282854 - Can't reinstall Mozilla Suite after problem with an extension

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(SeaMonkey :: General, defect)

Description

[amor1]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.5) Gecko/20041107 Firefox/1.0 StumbleUpon/1.9991
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.5) Gecko/20041107 Firefox/1.0 StumbleUpon/1.9991

Win XP PRO V. 2002 / S.P. 1, Pentium(R) 4   CPU 2.80GHz, 2.9 GHz, 1 GB of RAM,
After I downloaded and installed SwitchProxy Tool 1.3.1 with my Mozilla 1.7.5
Suite it slowed down, then its File, Edit, View, etc. bar started freezing, and
then finally the Suite crashed out all together. I tried firstly removing the
program and reinstalling it without success and did this several times, then I’d
tried going into the Registry and deleting everything with Mozilla on it and
reinstalling it but that failed, then I tried “System Restoring” my computer but
that wouldn’t work, ~nothing~ could get the Mozilla Suite to reinstall and bring
up either its Browser or Email Client and my computer ~still~ is unable to do
it. I have since installed the individual programs of Firefox and Thunderbird
and they're working fine.  I did try installing the SwitchProxy Tool 1.3.1 with
Firefox to see if that was definitely the problem and yes it was, again the
File, Edit, View etc. bar started freezing or slowing down greatly.  Luckily
with Firefox, however, I was able to uninstall that SwitchProxy Extension
without crashing and destroying Firefox. Thanks, Bob

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1.After I downloaded and installed SwitchProxy Tool 1.3.1 to my Mozilla 1.7.5 Suite
2.I then tried the Brower's File, Edit, View, etc. bar but it started freezing
3.Then I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Mozilla Suite to cure the problem
but that made it worse, I can't even reinstall it now.

Actual Results:  
Mozilla Suite cannot be reinstalled on my computer.

Expected Results:  
I would think it would have reinstalled.  I've never had a program refuse to
reinstall in my 20 years on the computer.

Comment 1

[Stephen Donner [:stephend] Not actively reading bugmail]

1) This is NOT a crash
2) We don't have a good way to uninstall extensions in Mozilla (see bug bug
161508 and friends)
3) You obviously have problems with SwitchProxyTool -- in what way is this a
problem with Mozilla itself?  Contact the extension author, please
4) Your messing with the registry (something you really shouldn't do unless you
know exactly what you're doing) probably prevented you from uninstalling Mozilla
itself, as I have never had problems uninstalling Mozilla myself (but then again
I don't use extensions and haven't tweaked my registry)

Comment 2

[amor1]

I appreciate your replying.

1. Not a "crash" of Mozilla Suite?  I apparently don't have a problem with just
SwitchProxy, Mozilla Suite is what won't reinstall.

2. Ok.

3. It's a problem with Mozilla Suite as well since that is what couldn't be
reinstalled..

4. The registry moves were made ~only after~ I tried to uninstall and reinstall
Mozilla Suite ~several times~ without success.  I've never had a program refuse
to reinstall in my 20 years of being on the computer.

Thanks, Bob 

Comment 3

[Hermann Schwab]

Mozilla uses 3 directories: profile, GRE and program directory. If you deinstall
Mozilla, the profile stays, and can later be used by another installation.
Parts of an extension are installed into the profile, and into files in the
profile. You can manually deinstall an extension using an ascii editor like
notepad, if you know what to delete from which files.

You installed this extension:
http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/more-info/switchproxy

Here are links where to find the profile, how to create a new one, how to decode
passwords:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=427846#427846


I would suggest:
1. make a backup of your profile, then rename it using windows explorer.
let´s assume you were using the default profile, then it will be somewhere in a
folder Mozilla\Profiles\Default\1234abcd.slt\
rename this to Mozilla\Profiles\old-Default\1234abcd.slt\
then your profile will not be found at installation, a new one will be created.
1234abcd is a random name, always a mix of 8 chars & digits, so it has some
other name at your place, or in another profile.

2. Install Mozilla, and at end of installation create a new profile.
Advantage: If you have a second profile, you always can use the other one, if
something goes wrong. If something corrupts your default profile, it will be
recreated, losing bookmarks, passwords, history etc. If you use another profile,
and this is corrupted, mozilla won´t use it but switch to the default profile,
so nothing is lost, you can try to repair it later.

