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.1.19) Gecko/20110420 SeaMonkey/2.0.14 Pinball CopyURL+ FetchTextURL FlashGot NoScript
Brummelchen
Posts: 4480
Joined: March 19th, 2005, 10:51 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by Brummelchen »

i already used google (bing has no results) - an all points to malware.
latest sandboxie for win10 is 5.22 (or 5.23beta1) - i dont have such issues here with firefox 57/58, so at least cant be a firefox problem.
do adware search as advised then we talk again.
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DragonLore
Posts: 23
Joined: September 28th, 2016, 5:48 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by DragonLore »

Thank you Reflective, Brummelchen, and therube for your responses. It has taken me some time to respond because I have been working overtime and only have so much time to devote to computer maintenance.

@Reflective: Thank you for your suggestions. I have with some difficulty after multiple attempts, effected a successful system restore and have Firefox working again. :-D

I do want to say for all who read this post that each user has their own preference for how they choose to protect their computers. I understand you don't think there's value in running a sandbox when using MalwareBytes (MBAM). There are people who feel strongly that MBAM has no value, and while I obviously don't agree with them, MY preference is to run multiple layers of defense AND to sandbox my browser, because no one product is infallible.

Therefore, I have not uninstalled Sandboxie, which continues to work fine with Google Chrome. However, it is still not playing nice with Firefox after the system restore, so I'm back to where I started on Sunday morning when I began this adventure... I would still like to resolve the original error (which has returned along with Firefox functionality), and to go back to using Firefox in the sandbox as my default browser, as I was doing for some time before the problem began about a year ago.

I am running the current version of all programs in a Win 8.1 environment.
User avatar
Reflective
Posts: 2283
Joined: February 15th, 2007, 11:13 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by Reflective »

DragonLore wrote:I do want to say for all who read this post that each user has their own preference for how they choose to protect their computers. I understand you don't think there's value in running a sandbox when using MalwareBytes (MBAM). There are people who feel strongly that MBAM has no value, and while I obviously don't agree with them, MY preference is to run multiple layers of defense AND to sandbox my browser, because no one product is infallible.

Therefore, I have not uninstalled Sandboxie, which continues to work fine with Google Chrome.
Fair enough, but if you're going to run both Mbam and Sandboxie together, make sure you add the latter to the Mbam Exclusions menu. That will alleviate any conflict which might arise between the two of them.

Also, check the Sandboxie site for known conflicts.

It might also be worth checking for corruption on Windows 8.1 by doing the following.
  • 1. Right click the Start button and click Command Prompt (Admin) in the menu.
    2. Copy/paste the following command and hit Enter: DISM.exe/Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
You have to right click and then Paste in a command prompt by the way and just hitting Ctrl+V after copying the command will result in an error.
User avatar
DragonLore
Posts: 23
Joined: September 28th, 2016, 5:48 am

Re: yet another XPCOM problem

Post by DragonLore »

Update:
I've resolved the problem by reverting to an older computer running Win 7...
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