FireFox issues

[Lady Lyuba]

On my desktop, Firfox no longer runs. I get "Plugin fore Firefox has stopped working" and it crashes whenever I try to use it. On my laptop, I have a virus embedded within it, so I get all this popup ad malware. I uninstalled and re-installed Firefox, but it remebers everything - my cookies, my add-ons, my bookmarks, even the malware I have stuck on my laptop. Uninstalling and reinstalling did nothing. I thought uninstalling and reinstalling was supposed to give me a blank slate and start fresh, downloading the latest version of Firefox! This isn't right.

 

How can I use Firefox on my desktop again without it crashing, I had a side account on there with which I used to feed my pets, now I can no longer access that account because FF crashes every time I try to use it. On my laptop, malware I cannot remove at all, unless I want to completely wipe everything from my laptop which I don't want.

 

How many FF users here know how to solve these problems? I want to use FF on both my computers again, with no more crashing or malware. Uninstalling and reinstalling SHOULD be the end all solution but it isn't.

[Delshnya]

That happened to me everyday, after I played for a while... But since I installed "Adblock Plus" (a Firefox addon) It has never happened again.

[siniri]

The malware is probably saved somewhere else on your system, so it will just show up in Firefox every time you install it until you remove it. Do you have any sort of antivirus/antimalware program? What OS do you have? For Windows, Microsoft Security Essentials is decent, free, and non-bloaty (it doesn't visibly slow down your computer or hog your memory). For some malware, once it's detected, you might need to download a tool to get rid of it -- but be very careful, because there's a lot of malware purporting to be malware-removal, so only download it from a trusted source. (Hopefully your antivirus can take care of it.)

 

Regarding the plug-in stopping, does it name the plug-in? I suspect it might be Flash, so you might have installed a corrupt copy when it updated. This happened to my friend, and reinstalling Flash fixed it. I get that error if I hibernate my PC instead of shutting it down (I like to have a ton of tabs open at once); restarting my browser (or even my PC, sometimes) fixes it in those situations. (Flash in general is just really buggy and memory-hogging, so if you leave your browser open too long, it's going to crash... so just restart the browser and/or the computer. But if it's happening as soon as you start browsing, that sounds more like a corrupt copy.)

 

If you have a lot of add-ons, they might be using a plug-in (could be Flash, not really sure), so it might be worth disabling them as a trouble-shooting method. Two add-ons I recommend are NoScript and Adblock Plus. NoScript disables Flash and java script by default (which can protect you from malware), but it remembers permissions for various sites (important since there are many legitimate uses for Flash/java). Whenever FF updates, NoScript can actually slow your browser down after a while, but there's usually a patch that fixes it soon after the FF update -- the key is just to restart your browser occasionally. Adblock Plus is nice because it blocks ads, but since many websites depend on ad revenue, it's nice to disable it on sites you visit frequently and trust, especially if they have unobtrusive ads (I block ads on Neopets because their ads are obnoxious); it also remembers permissions, by site and/or page.

 

Hope some of these ideas help you get your issues resolved.

[Ranaki]

I use CCleaner to clean up my PC for more memory and such, ( http://filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/ ) granted it's not for viruses or anything - That would be Spybot S&D ( http://filehippo.com/download_spybot_search_destroy/ ). Free & easy to use.

 

I also use AdBlock plus, although it's bad for the sites you visit. They get paid to have those ads and it goes by how many times that ad is viewed, but since those video ads started coming up slowing EVERYTHING down, I installed it.

[rntracy1]

On my desktop, Firfox no longer runs. I get "Plugin fore Firefox has stopped working" and it crashes whenever I try to use it. On my laptop, I have a virus embedded within it, so I get all this popup ad malware. I uninstalled and re-installed Firefox, but it remebers everything - my cookies, my add-ons, my bookmarks, even the malware I have stuck on my laptop. Uninstalling and reinstalling did nothing. I thought uninstalling and reinstalling was supposed to give me a blank slate and start fresh, downloading the latest version of Firefox! This isn't right.

 

How can I use Firefox on my desktop again without it crashing, I had a side account on there with which I used to feed my pets, now I can no longer access that account because FF crashes every time I try to use it. On my laptop, malware I cannot remove at all, unless I want to completely wipe everything from my laptop which I don't want.

 

How many FF users here know how to solve these problems? I want to use FF on both my computers again, with no more crashing or malware. Uninstalling and reinstalling SHOULD be the end all solution but it isn't.

