Any input on this?

Icedminttea said

Hi All, I downloaded firefox recently on my new laptop running Windows 10 home edition. Almost every time I double click on the firefox shortcut on my desktop or click the firefox icon on my task bar to launch firefox, it doesn't launch but instead appears as a "background program" in task manager. This happens 9/10 launches. When I launch it from the start menu, almost every time it launches normally and appears as an application. I reinstalled firefox but it still occurs. I changed my user profile but it still occurs. I can launch it in safe mode consistently but I want to be able to use my extension (an ad blocker). I don't believe it's related to my firewall but am not sure I checked correctly. Any ideas on what to do to be able to launch firefox? Thanks,

Just out of interest here go to your Mozilla FF folder and find the exe file and click it to make it pin to the Taskbar. See if you have any problems launching it from there. I never use a desktop short cut so no help for short cuts but Pin To Taskbar works fine on 2 desktops and 1 laptop with Win10

Since are there in FF folder make a new shortcut and drag to desk top and copy over and see if that helps also.

Hi Pkshadow,

Thank you for the reply. I went to the exe and made a new shortcut, adding it to the desktop. The problem reoccured.

I then went to the same exe and pinned firefox to my taskbar. The problem still reoccurs.

Any thoughts on what this may mean? I am using firefox to write this message, and can use it from the start menu but everywhere else it just runs as a "background" program.

Thanks,

Icedminttea

Icedminttea said

Hi Pkshadow, Thank you for the reply. I went to the exe and made a new shortcut, adding it to the desktop. The problem reoccured. I then went to the same exe and pinned firefox to my taskbar. The problem still reoccurs. Any thoughts on what this may mean? I am using firefox to write this message, and can use it from the start menu but everywhere else it just runs as a "background" program. Thanks, Icedminttea

Sorry to hear. Hang in here for someone else that knows more and/or try searching in here and or google with your subject heading tag you used at to start this.

At least have a start menu...I have not had one in years....:=}

Could be a corrupt icon cache in windows maybe, especially if have other shortcuts not working. Can google using search term " windows 10 home rebuild the icon cache " top 3 in that search are reputable sites. G'luck

Don't think it's a corrupt icon cache. It only happens with Firefox.

Upon further testing, some days it seems to happen only the first time I launch firefox regardless of where I launch it from. Other days it will happen 3-7 times in a row when I seek to launch ff. However, it will happen repeatedly if I try to launch/double click the shortcut on the desktop. I've already changed shortcuts to no avail.

Still not sure what this is related to.

Sorry I also am not the best person to answer this question, butI will give it a try.

Have a look at the properties of the shortcuts you are using. I don't often use Windows let alone Windows 10 but I think the properties will be available from right clicking.

You say

I changed my user profile but it still occurs.

What user profile is that ? Are you referring to something in Windows or to the Firefox Profile. You may have a shortcut that Firefox does not understand.

• See also Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles

Please TAKE CARE: If you do have additional profiles it is a bad idea to delete or even rename them without first asking for further advice.

After troubleshooting around I finally fixed this problem by simply changing my anti-virus program from Norton to its competitor.

About 2 weeks ago when I first had the problem, I modified the firewall settings so that firefox would have access, but apparently Norton still decided that it should interfere with my access.