For the record, I use pretty much every browser software out there... for a variety of reasons (testing, gaming, ADHD, etc.), so before firing off the inevitable "switch browser" recommendations, my use of Firefox is not up for debate. This article is for other die-hard Firefox users like me.
My recent bout of Firefox frustration started when version 41 removed my ability to open up new tabs with my webpage of choice (I like google.ca opened by default with the focus/cursor in the search bar). I heard about a couple of add-ons that put this power back in the user's hands and sought them out: Custom New Tab and New Tab Override. Neither of them worked for me, and I noticed there was yet another update to Firefox, so thought I'd go ahead and press the Red Button (private joke).
Of course, me being me, I was juggling the 41-42-43 updates while also looking into some suspicious-looking firewall-related references left in my registry after a recent Windows 10 update. It turns out they were nothing to worry about, but it got me thinking. Previous problems connecting to websites after Firefox updates were fixed by removing the exception from my firewall then reapplying it. That didn't help, but it was worth a try.
Then, of course, since Firefox has been making some drastic changes lately (Firefox 64-bit, you say?), now probably wasn't the best time to be playing around with stuff. But it was the holidays and I thought I had time... I should have known better. For example, the recent focus on Add-on signing in Firefox took a sledgehammer to some of my beloved add-ons (imdb Info, Pocket, Pin-it). They were disabled for my own good. I've since discovered another way to re-enable them using about:config, but that's a story for another time.
So here I am trying to update something in the midst of other updates... and if that wasn't challenging enough, add-on developers are in a mad rush to update their scripts in keeping with Firefox's new requirements. In fact, while I was playing around with one of the aforementioned add-ons, I could see things changing right before my very eyes.
So I thought I'd step away from my computer for the night and see how things looked in the morning.
Well that didn't help... because when I came back this morning, Firefox is still flipping me the bird.
The latest Firefox update was released five days prior to my attempts to update and "fix" things last night, but with the holidays, I'm a little behind on things. Sure it may sound like a quick fix, but I generally test things out on another computer before installing them on my main system. But... I was in a hurry. *sigh* (two steps forward, one step backward... that's me). Things never end well when they are preceded with "I was in a hurry", right? Right.
My current issue with Firefox is that it's blanked out all my tabs. Even if it looks like there's something there, the second I click on it... it goes blank. I'm currently using Firefox version 43.0.2. After a bit of research, it turns out that Firefox was having a hissy fit with NVIDIA Network Access Manager. Of course this isn't going to affect everyone, but for us NVIDIA users who still have this file in their program list, it's a problem.
Firefox has apparently gone and blocked this file -- although I have yet to see it on their blocklist. I didn't care much for the instructions I found that recommended I uninstall this program... but since I'm in the mood to mess things up (my motto is: "Everything's working fine, let me fix that") I thought "why the hell not". *cracks knuckles*.
I went ahead and tried this fix because I wanted to make sure it worked and/or didn't blow my computer up before recommending it to others. For me, I can confirm that uninstalling NVIDIA Access Manager did the trick; but if you're in a hurry to get back up and running (which is usually the case with me) and just want a quick fix while Firefox sorts this out, you can revert back to Firefox 41.0.2 (clicking on this link will start the download). I've also added a link below to previous versions of Firefox, but unless you know what you're doing, I wouldn't mess around with this.
To uninstall the aforementioned file in Windows 10...
- Click on the Start icon.
- Go to Settings.
- Click on System Display, notifications, apps, power.
- Choose Apps & features.
- Then scroll down until you find "NVIDIA ForceWare Network Access Manager"
- Click on it then choose Uninstall.
I restarted my system, loaded Firefox back up and big badda boom bob's yer uncle it's working again.
If you're using Windows 7 or an earlier version (sorry, I skipped Win 8 so can't help ya there) you'll find the program in Control Panel -> Programs -> Programs & Features. Scroll down, right-click on it, then select Uninstall. Restart your computer. Load Firefox back up.
There's no guarantee this is going to work for everyone, but it worked for me. Good luck!
As always, before making changes like this to your system, create a Restore Point (Win 7)/Backup (Win 10). I'm obsessive about this kind of stuff (okay, about everything) so it's second nature to me.
Also, for future reference, if you don't want Firefox to automatically update, here's what you do: Go to Options -> Advanced -> Update -> Check for updates, but let me choose whether to install them.
Personally, I use the "Never check for updates (not recommended: security risk)" option on my main computer. I test new updates out on a computer with a less essential productivity environment for a couple of days... and if all seems well I update it on my main system. Not everyone has that luxury, so again, I highly recommend you create a Restore Point/Backup before applying any Firefox updates. I'd suggest it for other browser updates as well, but quite frankly, no other browser software seems to mess my shit up like Firefox does. Why do I still use it? Because it kicks ass in so many other ways that I won't go into here.
Lastly, even though Firefox 43.0.2 is up and working, I still can't get those two "new tab" add-ons to work correctly. I'll give it another day then try again.
Here are some more Firefox-related links for your viewing pleasure.
See what's new in Firefox!
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo.../releasenotes/
Security Advisories for Firefox
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/securi...fox/#firefox43
Configure firewalls so that Firefox can access the internet
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...ccess-internet
Index of /pub/firefox/releases/
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/
Related Bugzilla Report
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1233237
A message from DragonShadow