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Firefox frequently refuses to quit

  • 4 cavab
  • 8 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by John99

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I have Firefox 43.0.4 running with Mac OS 10.11 and I often find that Firefox refuses to quit no matter what method I try (force quit, command + Q etc.). Ultimately this prevents me from shutting down my machine properly and I have to resort to using the power button.

None of the suggested actions have so far worked (i.e. refresh, reinstall, etc.).

I have Firefox 43.0.4 running with Mac OS 10.11 and I often find that Firefox refuses to quit no matter what method I try (force quit, command + Q etc.). Ultimately this prevents me from shutting down my machine properly and I have to resort to using the power button. None of the suggested actions have so far worked (i.e. refresh, reinstall, etc.).

All Replies (4)

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Please update to the most recent version of Firefox:

Please update your plugins to the latest version. Check to make sure you are up to date:

If you see any issues also see:

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Are you using "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear any personal data?

You can check for issues caused by plugins and set plugins to "Ask to Activate" on the "3-bar menu button/Tools > Add-ons > Plugins" page.

  • plugins are not affected by Firefox Safe Mode
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Despite following the suggestions above (apart from clearing history) this problem is recurring.

There must be a proper solution to this surely?

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There is a possibly related issue that Firefox developers are looking at.

There is a method of forcing Macs to stop without powering them down For an immediate work around while we work on a fix please follow the insturctions below, please take note that this will require a little more technical knowledge than average:

  1. From the Spotlight Search on a Mac search for Terminal
  2. This will open up a new window with ":~ <username>$"
  3. Type in or cut and paste the following and press enter to complete a shut down:
   sudo killall launchservicesd && sudo killall Dock

Personally I do not use a Mac does Cmd+V paste into a terminal or is it something else like Shift+Cmd+C