Yes, I believe the ads on neopets are full of viruses. Both my firefox and IE are not working correctly. After installing an antivirus program, I installed Safari and that is the only browser that is working for me at this time. A couple of things you could try are, 1. Restore your computer to a point in time when it WAS working properly. If there is no date available that your FF was working correctly, option 2 is to restore your computer to factory settings. You need to back up any files you want to save. Pictures, word documents, etc. Then, restore to factory settings, and reinstall FF. This is completely different than uninstalling and reinstalling FF. Good luck.

 

That happened to me everyday, after I played for a while... But since I installed "Adblock Plus" (a Firefox addon) It has never happened again.

Yep, absolutely, I think the ads on neopets have viruses in them. I believe that 100%. Even after installing adblock my firefox AND IE are both useless.

 

Also, just in case some people haven't thought of this, because I did not at first, when you first set up your new computer, you are the administrator and have full rights and access to your computer. ALWAYS set up a second user account for yourself, with limited access, to surf the net, play games, and, well, do everything!! Only use your admin account when you need total access to your computer. Using your admin account can allow viruses to gain total access to your computer!!

[Lady Lyuba]

I see you're mostly tackling the malware on my laptop and not the issue on my desktop where FF keeps crashing no matter what I do. The issue I had was with Shockwave, not Flash. I have googled this problem and of course, no suggestion works. I update my plugins and it still continues to crash.

 

The malware is probably saved somewhere else on your system, so it will just show up in Firefox every time you install it until you remove it. Do you have any sort of antivirus/antimalware program? What OS do you have? For Windows, Microsoft Security Essentials is decent, free, and non-bloaty (it doesn't visibly slow down your computer or hog your memory). For some malware, once it's detected, you might need to download a tool to get rid of it -- but be very careful, because there's a lot of malware purporting to be malware-removal, so only download it from a trusted source. (Hopefully your antivirus can take care of it.)

 

Regarding the plug-in stopping, does it name the plug-in? I suspect it might be Flash, so you might have installed a corrupt copy when it updated. This happened to my friend, and reinstalling Flash fixed it. I get that error if I hibernate my PC instead of shutting it down (I like to have a ton of tabs open at once); restarting my browser (or even my PC, sometimes) fixes it in those situations. (Flash in general is just really buggy and memory-hogging, so if you leave your browser open too long, it's going to crash... so just restart the browser and/or the computer. But if it's happening as soon as you start browsing, that sounds more like a corrupt copy.)

 

If you have a lot of add-ons, they might be using a plug-in (could be Flash, not really sure), so it might be worth disabling them as a trouble-shooting method. Two add-ons I recommend are NoScript and Adblock Plus. NoScript disables Flash and java script by default (which can protect you from malware), but it remembers permissions for various sites (important since there are many legitimate uses for Flash/java). Whenever FF updates, NoScript can actually slow your browser down after a while, but there's usually a patch that fixes it soon after the FF update -- the key is just to restart your browser occasionally. Adblock Plus is nice because it blocks ads, but since many websites depend on ad revenue, it's nice to disable it on sites you visit frequently and trust, especially if they have unobtrusive ads (I block ads on Neopets because their ads are obnoxious); it also remembers permissions, by site and/or page.

 

Hope some of these ideas help you get your issues resolved.

 

My desktop is Windows Vista, my laptop is Windows 7.

 

That happened to me everyday, after I played for a while... But since I installed "Adblock Plus" (a Firefox addon) It has never happened again.

 

Will it stop FireFox from crashing on my desktop?

 

Yes, I believe the ads on neopets are full of viruses. Both my firefox and IE are not working correctly. After installing an antivirus program, I installed Safari and that is the only browser that is working for me at this time. A couple of things you could try are, 1. Restore your computer to a point in time when it WAS working properly. If there is no date available that your FF was working correctly, option 2 is to restore your computer to factory settings. You need to back up any files you want to save. Pictures, word documents, etc. Then, restore to factory settings, and reinstall FF. This is completely different than uninstalling and reinstalling FF. Good luck.

 

Yep, absolutely, I think the ads on neopets have viruses in them. I believe that 100%. Even after installing adblock my firefox AND IE are both useless.

 

Also, just in case some people haven't thought of this, because I did not at first, when you first set up your new computer, you are the administrator and have full rights and access to your computer. ALWAYS set up a second user account for yourself, with limited access, to surf the net, play games, and, well, do everything!! Only use your admin account when you need total access to your computer. Using your admin account can allow viruses to gain total access to your computer!!

 

I never thought of this....I just got my laptop in December last year and never thought of doing this. D:

 

Still, I want a solution to be able to use FF on my desktop again, because that is the computer I feed my side account Neopets on, and now I can no longer access one of my side accounts because I cannot use Firefox on that computer anymore.