3. use tips from Gunnar how to transfer the wanted data from the old profile to
the new one. Transfer only the files he specifies.
http://mozilla.gunnars.net/mozfaq_use.html#copy_profile_data

4. Gunnar didn´t write how to transfer the files holding your password and form
data. These files don´t exist in a new profile, they are created first time you
save a password, or form data. The names have 8 digits, and the extension is .s
or .w
Lets assume you have 12341234.s and 45674567.w in your old profile.
Start Mozilla, use the new profile, login somewhere, and a .s file is created,
maybe 24682468.s. Close Mozilla, delete 24682468.s in the new profile, copy
12341234.s from the old profile to the new, and rename it to 24682468.s, and
then you´ve got all your passwords transferred from the old to the new profile.
Try the same for form data, i.e. create a .w file by saving some form data, then
copy the old .w file giving it the name of the new .w file.

Another way would be to use a zip file, as it don´t use anything of the existing
files:
Download the zip-package and unzip it into a directory where a directory named
mozilla doesn´t exist. A directory named mozilla will be created, and files and
other directories therein. Make a shortcut to 'mozilla.exe -ProfileManager' in
this directory. Use it, and create a new profile. 
If you have a working 2nd profile, you can start tinkering around editing your
old profile, and try to start it. Imho you need to remove some data (or the
whole file) from localstore.rdf, and from the chrome folder in your old profile.
Feel free to mail me if you got more questions.

If you need more info about profiles:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=54104

Mnenhy has some info about mozilla registry, chrome data and locations.
http://extensionroom.mozdev.org/more-info/mnenhy
http://mnenhy.mozdev.org/

Comment 4

[amor1]

Hi Hermann: Thanks to your suggestions I found a leftover file that was keeping
the Suite from reinstalling then took your main suggestion and created another
"Profile."  The new one works fine but the old one is still hanging up and won't
open up "Preferences" under "Edit" at all even though I removed SwitchProxy,
rebooted and so forth.  That SwitchProxy even hung up my newly installed Firefox
until I removed it makes it clear to me that it's got some major problems and
shouldn't be included in Mozilla suggested extensions.  I also had some hang-up
problems with the Suite Browser on another computer even without adding any
extensions so that's not good either.

I appreciate your help very much but in all this I'm going to stay with Firefox
and Thunderbird until or unless something in it gives me reason to think otherwise.

Thanks again, Bob

Comment 5

[Gérard Talbot]

> 2) We don't have a good way to uninstall extensions in Mozilla (see bug bug
> 161508 and friends)

What about extension uninstaller?
http://jgillick.nettripper.com/extuninstaller/
Some Mozdev extensions recommend extension uninstaller. And it is mentioned in
bug 161508.
Btw, I'm for resolving this bug as WORKSFORME or otherwise. Any bug claiming to
crash should have a talkback crash incident id for confirming purposes.

Comment 6

[amor1]

After removing a leftover file and being able to reinstall Mozilla Suite I've
continued to experiment with new "Profiles" on both it and Firefox on two
different computers.  Both computers and both Browsers on each work normally
after I install "DictionarySearch" and "StumbleUpon," however, whenever I
install the "SwitchProxyTool" and I try to access the File, Edit, View, etc. bar
immediately after opening the Browsers, especially the "Preferences" on Suite
and "Options" on Firefox, both Browsers stall out with my mouse's cursor showing
its old "Hour Sand Glass."  This lasts for at least a couple minutes and as you
can imagine is quite annoying.  I like Mr. Gillick's idea of the SwitchProxyTool
and hope he can find a reason and cure for what's been going on.  I'll be listening.

Thanks, Bob 

Comment 7

[Jeremy Gillick]

I'm the author:

That is because my site was down and switchproxy was looking for updates.  It's
up now and should work, sorry about that.  You can turn the auto update check
off in the SwitchProxy preferences.

Comment 8

[amor1]

Hi Jeremy, your site being down and the SwitchProxyTool failed updates stalling
my browsers must be it since I reinstalled both computer and both Firefox and
Mozilla Suite and they're all working great now.  Also your site being down must
have been why Bandwidth Tester wasn't working for me, it's ok now too.

Thanks for figuring it out and for your great extensions!

Bob

Comment 9

[Jason Bassford]

No Mozilla code was checked in.

-> WORKSFORME