Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
alexpro
Posts: 6
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:33 pm

Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by alexpro »

I use Firefox for several years now and I never was so dissappointed.

Suddently, Firefox started to hang when I try to download something. I used the Internet to search for clues on how to solve this problem. Almost all of them talked about entering the Options menu so I tried to follow them, but SURPRISE ! All the items in the Tools menu work, except for Options. When I select Options, Firefox hangs and all I can do is to end the task from the Task Manager. Otherwise, everything works normal, except for downloads (even when I try to save a picture) and Options menu.

I've made the normal steps in solving this: searched the net (nothing about this bug!!!), uninstalled Firefox, cleaned all the left traces (files, folders and registry) and reinstalled the latest version.

SURPRISE again ! The bug continues to annoy me ! Retake all above steps, this time installing Firefox beta 4.
And the bug is present here too !

Can anybody help me with this, please ?
User avatar
Dartman
Moderator
Posts: 11995
Joined: February 9th, 2006, 9:43 pm

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by Dartman »

Alcohol and Calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive.
User avatar
makaiguy
Posts: 16878
Joined: November 18th, 2002, 6:44 pm
Location: Somewhere in SE USA
Contact:

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by makaiguy »

When you cleaned out the folders prior to reinstalling, did you clean out the profile folders, or just the program folders?

See this Mozillazine Knowledge Base article re Firefox profile location and contents:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
Doug Wilson
Win10 64bit: FF 115.0.02 64bit, TB 102.12.0 32-bit ║ Android 13/10: FF 115.2.0/115.0.1 ║ No TB for Android available, dammit!
What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away - Doobie Brothers
User avatar
dickvl
Posts: 54146
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by dickvl »

Try to delete prefs.js and downloads.sqlite in the http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox Firefox Profile Folder

Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory > Open Containing folder
alexpro
Posts: 6
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:33 pm

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by alexpro »

I have done all that !!!

Dartman: I've read that article long time ago, but was of no help for me.
Makaiguy: I've deleted the profile folder completely before reinstalling Firefox.
Dickvl: Deleting all the folder means i've tried that too.

Now, all the files in profile folder are created on 10.08.2010, like they should after completely deleted.
I've tried also Safe mode. It hangs exactly the same as in normal mode.

This becomes realy annoing !!!
trenisih
Guest

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by trenisih »

alexpro wrote:All the items in the Tools menu work, except for Options. When I select Options, Firefox hangs and all I can do is to end the task from the Task Manager. Otherwise, everything works normal, except for downloads (even when I try to save a picture) and Options menu.


Yup, same problem here. I haven't seen the download problem, but the fact that something as basic to the application as configuring Options causes a crash means something is very wrong.

Here's a thread I started on the same issue, and I got the standard "delete this, delete that, and try again" responses.
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/707893

Deleting every last bit of Firefox from \program files, \documents and settings, and any registry keys named mozilla or firefox still does nothing to fix an installation of Firefox versions 3.6.4 to 3.6.8, or beta 4.0. Starting in -safemode with every last option disabled doesn't help. 3.6.3 works just fine.

Is there a way to generate debug output to help nail this down?
fratef
Guest

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by fratef »

A main difference between 3.6.4 and up and 3.6.3 is that newer versions use the plugin-container.exe to prevent plugin crashes from crashing the whole browser. (Details here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-contai ... ss_plugins )

Plugin-container.exe needs to be allowed permission in your firewall, if it isn't many problems can occur possibly including the browser not opening at all. If you have a software firewall, that could be your problem.
Uninstall the firewall (or attempt to configure your firewall as per here http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firewalls) and try again.
User avatar
Dartman
Moderator
Posts: 11995
Joined: February 9th, 2006, 9:43 pm

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by Dartman »

trenisih,

Your problem is different than alexpro's. His problem is Firefox is hanging when going to Tools>Options. Your problem is crashing when configuring options. You also don't have the download problem. Start your own thread for your problem, so we can help you properly.
Alcohol and Calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive.
trenish
Guest

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by trenish »

Dartman wrote:trenish,

Your problem is different than alexpro's. His problem is Firefox is hanging when going to Tools>Options. Your problem is crashing when configuring options. You also don't have the download problem. Start your own thread for your problem, so we can help you properly.


