I think the Cisco plugin is a decoder for H.264 video. Anyway, it's easy to disable if you don't want to use it.

Does the cursor problem occur in Firefox's Safe Mode? That's a standard diagnostic tool to deactivate extensions and some advanced features of Firefox. More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode.

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

Not all add-ons are disabled: Flash and other plugins still run

After Firefox shuts down, a small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Reset).

Any difference?

Regarding older versions of Firefox, there's no actual roll back, you have to install an old version over the top of the new version. See: Install an older version of Firefox. I believe that article has the appropriate security warnings, so I won't repeat them here.

Performing a system restore could be the answer to the issue, sounds like you may have obtained something besides "Firefox". The malicious toolbars and malware is attacking even Windows 8 machines.

I haven't ever seen any webcam software added by Firefox, another reason you may have been directed to download something other than an update from Mozilla Firefox.

Rolling back your operating system, to a date before you had the cursor problems will undo every update file or folder creation on the root of you drive. If your cautious, backup anything important to an external before performing your system restore. I've seen people mistake the F10 System Recovery for the Windows System Restore. Be safe and make a backup of everything you don't want to lose.

I already disabled it.

I. Don't. Want. It. On. My. Machine. I didn't ask for it or consent to it, and in the wonderful world of Windows, you either delete the webcam app or leave it and hope that when you tell the OS not to allow any sites to use the webcam, no sites can use the webcam. You can't turn the webcam off and on.

I haven't tried it in Safe Mode. What's the point? It's not as if there's a solution, and Safe Mode is about as fast as dialup, so not a viable option until the next "update" comes out.

How about FF not install 3rd party software without my consent, especially when it can soooooo easily be used to spy on me?

Thanks anyway. Guess I'll just put a block over the camera lens and continue shutting down the browser when this monstrosity jams it up, whether I want to or not.

Ah, a System Restore!!! That should do the trick! Thanks much. IDK why I always forget that option.

And I'm done with FF "updates".

Note that using System Restore can cause your Firefox installation to get corrupted because only white-listed files are restored, so always be cautious with using System Restore.

• You may lose data in the Firefox profile folder like .js and .ini files
• You may need to reinstall affected software

See also:

• http://andreasgal.com/2014/10/14/openh264-now-in-firefox/

Gecko Media Plugins like the OpenH264 from Cisco are installed automatically in current releases and can only be disabled via the about:addons page. To hide/remove the plugin from about:addons you can toggle this pref to false on the about:config page.

• about:config page: media.gmp-gmpopenh264.provider.enabled = false

Thanks for the words of caution. I'll look into the about:config page, but again, I want it off the machine. I did not consent to it and I don't want it just happening to turn itself on at worst and at the very best, taking up space.

Prior to this "update" I had only Flash, Silverlight, Java, and its toolkit. And I explicitly downloaded those myself. Meanwhile, the problem of FF suddenly eating CPU, Memory and/or Disk continues to cause a seize-n-freeze, and has never been fixed.

Again, thanks much!