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Firefox launch defective even on new install. Fix how?

  • 2 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by wmbgmimi

wmbgmimi
wmbgmimi
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Something happened with the last update and now all I get when I launch Firefox is a weird black screen that will do nothing. I have read and tried every Firefox support article with no luck. I cannot access Profile Manager. I tried restoring my Firefox profile to an earlier version, but still get the same screen. I tried restoring my computer to a previous point. I uninstalled, restarted, downloaded and installed new version but still can't anything other than a black screen with an empty semi-transparent blue header. I made a backup copy of my default profile. How can I get Firefox operational again?

Something happened with the last update and now all I get when I launch Firefox is a weird black screen that will do nothing. I have read and tried every Firefox support article with no luck. I cannot access Profile Manager. I tried restoring my Firefox profile to an earlier version, but still get the same screen. I tried restoring my computer to a previous point. I uninstalled, restarted, downloaded and installed new version but still can't anything other than a black screen with an empty semi-transparent blue header. I made a backup copy of my default profile. How can I get Firefox operational again?

Chosen solution

Hello wmbgmimi, try disabling graphics hardware acceleration.

You might need to restart Firefox in order for this to take effect, so save all work first (e.g., mail you are composing, online documents you're editing, etc.).

Then perform these steps:

  1. Open Firefox Options window (Preferences on Mac or Linux) as follows:
    • In Firefox 29.0 and above, click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options for Windows or Preferences on Mac or Linux.
    • In Firefox 28.0 and previous versions, click the orange Firefox button at the top left, then select the "Options" button, or, if there is no Firefox button at the top, go to Tools > Options.
  2. In the Firefox Options (or Preferences) window, click the Advanced tab, then select General.
  3. In the settings list, you should find the Use hardware acceleration when available checkbox. Uncheck this checkbox.
  4. Now, restart Firefox and see if the problems persist.

Additionally, please check for updates for your graphics driver by following the steps mentioned in the following Knowledge base articles:

Thank you.

Read this answer in context 👍 2

All Replies (2)

ideato
ideato
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Chosen Solution

Hello wmbgmimi, try disabling graphics hardware acceleration.

You might need to restart Firefox in order for this to take effect, so save all work first (e.g., mail you are composing, online documents you're editing, etc.).

Then perform these steps:

  1. Open Firefox Options window (Preferences on Mac or Linux) as follows:
    • In Firefox 29.0 and above, click the menu button New Fx Menu and select Options for Windows or Preferences on Mac or Linux.
    • In Firefox 28.0 and previous versions, click the orange Firefox button at the top left, then select the "Options" button, or, if there is no Firefox button at the top, go to Tools > Options.
  2. In the Firefox Options (or Preferences) window, click the Advanced tab, then select General.
  3. In the settings list, you should find the Use hardware acceleration when available checkbox. Uncheck this checkbox.
  4. Now, restart Firefox and see if the problems persist.

Additionally, please check for updates for your graphics driver by following the steps mentioned in the following Knowledge base articles:

Thank you.

wmbgmimi
wmbgmimi Question owner
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Thank you for your quick and helpful response! The problem that I had struggled with for too many hours was resolved in just a few minutes following your advice and links. In the first link, I learned that I could try to start Firefox in Safe Mode by holding down the shift key while launching the program.