how do you reset preferences in about:config? (DownThemAll plug-in conflict?)
I'm trying to troubleshoot an issue with Facebook and other sites not allowing me to see or use the messaging functions. I think this may caused by conflicts between those sites and some of the plug-ins I use, one of which is DownThemAll.
In the "Problematic Extensions" page ( http://kb.mozillazine.org/Problematic_extensions ) it says that you should "reset these preferences via about:config:
network.http.max-connections network.http.max-connections-per-server network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server"
But there is no information about HOW to "reset these preferences". When I look at my about:config, I see the following lines that begin with "network.http.max":
network.http.max-connections;202 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy;32 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server;6
But what the hell does "reset" mean? Usually, it means that something is already listed or included, but disabled, and that manually selecting or enabling it "resets" it. How can something be "reset" if it doesn't even show up? Does the instruction mean that I should somehow *add* those four lines into about:config?
Also, the specific numbers at the end of each line are unknown to me. Do they look like the right values?
Thanks in advance!
All Replies (5)
To resolve issues caused by add-ons or preferences, the simplest thing to do is to use the Reset Firefox feature.
I also strongly recommend that you update to the latest version of Firefox. You're exposing your system to numerous security vulnerabilities by sticking with a grossly outdated version.
- Update Firefox to the latest release
- How to make the new Firefox look like the old Firefox
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox.html
MozillaZine is an independent third-party site. Some of their knowledge base articles are outdated. You can report problems with them below:
To reset a preference in about:config, right-click it and choose Reset. This context menu item is only available for preferences that have the status "user set". Other preferences are already at their default value and therefore cannot be reset.
If a preference isn't listed in about:config,
- It may have been removed in a particular Firefox version. For example, Firefox 17 removed the network.http.max-connections preference (770331). If the preference was at its default value, it will not appear in about:config. if the preference had a custom value, then it stayed behind in about:config but it doesn't have any effect: resetting it will remove it after Firefox is closed.
- It may be a hidden preference that must be created manually by right-clicking in the lower pane and choosing New, then String, Integer or Boolean.
Gingerbread Man -- I appreciate the information, but I wonder if resetting FF is really the simplest solution, given that I'll have to reinstall (and reconfigure) all of my add-ons, plug-ins, etc.
Also, the reason that I haven't "upgraded" to FF's latest browser is because -- for reasons known only to their creators -- new versions of FF invariably fuck up the GUI instead of just leaving it alone and dealing with security and utility upgrades. I *had* "upgraded" to FF29 but utterly loathed the tab configuration and menu access, and the overall neo-Chrome aesthetic; it was a relief to revert to FF28. Sometimes, change *isn't* a good thing.
You can right-click each of those prefs and use the Reset item to restore the default value.
Aha! Thank you for the information!
A follow-up question: the Knowledge Base info that I posted, which said to reset those lines, listed *four* of them. I only see three; there's no "network.http.max-connections-per-server". Does that suggest that it's missing and should be added? Or is it necessary?
That pref has been gone from Firefox for awhile now.