Why are the options for "When Firefox starts" NOT clickable in Firefox 5?"

Possibly you are not saving your "browsing history" which is what the session history is tied into.

Not saving History -- check your settings for Tools > options > Privacy', make sure you are not clearing more than just cache in "Settings for Clearing History"

• http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4928/clearcachew.png
• clearing your history at end of session, cache is the only one you would want to clear at end of session, if you don't want to lose things

There are several things that are related to private browsing and not saving History

• Private Browsing Ctrl+Shift+P
• You selected "Never remember history" in first drop-down of Tools > Options Privacy and all of the check marks disappear (See picture above)
• "Permanent private browsing mode" was check-marked under "Use custom settings for history" in the first drop-down of Tools > options > Privacy (see picture above)

Thanks for the answer. The settings are so that Firefox will remember history, so I shouldn't that is the issue. I did go through the Use Custom Settings option and double-checked everything. It all seems to be in order there, but still no change to the original problem posed.

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).

• Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode

• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

Sorry for the late reply - I tried your method, and nope - it didn't work. I am now a reluctant convert to Chrome.

Thanks for the answers.

Tried Chrome for 40 minutes - not a good experience. Managed to fix the issue with Firefox by typing about:config and setting the options for browser history to True. Firefox now asks me whether I want to save tabs when I close, which is something, I suppose. Firefox, why do you do these things? Why?

Firefox removed the test when you end Firefox so now you can always go into History menu (which was also removed) and bring up your previous session from there.

If you don't have a history menu you can use "Alt" to to show menu or use History in the second column when you click on the "Firefox" button.

You can still have a choice to see the saving of tabs when you exit Firefox, and the nice thing about that is even if you don't choose to save tabs, you can still get them from History, but answering to save for next start is a lot easier. For more information, see item #31 "Restoring tabs from a lost session (#tabslost)"

• http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/firefox-problems.htm#tabslost.

You can make Firefox 5.0 look like Firefox 3.6.19, see numbered items 1-10 in the following topic Fix Firefox 4.0 toolbar user interface, problems (Make Firefox 5.0, or 4.0.1, look like 3.6). Whether or not you make changes, you should be aware of what has changed and what you have to do to use changed or missing features.

• http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/firefox/firefox-problems.htm#fx4interface

Is "Clear history when Firefox closes" selected ?

• Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history" > Clear history when Firefox closes

Did you try Save mode ?

• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode
• Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled