OK, this has to do with the big gray bar & red caret under the status bar. I've read all the stuff I could find. I have not added any extensions nor do I use anything other than the default theme. I've tried opening Firefox in safe mode. Nothing works.
Actually, the only thing that works is to uninstall Firefox, then reinstall. After the reinstall when I launch Firefox, all is fine. But if I happen to exit out of Firefox (like to restart my computer), the next time I open Firefox the annoying gray bar is back!
Please help! I am running Firefox version 2.0.0.6 on a Vista Biz computer.
Big Gray Bar Again
-
Guest
- Guest
-
the-edmeister
- Posts: 32249
- Joined: February 25th, 2003, 12:51 am
- Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Create a new Profile.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_new_Firefox_profile_on_Windows
If the new Profile works correctly, then you can migrate specific files.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Migrating_settings_to_a_new_profile
.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_new_Firefox_profile_on_Windows
If the new Profile works correctly, then you can migrate specific files.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Migrating_settings_to_a_new_profile
.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Mine has wandered off and I'm out looking for it.
-
Megumi
- Guest
-
Hedley5
- Guest
-
Megumi
- Guest
OK, I will uninstall and reinstall again. But I've done this like a dozen times already. I make sure to check all the Mozilla folders etc have been deleted.
My experience each time is that the first time Firefox opens after I re-install, it's fine. It's the subsequent times after I exit Firefox and reopen that I get the dang gray bar. I've gotten to the point where I try to avoid shutting down my computer, I put it in Hibernate mode. But there are times I have to restart my computer - and I'm back to the big gray bar.
My experience each time is that the first time Firefox opens after I re-install, it's fine. It's the subsequent times after I exit Firefox and reopen that I get the dang gray bar. I've gotten to the point where I try to avoid shutting down my computer, I put it in Hibernate mode. But there are times I have to restart my computer - and I'm back to the big gray bar.
-
Megumi
- Guest
OK, I'm back. What I did was uninstall Firefox. I looked in Windows Explorer and could not find the Mozilla Firefox folder. I deleted the install program, then downloaded a fresh version. Re-installed Firefox.
At the end of the reinstall, I ran Firefox. Got the dialog box asking which profile I wanted. Where did this come from if I uninstalled the previous version (where I had both a default and new profile) - and couldn't find any Mozilla folders after I uninstalled?
Anyway I selected the new custom profile I created and restarted. Big gray bar.
Deleted custom profile. Close Firefox. Restart Firefox. Big gray bar again.
Hate to do it but I'm getting so annoyed with this I am thinking of throwing in the towel and using IE exclusively.
Any other suggestions?
At the end of the reinstall, I ran Firefox. Got the dialog box asking which profile I wanted. Where did this come from if I uninstalled the previous version (where I had both a default and new profile) - and couldn't find any Mozilla folders after I uninstalled?
Anyway I selected the new custom profile I created and restarted. Big gray bar.
Deleted custom profile. Close Firefox. Restart Firefox. Big gray bar again.
Hate to do it but I'm getting so annoyed with this I am thinking of throwing in the towel and using IE exclusively.
Any other suggestions?
-
MelPerf
- Guest
Maybe you can give us more hints about what is happening.
Delete all profiles including the files contained there (save your bookmarks somewhere else first)
Find out where the Firefox program files is stored, and delete it (don't uninstall, just delete the directory)
Make sure you don't have the Firefox preloader
Reboot, reinstall Firefox, tell it not to import anything.
You say that you run Firefox, it is ok, then you close it and it goes back to having the bar.
So, is there any old profile that it may be finding? Do you install any plugins or extensions while running Firefox? Do you import any bookmarks from another program which may have corrupt bookmarks?
Do you have any security software that may be corrupting Firefox, like Spybot?
Are you running as a limited user, not an administrator?
In other words, can you give us any comments about anything unusual about your system.
Delete all profiles including the files contained there (save your bookmarks somewhere else first)
Find out where the Firefox program files is stored, and delete it (don't uninstall, just delete the directory)
Make sure you don't have the Firefox preloader
Reboot, reinstall Firefox, tell it not to import anything.
You say that you run Firefox, it is ok, then you close it and it goes back to having the bar.
So, is there any old profile that it may be finding? Do you install any plugins or extensions while running Firefox? Do you import any bookmarks from another program which may have corrupt bookmarks?
Do you have any security software that may be corrupting Firefox, like Spybot?
Are you running as a limited user, not an administrator?
In other words, can you give us any comments about anything unusual about your system.
-
Megumi
- Guest
MelPerf wrote:Maybe you can give us more hints about what is happening.
Delete all profiles including the files contained there (save your bookmarks somewhere else first)
Find out where the Firefox program files is stored, and delete it (don't uninstall, just delete the directory)
Make sure you don't have the Firefox preloader
Reboot, reinstall Firefox, tell it not to import anything.
