If you press Ctrl+n to open a new window, does that same page load?

If NO: Check for a hacked shortcut. Right-click the icon you use to start Firefox > Properties > Shortcut tab. For 64-bit Windows 7, the Target should be the following, no more, no less:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

If YES: Something has taken over your home page.

You can start by checking the setting here:

• Startup, home page, tabs, and download settings
• How to set the home page

Does it work (you can test using Ctrl+n or the Home icon on the toolbar)?

If Firefox is ignoring your home page setting, the most likely cause is an extension. Try disabling ALL nonessential or unrecognized extensions on the Add-ons page. Either:

• Ctrl+Shift+a
• orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable.

Usually a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

Firefox may forget your home page between startups for another reason, which is an external file named user.js which overrides your normal settings. This article describes how to check for that: How to fix preferences that won't save.

That's a lot of info, but hopefully you can follow it and fix the problem.

After looking into this a little further, many clean-up sites recommend running anti-malware scanners when you get this issue. Our support article lists some programs other Firefox users have found useful: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

Also, you may want to check the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program, and click the "Installed on" column heading to group by date. This may reveal some bundled programs that snuck in unannounced that you will want to remove.

Guys, this has happened to me several times in the past few months. Why? Well I think it's a sort of surf-by download. I followed some links in normal surfing and they lead to some Chinese retail sites where I think it happen to me.

My solution is two fold, first I use the free version of Malwarebytes and while that's running I also use some manual methods. In Windows-7, I open Control Panel, then Programs and Features. I click on the top "Installed On" to place things in order with the newest on the top and find the most recently installed thing and uninstall it. Usually it's the culprit, and Malwarebytes does more cleanup in the registry and anything left ignored in caches.

The "unique" thing I found about this is that Malwarebytes usually finds some PUPs installed under my wife's log-in and she has not used my computer in months, she has her own and a tablet as well. Darn clever PUPs is all I can say. ( PUPs = Potentially Unwanted Programs )

Good luck with it.

Gerry