 

It appears as if the malware on my laptop's FireFox is gone....how it disappeared I have no idea. I won't save my breath as it is probably still there and will strike again, but I don't know for sure.

[Sara_1]

Desktop - good lord. This is your problem: Your desktop is ancient and running VISTA by far the worst thing Microsoft has ever created. There was XP, 7 and now 8 - you're running three software updates behind. FF keeps crashing because FF no longer supports Vista. Your shockwave will continue to crash no matter what you do until you update your OS software. That's your only fix.

 

I have the same problem with my mac. My laptop, with the exception of no space, software not up to date and basically no programs supporting my OS anymore runs beautifully. I paid $1500 for the one with the biggest hard drive and now compared to what the new models have, it's like a thumb drive! I think I got my money's worth though, seeing on how it has been working for almost 7 years without a single problem. My problem besides space is money. I should just buy a new one but I no longer have student loans to help me purchase things, as I did when I started college.

 

So that's basically your options. Buy a new computer or update your software. You could try Chrome or I.E but you'll most likely run into the same problems.

 

Just an FYI - I worked for Best Buy in Computers, downloading anti-malware software after you've already gotten a virus isn't going to do much good. You should have had it on BEFORE the virus, hence the protection. Depending on the type, your files may not be salvagable, as in when someone suggest you back up files and do a reset (the virus may have contaminated the files being saved and once transfered to a reset laptop will just do the same damage all over again). You could have someone professionally clean it but it may be most cost effective to scrap the whole thing and buy a new one. Best Buy offers trade in's of all old electronic devices. Take it to Customer Service, see what they will give you for both the desktop & laptop and buy a new one and for the love of all that is holy KEEP YOUR ANTI-VIRUS UP TO DATE. *mutters* windows!

[siniri]

Hmm. You shouldn't need shockwave to run to feed your pets. Try disabling Shockwave? (Also, Flash used to be owned by Shockwave, so if you haven't updated it in a long time, it might actually be Flash...). In addition to accessing things from Firefox (plug-ins, add-ons), you can also check the programs on your computer (it's called add/remove programs, in the control panel, in many older versions of Windows). See what's in the list. Anything that needs updating? Anything you never use that you could disable? Anything you've never heard of? (When my dad got some malware, it appeared there. It might be some malware that's causing the plugin to overload, actually....) Is there anything that was added/updated right around when you started having issues? If you have a recent (pre-issues) restore point, you could reset to that (you are often asked if you want to create one when you add/remove programs or reconfigure). If you don't have one, you could remove any programs recently added. If you need those programs, try reinstalling them from a fresh download (maybe saved to a disk from a friend's computer that's not having issues).

 

I know there used to be a kind of "safe mode" version of FF you could run (with add-ons and plug-ins disabled); my PC decided to run my security scan right now, so I can't really check to see if it's there in the current version; if I remember correctly, you have to dig around in the files (under program files, Mozilla, etc.). If none of that helps you get FF running on your desktop, you might want to consider installing a different browser (Chrome, Opera, not sure what else...).

 

Anything beyond this is beyond my "expertise," I'm afraid. Ask a computer-savvy friend in real life to help (if you've got one); they can explore your computers with you and really troubleshoot the issue.

 

Good luck. I hope you're able to get online on both computers again soon.

[Scoobert_Doo]

sinri may be on the right track, as you can try to see if Firefox will run in "safe mode". Running Firefox in safe mode disables all add-ons. To run Firefox in safe mode, in Vista, click on "Start". In the "Search programs and files" text field, type (without the quotes) "firefox -safe-mode" and hit your "Enter" key. (There is another way to open Firefox in safe mode, but this may be the easiest.) If all goes well, Firefox should open to your default home page. If you do not receive the "plugin for Firefox has stopped working" error message, then you know one of your add-ons/plugins is causing the problem. At this point, it may help to click on the three horizontal bars in the top, right corner of Firefox and then, "Add-ons". Now, click the "Check to see if your plugins are up to date" link. It will open another tab and let you know which plugins are up to date and which require updating. As Neopets uses Flash (called Shockwave Flash in Firefox) and Shockwave (called Shockwave for Director in Firefox), the latest Flash version is 15.0.0.152 and 12.1..3.153 for Shockwave. Of course, it could be any/another plugin causing the issue. If any require updating, update them and try running Firefox in regular mode. When you close Firefox in safe mode, next time you open Firefox, it will open in regular mode. If you still receive the error message after updating plugins, you may have to start Firefox in safe mode and try enabling one plugin at a time, until you find the one giving the error. Firefox should still work on Vista. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP in April, but I have a few machines on XP with Firefox still working. Have you tried uninstalling/reinstalling Firefox on your desktop (uninstall, do not save any info, reboot, reinstall, do not transfer any settings from Internet Explorer/Chrome, etc)?

