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HTML seems to keep taking breaks. I have to reset Firefox every few hours, or when my computer goes to sleep. How can make it always display pages in HTML?

  • 8 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Firefox will display webpages normally, but after some time (not consistent), or when my system is woken up, all my pages (and any others I got to) show as if HTML has been turned off & I'm on a text-only display.

I have to re-set Firefox through the troubleshooting window for it to go back to working properly. What setting is wonky that's doing this?

Firefox will display webpages normally, but after some time (not consistent), or when my system is woken up, all my pages (and any others I got to) show as if HTML has been turned off & I'm on a text-only display. I have to re-set Firefox through the troubleshooting window for it to go back to working properly. What setting is wonky that's doing this?

All Replies (8)

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Hello,

Try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode, which disables most add-ons.

(If you're not using it, switch to the Default theme.)

  • You can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
  • Or open the Help menu and click on the Restart with Add-ons Disabled... menu item while Firefox is running.

Once you get the pop-up, just select "'Start in Safe Mode"

If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, and you need to figure out which one. Please follow the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article for that.

To exit the Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

When you figure out what's causing your issues, please let us know. It might help other users who have the same problem.

Thank you.

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I rebooted my machine and restarted Firefox normally, and the pages were still text only. So I did as you suggested and restarted Firefox without add-ins, and the pages are still text only. I have to reset Firefox in order to get the pages to load properly again.

My machine is 64-bit, running Windows 8. Is it a scripting thing, maybe? When it happens after a few hours, there doesn't seem to be a specific trigger as I've tested the "what was I doing" scenarios after it's happened without being able to deliberately replicate the problem.

Extra information: I play on pogo.com and several of their games are Java based. When this happens to other webpages, an ongoing game is unaffected, despite page refreshes. I've checked & am running the latest Java (v7, update 21)

Thanks!

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Reload web page(s) and bypass the cache to refresh possibly outdated or corrupted files.

  • Press and hold Shift and left-click the Reload button.
  • Press "Ctrl + F5" or press "Ctrl + Shift + R" (Windows,Linux)
  • Press "Command + Shift + R" (MAC)

Clear the cache and the cookies from sites that cause problems.

"Clear the Cache":

  • Firefox/Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Cached Web Content: "Clear Now"

"Remove Cookies" from sites causing problems:

  • Firefox/Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"

Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test to see if that helps.

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Hello,

Try disabling graphics hardware acceleration. Since this feature was added to Firefox, it has gradually improved, but there still are a few glitches.

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:

  • 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.
  • In the Firefox options window click the Advanced tab, then select "General".
  • In the settings list, you should find the Use hardware acceleration when available checkbox. Uncheck this checkbox.
  • 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:

Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems

Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and WebGL

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Thank you.

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Not hardware acceleration. I turned it off last night and it did it again this morning when I woke up. Next I'm trying the cookie thing upthread. Thanks.

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I've cleared the cache, but it's all sites that are problematic when it happens. It's definitely not site specific because I've had a couple tabs open each time, with the second tab being different each time & they all either display in text or 'crash' (i.e. won't load beyond the now-text header).

It seems to be a scripting thing. Is there any way I can test it rather than just waiting?

Thanks.

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Hello,

Try Firefox Safe Mode to see if the problem goes away. Safe Mode is a troubleshooting mode, which disables most add-ons.

(If you're not using it, switch to the Default theme.)

  • You can open Firefox 4.0+ in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key when you open the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
  • Or open the Help menu and click on the Restart with Add-ons Disabled... menu item while Firefox is running.

Once you get the pop-up, just select "'Start in Safe Mode"

If the issue is not present in Firefox Safe Mode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, and you need to figure out which one. Please follow the Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems article for that.

To exit the Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before opening Firefox for normal use again.

When you figure out what's causing your issues, please let us know. It might help other users who have the same problem.

Thank you.

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Boot the computer in Windows Safe Mode with network support (press F8 on the boot screen) as a test to see if that helps.