624233 - Firefox.exe task executes w/ low-ram usage (2mb) and no window appears

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[purple2k]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0b8) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0b8
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0b8) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0b8

I don't remember when this issue started, but it was definitely present in the last 4-5 betas of firefox 4.

When firefox is NOT running (no firefox.exe or plugin-container.exe tasks exist) - I click on the firefox icon, firefox.exe executes and you can see it on the task manager, it hogs ~2mb of ram and no window appears.

One of two things can happen next -

A) I click on the icon again and another 2mb instance of firefox.exe appears in task manager but again, no window.
B) the window appears and works as usual.

After the first launch attempt, 49% of the time I repeatedly get to A with each additional click (creating multiple 2mb tasks with no window) until I end-task them and try again to eventually get to B, and 49% of the time the 2nd launch will get me to B. Finally, 2% of the time, it will work on the first run.

I can confirm the following:

1) no malware, spyware or adware exist on the box (Microsoft Security Essentials is monitoring) and I also did a spy-bot scan.
2) Uninstalling (and manually deleting firefox and profile directories) then reinstalling did not solve the problem.
3) the 2mb firefox.exe process is indeed the correct executable and not a trojan-replaced or infected one.
4) I also tried closing as many processes (end-task) to see if something was interfering, keeping only the system crucial processes. still, no go.

I will be happy to provide as much additional information as possible.

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Run firefox (in safe-mode, regularly, -P, from command line, from shortcut - ANY WAY YOU WANT).

Actual Results:  
Firefox window won't appear, but task exist.

Expected Results:  
Have firefox run regularly.

Comment 1

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Creating a stacktrace for the hang with this instructions could help
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/How_to_get_a_stacktrace_with_WinDbg

Attach the stacktrace using the "add an attachment" link.

Comment 2

[purple2k]

Attachment: debug as requested. after debug-->go, firefox would load then no window appears.

Comment 3

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

I'm sorry but the stacktrace doesn't tell me much, all Threads seem to be in windows system code.

Comment 4

[mayekk]

exactly same problem here...

I did a full, clean re-install, rollback to 3.x, reinstalled graphic drivers and DirectX, none of this helped...

Firefox starts (firefox.exe process in task manager), but no visible windows...

Comment 5

[Swarnava Sengupta (:Swarnava)]

cant reproduce on Firefox 11, 12b5,13 and 14

for support please ask question in https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new