[Ranaki]

Your desktop is ancient and running VISTA by far the worst thing Microsoft has ever created.

I believe you're forgetting Windows ME, the millennium edition - Every one I knew that knew anything about computers all called it Microsoft Error.

[rntracy1]

Desktop - good lord. This is your problem: Your desktop is ancient and running VISTA by far the worst thing Microsoft has ever created. There was XP, 7 and now 8 - you're running three software updates behind. FF keeps crashing because FF no longer supports Vista. Your shockwave will continue to crash no matter what you do until you update your OS software. That's your only fix.

 

I have the same problem with my mac. My laptop, with the exception of no space, software not up to date and basically no programs supporting my OS anymore runs beautifully. I paid $1500 for the one with the biggest hard drive and now compared to what the new models have, it's like a thumb drive! I think I got my money's worth though, seeing on how it has been working for almost 7 years without a single problem. My problem besides space is money. I should just buy a new one but I no longer have student loans to help me purchase things, as I did when I started college.

 

So that's basically your options. Buy a new computer or update your software. You could try Chrome or I.E but you'll most likely run into the same problems.

 

Just an FYI - I worked for Best Buy in Computers, downloading anti-malware software after you've already gotten a virus isn't going to do much good. You should have had it on BEFORE the virus, hence the protection. Depending on the type, your files may not be salvagable, as in when someone suggest you back up files and do a reset (the virus may have contaminated the files being saved and once transfered to a reset laptop will just do the same damage all over again). You could have someone professionally clean it but it may be most cost effective to scrap the whole thing and buy a new one. Best Buy offers trade in's of all old electronic devices. Take it to Customer Service, see what they will give you for both the desktop & laptop and buy a new one and for the love of all that is holy KEEP YOUR ANTI-VIRUS UP TO DATE. *mutters* windows!

Hello pumpkin! What's up? I am the one who suggested she back up her "files" before resetting her computer. You are absolutely right that a file could be corrupt. My point, was to back up any pictures, or as in my case, I used my computer for online school and had papers, some 30+ pages long, on Microsoft word, which I didn't want to lose. Those are the types of things I was saying to back up. Now, I could very well be mistaking, but I was under the understanding, and was told by HP, Dell, Costco Concierge, AND Best Buy, to back those things up onto a flash drive before resetting to factory settings because I would lose them. So :P . (LMAO- Silence!) Ah ha ha ha. too funny

 

I see you're mostly tackling the malware on my laptop and not the issue on my desktop where FF keeps crashing no matter what I do. The issue I had was with Shockwave, not Flash. I have googled this problem and of course, no suggestion works. I update my plugins and it still continues to crash.

 

 

My desktop is Windows Vista, my laptop is Windows 7.

 

 

Will it stop FireFox from crashing on my desktop?

 

 

I never thought of this....I just got my laptop in December last year and never thought of doing this. D:

 

Still, I want a solution to be able to use FF on my desktop again, because that is the computer I feed my side account Neopets on, and now I can no longer access one of my side accounts because I cannot use Firefox on that computer anymore.

 

It appears as if the malware on my laptop's FireFox is gone....how it disappeared I have no idea. I won't save my breath as it is probably still there and will strike again, but I don't know for sure.

Exactly! What Sara said. Actually XP came out B4 vista, but now I am just showing my age, LOL. But that is neither here nor there. The point is, 1. sara is right, Vista is pretty much the worst thing microsoft came out with this millenium, that is why they came out with a downgrade disc from vista to xp before windows 7 came out. There were so many bugs with Vista it was ridiculous. But again, that isn't the point of this post. 2. You could download a better version of windows onto your desktop however because of its age, the hardware probably is not large enough to support it. Like Sara, about a year ago, I too got a computer with largest hard drive, the most memory, the fastest processor, and I paid good money for it. Now, I could get, bigger, better, and faster for half the price. Computers become obsolete within 6-12 months if not sooner at times. If I were you, I would actually quote unquote "downgrade" to XP on your desktop. Putting in a new OS is like wiping it clean and then you can install FF. If you prefer to keep Vista however, I would definitely go with a reset to factory settings. If you haven't done that, try it. Sometimes computers are so infected with viruses making that impossible. Yours it not too far gone at this point. If you have nothing to lose, meaning you are not writing papers for school, you have no pictures that you could never replace (back them up if you do) then reset your computer. If you need further assistance, PM me.

[Sara_1]

I believe you're forgetting Windows ME, the millennium edition - Every one I knew that knew anything about computers all called it Microsoft Error.