You say that you run Firefox, it is ok, then you close it and it goes back to having the bar.
So, is there any old profile that it may be finding? Do you install any plugins or extensions while running Firefox? Do you import any bookmarks from another program which may have corrupt bookmarks?
Do you have any security software that may be corrupting Firefox, like Spybot?
Are you running as a limited user, not an administrator?
In other words, can you give us any comments about anything unusual about your system.
OK, here's my story:
* In addition to uninstalling Firefox, I have also on occasion tried deleting the folders where the program is stored.
* I have tried opening in safe mode after disabling EVERYTHING.
* I have deleted profiles (though up until someone suggested a day ago to create a new profile, I always used the default profile, never created a custom one)
* I do not have any add-ons, plugins or extensions other than that Talkback thing.
* I do not use a pre-loader.
* I do not import anything.
* As far as I know, I am the administrator.
* As far as I know, I am not running Spybot. I am using Norton whatever (I am at work and the errant Firefox is on my home computer).
Basically, this is a pretty pristine system. I am running Firefox on a brand new computer that I've had only a few weeks.
The way I've been dealing with this Gray Bar problem is uninstalling Firefox (because I have no addons to disable), then reinstalling. At the end of the install, when I get the message "Run Firefox?" I say yes and it's fine. It's only after I exit out of Firefox (like when I have to restart the computer because I've installed an upgrade to some other program), then re-start Firefox that the Big Gray Bar rears its ugly head.
*
-
guest26849
- Guest
Megumi is not alone
I have had the Big Gray Bar and Red Caret of DOOM for the past couple of weeks. I, too, have been unable to get rid of it, though I haven't tried everything megumi has tried.
I also have missing bookmarks. Every time I start Firefox, the bookmarks menu is empty, but Organize Bookmarks shows all of my bookmarks correctly. After going into Organize Bookmarks once, the Bookmark menu appears correctly, but clicking on any bookmark is a no-op -- nothing happens at all except the menu goes away.
I am running the latest version of Firefox for XP, on XP Home with SP2. It first started a few weeks ago, about the time that a new version of NoScript was installed. I am only running 3 extensions (NoScript, Adblock, Fasterfox, all up-to-date), and disabling all of them did not solve any of my problems (gray bar, red caret, missing bookmarks).
There are a lot of complaints on the web; it's amazing that none of the developers can reproduce the problem because it's out there, and it's widespread.
--Dave
I also have missing bookmarks. Every time I start Firefox, the bookmarks menu is empty, but Organize Bookmarks shows all of my bookmarks correctly. After going into Organize Bookmarks once, the Bookmark menu appears correctly, but clicking on any bookmark is a no-op -- nothing happens at all except the menu goes away.
I am running the latest version of Firefox for XP, on XP Home with SP2. It first started a few weeks ago, about the time that a new version of NoScript was installed. I am only running 3 extensions (NoScript, Adblock, Fasterfox, all up-to-date), and disabling all of them did not solve any of my problems (gray bar, red caret, missing bookmarks).
There are a lot of complaints on the web; it's amazing that none of the developers can reproduce the problem because it's out there, and it's widespread.
--Dave
-
dickvl
- Posts: 54164
- Joined: July 18th, 2005, 3:25 am
For the missing bookmarks try: Corrupt_localstore.rdf_(KB)
(do not delete the localstore.rdf file in the Firefox program installation folder!)
Note: deleting localstore.rdf will reset the toolbar customizations, so you might first try to rename (e.g. localstore.rdf.sav) to test if that solves it.
Make sure that you look at the correct location for the hidden profile folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
You need to enable some settings: "Application Data" is a hidden folder in Windows XP/2K.
Control Panel > Folder Options > View:
"Show Hidden files and folders" (check)
"Hide extensions for known file types" (uncheck)
See: Finding the profile folder on Windows(KB)
(do not delete the localstore.rdf file in the Firefox program installation folder!)
Note: deleting localstore.rdf will reset the toolbar customizations, so you might first try to rename (e.g. localstore.rdf.sav) to test if that solves it.
Make sure that you look at the correct location for the hidden profile folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
You need to enable some settings: "Application Data" is a hidden folder in Windows XP/2K.
Control Panel > Folder Options > View:
"Show Hidden files and folders" (check)
"Hide extensions for known file types" (uncheck)
See: Finding the profile folder on Windows(KB)
-
guest26849
- Guest
I appreciate the suggestion, and the references, but unfortunately nuking both my prefs.js file and localstore.rdf file didn't cure any of the symptoms (though it did delete all my customization, so I know FF started without them). Looks like it's time to become a FF developer/contributor. (If you want something done right, do it yourself, no?)
--Dave
--Dave