321761 - Firefox occasionally fails to open, and always fails after repeated keystrokes on any firefox program window, shortcut or main.

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[Samuel L. Lord]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5
Build Identifier: Firefox/1.5

The reliability of Firefox or Thunderbird opening on my PC (constantly updated, XP SP2) appears to depend on the duration and number of left-click mouse strokes.  After the first failure to open, only a reboot will enable Firefox to open at all.  Note, if either FF or Thunderbird *does* open, no further opening problems occur with either. Also, when attempting to restart or shut down, an error message informs that Firefox needs to be closed.  When I examine Ctrl-Alt-Del after the failure to open, the Applications Window never indicates Firefox is open before the restart/shutdown error message (something like: "Firefox is still open"...) appears.  Firefox and Thunderbird are my default browsers.  I couldn't find any bug similar enough on your long list when I used keywords "fails to open."  Thank you for your help.  

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1.  Left-click Firefox shortcut or program icon in Mozilla folder too long, too short, or multiple times.
2.  The exact same problem occurs with Thunderbird. 
3.

Actual Results:  
Firefox does not open.  Thunderbird and IE and Outlook Express cannot open afterwards.  Reboot required to enable program to open.  The problem is symmetrical when Thunderbird fails to open.  IE and OE (gagging sound) do not show same problems when they are tried first. 

Expected Results:  
Program should open.

I have installed almost no extensions to Firefox, indeed only one or two which are rated extremely reliable on the Mozilla site.  I use Authentium Antivirus and the MS Windows firewall.  My machine is a Sony Vaio RX-860 with a 2.4 GHz P4 with 1.5 GB RAM.  I install critical and certain appropriate updates from MS Windows update religiously (switching to IE for that function only).  I cleanup files and defrag very often.  The older version (pre-1.5) of FF had the same problem.  When FF and Thunderbird do open, which happens *most of the time*, they work beautifully, great, great software.

Comment 1

[Ria Klaassen (not reading all bugmail)]

If you enable the XP firewall and disable every other security related program and run Firefox in a new or cleaned profile, does it happen again?

Profile clean-up:
Close Firefox, restart your computer, click Start -> Run and type: %appdata%
Open the folder Mozilla and delete everything in your profile EXCEPT for
the following files: bookmarks.html, prefs.js, cookies.txt, history.dat, hostperm.1, signons.txt, key3.db and the folder chrome. You can rename the folder extensions; if you want to use them again after the test you can rename it back. 

Comment 2

[Samuel L. Lord]

Thank you!  I restarted with a cleaned profile as recommended, and opening Firefox and Thunderbird are both quicker and more reliable.  I have not since been able to repeat the symptoms of the bug.  Firefox certainly now can withstand multiple rapid "Open" keystrokes and open multiple times, which it couldn't do before.  My Authentium Antivirus was at no time disabled, and appears not to have contributed to the bug.  I assume that the bulging Profiles folder caused opening to hang.  Thanks again, Sam Lord