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script lockups

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After so many years for liking Firefox it is now locking up after a script message. This is happening on all 3 of my computers and a friend called and asked me if I had a cure. Nope. I have just finished configuring IE11 on all the computers. I will not delete Firefox but will not use it again until an update. When will that be?

After so many years for liking Firefox it is now locking up after a script message. This is happening on all 3 of my computers and a friend called and asked me if I had a cure. Nope. I have just finished configuring IE11 on all the computers. I will not delete Firefox but will not use it again until an update. When will that be?

All Replies (7)

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URL of the script (in the message) that causes Firefox to "lockup"?

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Could you elaborate on the problem? Is there a error showing up? If yes, can you provide a screenshot? This will help us find the best solution for you.

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Hello,

In order to better assist you with your issue please provide us with a screenshot. If you need help to create a screenshot, please see How do I create a screenshot of my problem?

Once you've done this, attach the saved screenshot file to your forum post by clicking the Browse... button below the Post your reply box. This will help us to visualize the problem.

Thank you!


Separate Issue; Your System Details shows;

Installed Plug-ins

Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox and Netscape 10.1.11 Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox and Netscape 10.1.15
Having more than one version of a program may cause issues. You must remove the older programs. Then get the current full installer.

Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox and Netscape: Adobe Reader Version 2015.009.20069 Note: McAfee Security is offered in the download.

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I started using Firefox so I could send you a screenshot of the problem. I have now stopped using Firefox for at least a month. I really liked Firefox but the lockups are happening on all three computers. Two are Win10 and the other is Win7 but the symptoms are the same. I (we) get the script message and clicking on any option locks up the browser and I have to use Task Manager to kill the process. I hope someone can fix the problem but for now it seems that Mozilla is in denial.

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Thanks for the screen shot. That particular script seems related to the AOL video advertising platform, or at least that's what I see if I try http://www.adap.tv/ (and also based on this story: AOL Is Acquiring Video Ad Platform Adap.tv For $405M).

Some possible reasons that the script might work differently in different browsers:

  • Other browsers aren't trying to block tracking sites or ads (either using built-in features or add-ons)?
  • The script was not well tested for Firefox compatibility?
  • The script is triggering a problem with the Protected Mode feature of the Flash plugin?

To address that third possibility:

A common cause of unresponsive script errors on Windows 7 is the protected mode feature of the Flash player plugin. That feature has security benefits, but seems to have serious compatibility issues on some systems. You can disable it using the Add-ons page. Either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Plugins. On the right side, find "Shockwave Flash" and click the More link. Then uncheck the box for "Enable Adobe Flash protected mode" and try that for a day to see whether it helps.

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This did not solve the problem on any of my computers. This is happening so often I find Firefox unusable. Although kicking and screaming I have set up IE11 as default. I will check Firefox in a month or so but I am not hopeful because it appears I am the only one with this problem.

The advice for the Flash protected mode did nothing on any of the computers.

All browsers have little problems from time and Firefox is no exception but this truly has made Firefox unusable for me.

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If you decide to do some troubleshooting on Firefox at some point, my next suggestions would be to test 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 Shift 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)


Also, if this error only occurs with scripts from adap.tv then you could consider blocking that site, although then you might miss some video advertisements for products of interest to you.