Anything before Windows 2003 was before my computer expertise time. ;) Just kidding. I have always been a Mac girl. I only know about windows because *shudder* everyone has one. My school ran on macs and until I went to college we never had a home computer. I had to use the ones at school. We were too poor so I thankfully skipped all of that shennanigans.

 

Actually, just kidding. I totally remember in 5th grade my mom's friend or work or someone got rid of an old DOS computer and we ended up with the gargantuan thing. BACK WHEN FLOPPY DISKS WERE FLOPPY!

 

Hello pumpkin! What's up? I am the one who suggested she back up her "files" before resetting her computer. You are absolutely right that a file could be corrupt. My point, was to back up any pictures, or as in my case, I used my computer for online school and had papers, some 30+ pages long, on Microsoft word, which I didn't want to lose. Those are the types of things I was saying to back up. Now, I could very well be mistaking, but I was under the understanding, and was told by HP, Dell, Costco Concierge, AND Best Buy, to back those things up onto a flash drive before resetting to factory settings because I would lose them. So :P . (LMAO- Silence!) Ah ha ha ha. too funny

 

How dare you laugh at me and then be silent about it! It's true, you need to back up your files but you should make sure that you've properly installed an anti-virus before loading them back onto your new shiny, non-virus harboring computer. Backing them up in no way guarentees their safety however. If the virus, which typicaly either steals or destroys information in files (including ridiculously long term papers and that cute photo of your baby smiling for the first time), has gotten to them your anti-virus will reject it and then you've lost it anyways. That's what I was saying.

 

I think this is why they came out with those new chromebooks. A virus can't hide inside the internet or a cloud (YET - there is always a yet. Hackers will figure it out eventually, it's kind of, unfortunately their job). So it makes it seemingly safer to store everything on a safe little cloud than the actual hard drive. At least this is my understanding of it. I no longer work for any technology based companies and spend my days contemplating if this client or that client would look better as a golden blonde or an ash blonde. *shrugs*

Edited October 18, 2014 by Sara_1

[rntracy1]

Anything before Windows 2003 was before my computer expertise time. ;) Just kidding. I have always been a Mac girl. I only know about windows because *shudder* everyone has one. My school ran on macs and until I went to college we never had a home computer. I had to use the ones at school. We were too poor so I thankfully skipped all of that shennanigans.

 

Actually, just kidding. I totally remember in 5th grade my mom's friend or work or someone got rid of an old DOS computer and we ended up with the gargantuan thing. BACK WHEN FLOPPY DISKS WERE FLOPPY!

 

How dare you laugh at me and then be silent about it! It's true, you need to back up your files but you should make sure that you've properly installed an anti-virus before loading them back onto your new shiny, non-virus harboring computer. Backing them up in no way guarentees their safety however. If the virus, which typicaly either steals or destroys information in files (including ridiculously long term papers and that cute photo of your baby smiling for the first time), has gotten to them your anti-virus will reject it and then you've lost it anyways. That's what I was saying.

 

I think this is why they came out with those new chromebooks. A virus can't hide inside the internet or a cloud (YET - there is always a yet. Hackers will figure it out eventually, it's kind of, unfortunately their job). So it makes it seemingly safer to store everything on a safe little cloud than the actual hard drive. At least this is my understanding of it. I no longer work for any technology based companies and spend my days contemplating if this client or that client would look better as a golden blonde or an ash blonde. *shrugs*

The (LMAO- silence) was our little inside joke from when I was silenced for it. That's why, after typing it, it jogged my memory and put "silence" thinking you might get it, but, I guess you didn't. :sad01_anim:

 

Yes, you are right, if the files you back up are corrupt, then you have lost them if your new, protected computer, or your reset, protected computer won't accept them. However if they are not corrupted then :rock:. But if you don't back them up at all, you will DEFINITELY lose them. So, better to at least try.

[SiuKingBon]

On the topic or malware removal....its pretty straightforward to do (coming from an IT person here) I'll let you know a secret that those big stores don't want you to know about malware removal. It's somewhat true that anti-virus software is generally only good for preventing viruses. If you got a virus, installing anti-virus afterwards probably isn't going to solve the problem. What you need is actual malware-removal software.

 

The big stores will tell you that you need to pay up $60+ to get your machine cleaned but realistically you can do it yourself for free. Go google and download "Malwarebytes", they have a free version that you can use and it is the most effective virus/malware/rootkit remover you can get (and its freeeeeeeee! FREEE I SAY!) Install, scan and remove all the bad things that come up after. Save yourself a bunch of money, clear off all those annoying and damaging viruses, everyones happy!