This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Browser issues - can't open new tabs, Tab Icons don't load, FF menus open but do not respond when options clicked. URL bar does not populate. I have reset too

  • 4 replies
  • 6 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

I haven't upgraded Firefox recently but have found that the entire browser is now displaying strange behaviour: - New tabs won't open, whether clicking the add tab button, or through the file menu, clicking links with CTRL does nothing.

- the Address bar will only display what I have typed, when navigating to another page this remains in the bar.

- while all menus display none of them click through to ANYTHING - no options on the tools menu, or any of the help selections either (though the toolbars can be selected/deselected).

The Menu toolbar is often grey and fuzzy or highlighted a different colour to the rest of the window.

I can't update Adobe either.

I have noticed that when hovering over links and buttons a grey blank button around 10 pixels by 20 appears below the 'hand'...

I have tried starting in safe mode, reset firefox with and without my personal settings, uninstalled the whole program and re-installed with no change.

Please help!

I haven't upgraded Firefox recently but have found that the entire browser is now displaying strange behaviour: - New tabs won't open, whether clicking the add tab button, or through the file menu, clicking links with CTRL does nothing. - the Address bar will only display what I have typed, when navigating to another page this remains in the bar. - while all menus display none of them click through to ANYTHING - no options on the tools menu, or any of the help selections either (though the toolbars can be selected/deselected). The Menu toolbar is often grey and fuzzy or highlighted a different colour to the rest of the window. I can't update Adobe either. I have noticed that when hovering over links and buttons a grey blank button around 10 pixels by 20 appears below the 'hand'... I have tried starting in safe mode, reset firefox with and without my personal settings, uninstalled the whole program and re-installed with no change. Please help!

All Replies (4)

more options

can you see if it works in a new profile.

more options

Thanks for getting back to me Wacka - I have tried this now and I see the same behaviour.

Suspected that it was to do with my Firewall, security software etc, but near indentical computers running on the same software and firewall settings are not displaying the same behaviour.

more options

Can you try in windows safe mode, and remove any suspicious or recently installed programs from the control panel.

more options

Did you do a clean reinstall and deleted the Firefox program folder after uninstalling Firefox?


Do a clean reinstall and delete the Firefox program folder before (re)installing a fresh copy of the current Firefox release.

Download a fresh Firefox copy and save the file to the desktop.

Uninstall your current Firefox version, if possible, to cleanup the Windows registry and settings in security software.

  • Do NOT remove personal data when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because all profile folders will be removed and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords from profiles of other Firefox versions.

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

  • (32 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
  • (64 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"

Your bookmarks and other personal data are stored in the Firefox profile folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure that "remove personal data" is NOT selected when you uninstall Firefox.

If you keep having problems then also create a new profile.