I misuse one technical verb and it's the riot act! :wink:

Seriously, my problem is a hang in Tools--> Options and is exactly consistent with the description provided by the OP. And...my problem is an exact match for the thread title...
alexpro
Posts: 6
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:33 pm

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by alexpro »

trenisih: I've already seen that page. Doesn't give me any new ideea.
fratef: The plugin container state does not change anything. The bug still present.
fratef: I have no firewall on my computer. I have a hardware firewall and nothing changed in the config of this firewall lately.

From technical pov, the things looks like this:
- the bug appears on a single machine and I don't know what generated it, so I cannot reproduce the bug on another machine
- Firefox (from ver. 3.6.6 to ver. 4 beta - I haven't tested other versions) hangs in the following cases:
1. when I select Options from the Tools menu
2. when I download anything (even pictures Save As)
- deleting all Firefox files (including prefs, cache, etc...) and all registry keys does not help. When reinstalling Firefox, the bug is present.
- changing firefox.exe name to anything else does not help
- changing Firefox destination folder does not help

So I assume that is something that Firefox changed in Windows (XP SP3) config somewhere that must be deleted so it can work once again.
User avatar
makaiguy
Posts: 16878
Joined: November 18th, 2002, 6:44 pm
Location: Somewhere in SE USA
Contact:

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by makaiguy »

Have you checked your video drivers to be sure they are up to date? Perhaps there is a different video call in the newer versions that gives your driver problems. Kinda grasping at straws here, but we've seen other weird computer-specific problems caused by video drivers before.
Doug Wilson
Win10 64bit: FF 115.0.02 64bit, TB 102.12.0 32-bit ║ Android 13/10: FF 115.2.0/115.0.1 ║ No TB for Android available, dammit!
What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away - Doobie Brothers
Guest
Guest

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by Guest »

makaiguy wrote:Have you checked your video drivers to be sure they are up to date? Perhaps there is a different video call in the newer versions that gives your driver problems. Kinda grasping at straws here, but we've seen other weird computer-specific problems caused by video drivers before.


Aye, I updated my video drivers on my work PC (the one having the problem) and also happen to be running XP SP3 as is Alexpro. The video on my laptop is Nvidia's Quadro NVS 135M (it's a mobile solution).

My personal laptop at home doesn't have this problem and it's running some variant of Windows 7. Its video is driven by an ATI solution.
User avatar
wm4bama
Posts: 126
Joined: July 16th, 2009, 8:41 am

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by wm4bama »

I noticed that if the last time you used Tools/Options and selected "Network" and exited with "Network" being the last screen you were in, then the next time you use Tools/Options it will take an extremely long time to open the options menu...like almost a minute to 1 1/2 minutes...but if you are patient, it will open..and if you still exit the options menu while in the Network tab it will also take a very long time to completely exit.

If you leave the options menu with the "General" tab selected, the next time you use Tools/Options the menu will open much faster.. don't know why, but it's been this way for all the FF versions I've used.
East Central Alabama, Wildblue Satellite ISP, Linksys WRT54G2 router, Dell Desktop XP-Home-SP3, Dell Laptop Vista-Home-SP2, Run IE8 and Firefox browsers.
alexpro
Posts: 6
Joined: August 10th, 2010, 11:33 pm

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by alexpro »

makaiguy: No drivers have changed on my computer since Firefox worked fine (this was the first thing I've checked - new drivers and new software installed).

wm4bama: I cannot select anything in Options, because the second I click Options Firefox hangs. I've left it like this for 10 minutes, but no change - remains blocked. I'll give it a try to let it more than an hour and I'll let you know - After 1 hour 30 min. Firefox has not moved a muscle...

As I remember, the problem appeared after I've changed something in Firefox configuration - downloads path or something like this.
User avatar
dickvl
Posts: 54146
Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am

Re: Firefox hangs while opening Tools -> Options menu

Post by dickvl »

Try to delete prefs.js and downloads.sqlite and other downloads.* files if they exist in the http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox Firefox Profile Folder
Last edited by dickvl on August 19th, 2010, 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Locked