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2016-10-17T13:20:40-06:00

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Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems

(Redirected from Basic Troubleshooting)

Most problems with Firefox can be fixed by following the troubleshooting methods described below. Try these steps in order. If one doesn't work, move on to the next one. If you need extra help with any of this, we have a community of volunteers standing by.

Table of Contents

Restart your computer

Clear your cookies and cache

Restart Firefox in Safe Mode

Troubleshoot your plugins

Reinstall Firefox

Refresh Firefox

Create a new Firefox profile

Other solutions

Check for conflicts with your Internet security software

Scan your system for viruses and spyware

1. Restart your computer

Sometimes problems can be fixed by simply restarting your computer and then starting Firefox again.

2. Clear your cookies and cache

Many problems with loading web pages can be resolved by clearing Firefox's cookies and cache:

1. Click the menu button , choose History and select Clear Recent History....

2. In the Time Range to clear:drop-down, select Everything.

3. Click the arrow next to Detailsto display the list of items that can be cleared.

4. Select both Cookiesand Cache.

5. Click Clear Now.

For more information, see Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox.

3. Restart Firefox in Safe Mode

Firefox Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode that disables all extensions, uses the default theme, turns off hardware acceleration, and uses default toolbar settings and controls, among other things. To start Firefox in Safe Mode:

1. Click the menu button , click help and select Restart with Add-ons Disabled.... Firefox will start up with the Firefox Safe Mode dialog.

Note: You can also start Firefox in Safe Mode by holding down the shift key while starting Firefox.

2. In the Firefox Safe Mode dialog, click Start in Safe Mode.

3. Check whether your problem is still happening while in Safe Mode.

If the problem still happens in Safe Mode, go on to step 4.

If the problem does not happen in Safe Mode, see the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problemsarticle and follow the instructions under The problem does not occur in Safe Mode to narrow down the cause.

4. Troubleshoot your plugins

Mozilla plans to drop support for all NPAPI plugins except for Flash in March 2017, when Firefox version 52 is released. See this article and this blog post for details.

Sometimes plugins used in Firefox (such as Adobe Reader, Flash, Java and Silverlight) can cause problems that may be fixed in the latest plugin version. To check if any of your installed plugins are out of date, visit Mozilla's Plugin Check & Updates page. If the problem still happens after updating your plugins and restarting Firefox, you can disable all plugins to see if one of them is the cause:

1. Click the menu button and choose Add-ons. The Add-ons Manager tab will open.

2. In the Add-ons Manager tab, select the Plugins

3. Click each plugin in the list and then select Never Activatein its drop-down menu.

4. Check whether your problem happens when you have all plugins disabled.

If your problem goes away when your plugins are disabled, see the Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems article to learn how to narrow down the cause.

5. Reinstall Firefox

Some Firefox issues can be caused by a problem with one of the Firefox program files. Follow these steps to completely remove and reinstall Firefox. This process will not remove your Firefox profile data (such as bookmarks and passwords), since that information is stored in a different location.

Note: You might want to print these steps or view them in another browser.

1. Download the latest official version of Firefox from org.

2. Exit Firefox:

Click the menu button and then click Exit .

3. Uninstall Firefox from your computer.

4. Delete the Firefox program folder, which is located in one of these locations by default:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox

C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox

5. Reinstall Firefox - see How to download and install Firefox on Windowsfor instructions.

Now start Firefox and check to see if your problem has been fixed.If it hasn't, continue with the next troubleshooting method.

6. Refresh Firefox

The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring your Firefox profile to its default state while saving your essential information.

Note: When using the refresh feature, your bookmarks, browsing history, open tabs, windows, passwords, cookies and web form auto-fill information will be saved. However, your extensions and themes will be removed and your preferences will be reset. Learn more.

1. Click this Refresh Firefoxbutton directly, if you are viewing this page in Firefox.
This won't work if you are using a different browser or on a mobile device.

You can also find a Refresh Firefox button at the top of the Firefox about:support Troubleshooting Information

2. To continue, click Refresh Firefoxin the confirmation window that opens.

3. Firefox will close to refresh itself. When finished, a window will list your imported information. Click Finishand Firefox will open.

Note: There's also a Refresh Firefox button in the Firefox Safe Mode window, if you can't start Firefox normally. If you are unable to find the Refresh Firefox button on your version of Firefox, you can also do a manual refresh by creating a new profile. Seeinstructions on how to create a new profile.

7. Create a new Firefox profile

Sometimes files in your Firefox profile folder that correspond to the essential information that a Firefox Refresh doesn't remove (such as bookmarks and browsing history) may be causing the issue. You can create a new, additional profile which will not contain any of your old Firefox data. See Use the Profile Manager to create and remove Firefox profiles for instructions.

Other solutions

If you've tried all of these troubleshooting methods and you're still having problems the issue may be with other software or hardware.

This section does not contain step-by-step instructions. For more information on any of these solutions, please check the related documentation.

Check for conflicts with your Internet security software

Some Internet security software (including antivirus, antispyware, and firewall programs) can cause problems with Firefox including blocking it from opening websites, crashes, and more. Often you can open the program's settings, remove Firefox from its list of allowed or trusted programs and it will be re-detected and things should start working again. If your program is listed at the Configure firewalls so that Firefox can access the Internet article, you can get specific instructions for how to properly reconfigure it.

Scan your system for viruses and spyware

Periodically, you should scan your system for viruses, spyware, or other malware. These free malware removal tools are often useful:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Free

Microsoft Safety Scanner

If you need more help removing malware, see Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

Based on information from Standard diagnostic - Firefox (mozillaZine KB)

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