Firefox.exe is suddenly missing, so tried ie11 to access internet to reinstall but it will not allow downloads--Now What?
Hello all, newbie here with a weird problem. Looooong time FF user and could not care less about IE or Chrome. I recently did a backup of my net surfer Acer Aspire One with Win7 Starter, as I have before, to an external and all seemed fine except when I tried to launch FF, I got a message that the shortcut can't locate "firefox.exe", do I want to delete the shortcut? WTH? So I try searching the entire computer for it and sure enough, it is gone. So I try to reinstall FF using an .exe from a previous install upgrade and though it acted as if it might work but then I got the "installation interrupted" message. Bleerg.
Ok, so then I open IE11 to come here to download a fresh copy to start from scratch. IE seems to find the Mozilla download page just fine but it displays a blank window. I can see some elements of the download page, but not the necessary parts, which are visible on IE on my Toshiba (which I did to see what I was missing). I tried the same with Chrome just in case IE was, ahem, ignoring Mozilla. Nope, same issue with it.
So now I run CCleaner Registry Cleaner to see what might show up and lo and behold there are a handful of firefox.exe issues. As I am on my Toshiba to ask for help, I'll have to manually type in what I'm being shown on my Acer:
Invalid Default Icon C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe,1 HKCR\FirefoxHTML\DefaultIcon Open with Application Issue "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" HKCR\FirefoxHTML\shell\open Invalid Default Icon C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe,1 HKCR\FirefoxURL\DefaultIcon Open with Application Issue "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" HKCR\FirefoxHTML\shell\open Invalid Default Icon C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe,1 HKCR\ftp\DefaultIcon Open with Application Issue "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" HKCR\ftp\shell\open Invalid Default Icon C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe,1 HKCR\http\DefaultIcon Open with Application Issue "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" HKCR\http\shell\open Invalid Default Icon C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe,1 HKCR\https\DefaultIcon Open with Application Issue "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" HKCR\https\shell\open
ActiveX/COM Issue InProcServer32\C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\AccessibleMarshal.dll
HKCR\CSLID\{0D68D0-D93D-4D08-A30D-F00DD1F45B24}
Application Path Issue firefox.exe - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\firefox.exe
Invalid Firewall Rule {9A-4A5961-565B-4974-A729-C9D5EE3FFC6E} - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules
Invalid Firewall Rule {53E-192C3- etc etc etc ......... 9EEC} - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules
Invalid Firewall Rule {9A4A5961- etc etc etc ......... FC6E} - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules
Invalid Firewall Rule {53E-192C3- etc etc etc ......... 9EEC} - C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\services\SharedAccess\Parameters\
FirewallPolicy\FirewallRules
Just prior to running CCleaner, I did all the pending Windows Updates except for the one published this week. I always wait a month. I have Fixed All Selected Issues.
But what I didn't see was anything related to IE11.
I uninstalled what I could of FF but I do still have the Mozilla Maintenance Service 29.0.1 installed, if that's of any help to whoever can give me some help.
I briefly considered emailing the installer files to myself so I can open gmail via IE11 to see if I could sneak FF in that way but I think gmail doesn't allow .exe file attachments.
Any help from the FF big brains and big brained FF community members will be very appreciated.
Iggymon, 7-10-15, 545p CDT
Chosen solution
Uninstall Firefox from your computer {web link}
DO NOT remove your profiles.
After, reboot the computer. Then run a registry scanner / repair.
http://www.mattsilverman.com/2009/06/how-to-download-firefox-without-a-web-browser.html
also,
Using another computer, Download Download Firefox Full Version For All languages And Systems {web link} onto a thumb drive. After, plug the thumb into your system.
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (7)
Chosen Solution
Uninstall Firefox from your computer {web link}
DO NOT remove your profiles.
After, reboot the computer. Then run a registry scanner / repair.
http://www.mattsilverman.com/2009/06/how-to-download-firefox-without-a-web-browser.html
also,
Using another computer, Download Download Firefox Full Version For All languages And Systems {web link} onto a thumb drive. After, plug the thumb into your system.
FredMcD said
Uninstall Firefox from your computer {web link}
DO NOT remove your profiles. After, reboot the computer. Then run a registry scanner / repair. http://www.mattsilverman.com/2009/06/how-to-download-firefox-without-a-web-browser.html also, Using another computer, Download Download Firefox Full Version For All languages And Systems {web link} onto a thumb drive. After, plug the thumb into your system.
Thanks McD, I will try it and will report back in a few days.
Iggymon
In the meantime, if anyone can offer an explanation for why IE11 won't show/allow downloads, I'd like to know, just so I can continue to enjoy not using it. Thank you all.
(But seriously, I need to know what's wrong with it. Should I just go ahead and download Chrome too, so should this happen again, heaven forbid, I have a good backup?)
Hello,
In order to better assist you with your issue please provide us with a screenshot. If you need help to create a screenshot, please see How do I create a screenshot of my problem?
Once you've done this, attach the saved screenshot file to your forum post by clicking the Browse... button below the Post your reply box. This will help us to visualize the problem.
Thank you!
FredMcD said
Hello, In order to better assist you with your issue please provide us with a screenshot. If you need help to create a screenshot, please see How do I create a screenshot of my problem? Once you've done this, attach the saved screenshot file to your forum post by clicking the Browse... button below the Post your reply box. This will help us to visualize the problem. Thank you!
First, kudos, your advice worked perfectly, FF is back on the net surf book.
I took 4 screenshots on the Acer of how IE acts and fails to show the action buttons for downloading FF. I took one on the Toshiba in Waterfox of the same page which does properly show what I need to pick the download. I don't know how attaching files work here, 1 per comment or what, but look for 5 jpgs. (Figs 03 and 05 are the top and bottom half of the FF download page in IE11 on the Acer, just to be thorough.)
Many thanks again McD.
Regards, Iggymon, 07-13-15, 640p CDT
Hello,
I am glad to hear that your problem has been resolved. If you haven't already, please select the answer that solves the problem. This will help other users with similar problems find the solution more easily.
Thank you for contacting Mozilla Support.
Ok, I see that the files have been renamed. I uploaded them in order:
Fig 01 IE home page, where I used the Bing search box Fig 02 IE Bing search result Fig 03 IE Mozilla Firefox download page top half Fig 04 Waterfox Mozilla Firefox download page from Toshiba Fig 05 IE Mozilla Firefox download page bottom half
While I wait for a reply, I'm going to try backing up the Acer again because the last one took in actuality 7 hours to finish but the back up dialogue displayed as still in progress the next morning, frozen. If a simple back up is to blame for eating the firefox exe, then what else did it do wrong. Pesky Atom processor... sigh..... Wish me luck.
Iggymon, 7-13-15, 7p CDT