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Opening Firefox tab from Thunderbird link not work--get an error if Firefox already running

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by jamitt

jamitt
jamitt
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Have two profiles on Thunderbird, "Default" and "Other". Using Default, when you click on a link in an email, all works well--it opens a new Firefox instance, if not already running, or opens a new tab if there is a Firefox instance already running. Using the Other profile, when you click on a link in an email, it opens a new Firefox instance, if not already running, and gets an error if there is a Firefox instance already running (does not open a new tab):

"Firefox is already running, but is not responding. The old Firefox process must be closed to open a new window."

It seems to want to open new instance of Firefox instead of opening a new tab like the other profile does.

This has been an ongoing problem for many months now and has propagated to a new computer with new OS and installs. Have looked a the many postings on this error and none seem to really fit this issue and none of the resolutions worked.

Running Win10 and the latest versions of Firefox and Thunderbird. Firefox is the default browser and Thunderbird is the default mail app.

Thanks.

Have two profiles on Thunderbird, "Default" and "Other". Using Default, when you click on a link in an email, all works well--it opens a new Firefox instance, if not already running, or opens a new tab if there is a Firefox instance already running. Using the Other profile, when you click on a link in an email, it opens a new Firefox instance, if not already running, and gets an error if there is a Firefox instance already running (does not open a new tab): "Firefox is already running, but is not responding. The old Firefox process must be closed to open a new window." It seems to want to open new instance of Firefox instead of opening a new tab like the other profile does. This has been an ongoing problem for many months now and has propagated to a new computer with new OS and installs. Have looked a the many postings on this error and none seem to really fit this issue and none of the resolutions worked. Running Win10 and the latest versions of Firefox and Thunderbird. Firefox is the default browser and Thunderbird is the default mail app. Thanks.

All Replies (4)

christ1
christ1
  • Top 25 Contributor
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http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_in_use

This isn't a Thunderbird problem. If the above article doesn't solve your problem, please ask in the Firefox forum.

jamitt
jamitt Question owner
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Thanks. I have already gone through all those articles and nothing helps. This problem is unique to Thunderbird. It does not happen with any other application that initiates Firefox. Are you sure it is a Firefox problem?

user1121639
user1121639
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You say that the problem has "has propagated to a new computer with new OS and installs".

Perhaps it propagated to the new computer because you copied that "Other" Thunderbird Profile to the new computer? That profile may have a problem. If so, then creating a new Thunderbird Profile may solve the problem.

Create a new profile in Thunderbird for testing and see if it does the same thing. It works better, then import your stuff from the old profile to the new profile.

jamitt
jamitt Question owner
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Thanks. Yes, as you suspected, I did copy the profile over to the new computer. So as you suggested, I tried a new clean profile--same problem. It only works properly from the Default profile.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks.