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Firefox no longer works w ancestry.com - they say it is an Avast problem, Avast says its a firefox problem - other browsers - chrome and safari have no problems

gmh1a
gmh1a
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After spending 1 hour+ with Ancestry they conclude it isn't their problem; after spending 1 hour+ with Avast they conclude it isn't their problem. Reloaded firefox (latest) and rebooted, reloaded avast (free) (latest) and rebooted issue remains.

Theories that people have tossed around and discarded - it's an Ancestry certificate problem, no - it runs on chrome and safari; its a Java problem - downloaded latest java and Firefox says it is no longer needed; Avast says it has to be Firefox problem as chrome nd safari work under identical conditions.

Problem is that firefox cannot see the detailed record pages on Ancestry, only the summary pages. Ancestry says their java engine is working.

After spending 1 hour+ with Ancestry they conclude it isn't their problem; after spending 1 hour+ with Avast they conclude it isn't their problem. Reloaded firefox (latest) and rebooted, reloaded avast (free) (latest) and rebooted issue remains. Theories that people have tossed around and discarded - it's an Ancestry certificate problem, no - it runs on chrome and safari; its a Java problem - downloaded latest java and Firefox says it is no longer needed; Avast says it has to be Firefox problem as chrome nd safari work under identical conditions. Problem is that firefox cannot see the detailed record pages on Ancestry, only the summary pages. Ancestry says their java engine is working.

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jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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In your troubleshooting, did you try using the site with Avast's "Web Shield" disabled?

If the problem persists with the Web Shield disabled, then I would suggest this next -- "the usual":

If a site is generally known to work in Firefox, these are general suggestions to try when it stops working correctly:

Cache and Cookies: When you have a problem with one particular site, a good "first thing to try" is clearing your Firefox cache and deleting your saved cookies for the site.

(1) Clear Firefox's Cache

See: How to clear the Firefox cache

If you have a large hard drive, this might take a few minutes. If you do not see the number going down on the page, you can reload it using Command+r to check progress.

(2) Remove the site's cookies (save any pending work first). While viewing a page on the site, try either:

  • right-click (on Mac Ctrl+click) a blank area of the page and choose View Page Info > Security > "View Cookies"
  • (menu bar) Tools > Page Info > Security > "View Cookies"
  • click the padlock or "i" icon in the address bar, then the ">" button, then More Information, and finally the "View Cookies" button

In the dialog that opens, the current site should be pre-filled in the search box at the top of the dialog so you can remove that site's cookies individually.

Then try reloading the page. Does that help?

Testing in Firefox's Safe Mode: In Safe Mode, Firefox temporarily deactivates extensions, hardware acceleration, and some other advanced features to help you assess whether these are causing the problem.

If Firefox is not running: Hold down the option/alt key when starting Firefox.

If Firefox is running: You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
  • Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

and OK the restart.

Both scenarios: A small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Refresh).

Any improvement? (More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode)