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Drop down menus don't work in any version of Firefox with no add-ons installed immediately after a clean install

  • 15 cavab
  • 79 have this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by squinn

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I am running Windows 7 Pro and FF 28.

Drop down menus don't work on any site. They don't work after a clean install of FF. They don't work when FF is in Safe Mode. They just don't work.

I have searched and searched and the solution is the same - safe mode, turn off extensions, etc.

I've turned off Hardware Acceleration - doesn't help.

Any new ideas?

I am running Windows 7 Pro and FF 28. Drop down menus don't work on any site. They don't work after a clean install of FF. They don't work when FF is in Safe Mode. They just don't work. I have searched and searched and the solution is the same - safe mode, turn off extensions, etc. I've turned off Hardware Acceleration - doesn't help. Any new ideas?

All Replies (15)

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Try to boot your computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support by pressing F8 on the boot screen/ Startup

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You did delete the Firefox program folder?

Create a new profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problem.

See "Creating a profile":

If the new profile works then you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over the problem

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Safe Mode didn't help - same problem.

I uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox. I deleted my profile. I tried fresh installs of FF 22 and FF28 - nothing works.

Drop downs don't work.

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vandeark1
Sorry your problems continue.

I know you deleted the profile. cor-el asked

You did delete the Firefox program folder? 

You did not confirm that and may have overlooked a vital step.

Please note

  • Ordinarily do not delete the profile
    unless you are happy to lose information. The profile is the folder that has all your settings bookmarks and passwords. For future reference it is good practice to avoid deleting that. If necessary instead try a Firefox Reset or renaming the profile folder.
  • The clean install involves deleting the Program folder
    NOT the profile folder.
    Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems_5-reinstall-firefox
    Note it explains (Windows)
    Delete the Firefox installation folder, which is located in one of these locations, by default: ....
  • Firefox reset
    Is an alternative method that may help but not you will lose Firefox extensions. You may wish to ensure you bookmark the home-sites or download locations of any extensions before trying a reset.
    Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings
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Yes, I deleted the Firefox program photo. I haven't tried to save anything - I deleted thru add/remove programs. Then, I removed the Firefox Program File, then any other Mozilla files I found.

Reinstalled and still have the issue.

It worked fine two weeks or so ago - I just noticed it in the last week. Only change I can think of is possible Windows updates.

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Can you give some example of the dropdown buttons you are having problems with, and the site they are on (Public sites not requiring a login).

What about the tab at the top of this site labelled

mozilla v

Does that work ?

And whata bout the icons and options when you write messages here can you see and use the common responses option ?

Presumably everything works ok on all websites using Internet Explorer.

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Perhaps I am using the wrong terminology. Coming from Filemaker DB experience, a menu with an arrow you click on to get choices was called a pull-down menu.

The "mozilla" pull down above DOES work.

The common responses seem to be buttons with links and they work.

Nothing on Amazon works if it's a pulldown (like to change qty). In their search box, where I can pull down Books or Electronics, etc - nothing happens.

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/ - on this page, if I try to change languages (pull down) - nothing happens.

No pull downs work at my two banks before login (or after) - BOA, Comerica.

When logged in any of my wordpress sites hosted on my host, no pull downs work to select anything.

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All of these work in IE and Chrome

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Have you disabled all plugins ?
Safemode does not do that neither does using a new profile.

It seems slightly odd that possibly some menus work but others do not work. I wondered for instance if javascript was disabled or blocked, but if so

  • The common responses would not even be seen
  • The language option on http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/ would have an extra [Go] button, but should still work
  • The mozilla v tab would load a new page instead of being a pulldown menu.
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I disabled all plugins and it didn't help. It was the first thing I tried and I tried again after removing files, deleting profile, etc.

I read that perhaps a mouse driver was the issue so I tried a different wireless mouse - no luck. I tried a USB mouse - no luck?

Again - everything I try fails to fix the problem, yet everything works fine in Chrome and IE.

I can't afford the time it takes to keep testing everything.

I love Firefox and have used it for years and years. I've tried Chrome in the past and there is too many little google things that drive me crazy to use it for my primary.

But, now I have no choice. Firefox is unusable like this.

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Yes I can understand Firefox is unusable like that, and that this sort of testing is inconvenient.

Unfortunately for you, Firefox 28 works ok in Windows 7 for most people, without this sort of problem appearing. It is likely to be something odd happening on your machine. The troubleshooting steps you have tried will have ruled out most changes to Firefox. That seems to leave other software related to Windows as a likely cause.

If you wish t try anything further, I suggest you try booting in Windows SafeMode (with network support) see if that resolves the issue. Make sure you leave all security related software disabled. (Just use this forum site as a test, it should be a fairly safe site to test on without security software).

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I've done all of this. Nothing works.

This PC is brand new, just set up two weeks ago. I could start rolling back via system restore, but it takes hours to set up a machine the way I want and I can't afford anymore time.

It's a shame because FF beats Chrome and IE - but now I'm stuck.

I can't use Chrome with commercial banking at Bank of America so I had to roll my IE back from 11 to 10 because of this, too.

I

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Starting in Windows safe mode should only take a few minutes, but you say you have already tried that anyway.

One thing you could try that does not take long and should prove the fault is something on your computer and get you a working Firefox is the unofficial portable build of Firefox. (You could even use it as intended: on a memory stick or whatever, and trial it on different Windows machines)

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i have a similar issue on win7/FF 17.0.1. that i posted on about awhile ago and just wanted to subscribe to this issue. after you scroll anywhere on my page, my drop down items dont show below the drop down when you click on them, they show on the default spot where they would have displayed before you scrolled, like the screen never got refreshed... only thing i find similar with your issue is the windows update part... ?

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FYI - I had this same problem (even after trying to uninstall & reinstall Firefox several different ways.) The problem then went away if I did a clean uninstall of Firefox and then went into my %APPDATA% folder in Windows and completely deleted the "Mozilla" folder before reinstalling Firefox.