441511 - browser does not attempt to open links which have been clicked on

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[a.barcomb]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008061004 Firefox/3.0
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008061004 Firefox/3.0

When I click on links, the browser does not always try to open them (there is no indication that the page is being loaded).  This is the case whether I am just clicking on them or attempting to open them in a new tab by holding down the apple key while I click.  Further attempts to load these same links results in continued failure to load them.  However, if the browser is restarted and the same page is reloaded, it is possible to view the links.  I have noticed that this problem only occurs in conjunction with another bug I reported, 441510, a fact which may or may not be relevant.

Reproducible: Sometimes

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Click on a link.
2.
3.
Actual Results:  
Nothing happens.

Expected Results:  
I expect the page to be fetched and rendered.  At least I would expect to see an indication of the page being loaded (ie 'Looking up ...' at the bottom of the browser).

This happened earlier today when I was trying to view an airline website.  I didn't think much of it, because these sites are often notoriously bad, with JavaScript which mucks up everything you're trying to do.  Consequently, I didn't note down the URL, although I believe it was www.studentuniverse.com. After several attempts to click on various links I shut down the browser and restarted it and things worked again.

Just now I tried to look at a page where there shouldn't be any JavaScript issues and noted the same problem.  Specifically, I searched images.google.com for 'banjo' and attempted to view the fourth image in the results (located on www.musicwithease.com).  The first several times I tried to click on the image nothing happened.  After I went to another tab (this one, to file a bug report) and did a few things (searched for similar reports), I went back to the same site (images.google.com), performed the same search, and was able to click on the image.

Comment 1

[a.barcomb]

After reporting this bug I tried to shut the browser.  I selected 'Quit' when prompted as to whether I wanted my tabs saved.  I tried this three times without success so I'm just going to kill it.  I don't know if this is related or not, but I've noted in the past that when things get messed up, the browser doesn't like to shut down, so I thought I'd report it.

Comment 2

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Do you get the same problems if you run Firefox in the Firefox safemode ?
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_mode

Comment 3

[a.barcomb]

I am now running firefox in safe mode, and will see if I can replicate the problem.  However, I have not installed any addons and use the default theme, so safe mode should be indistinguishable from my normal environment.

Comment 4

[a.barcomb]

This happened again today (with the same instance of Firefox I started yesterday in safe mode).  I was on the page http://use.perl.org/~kudra/ and tried to click on 'Journal'.  I tried three times, but the page did not load, nor was there any indication at the bottom that it was trying to load.  After I switched to another tab and came back, I was able to click on the link.  I was also able to follow the link when I tried using Safari.

Comment 5

[a.barcomb]

I'm continuing to experience this problem, which only seems to happen in conjunction with bug 441510.  Please see my comments there about the more recent experiences.

Comment 6

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

This is a mass search for bugs that are in the Firefox General component, are
UNCO, and have not been changed for 800 days and have an unspecified version. 

Reporter, can you please update to Firefox 3.6.10, create a fresh profile,
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/managing+profiles, and test again. If you
still see the bug, please update this bug. If the issue is gone, please set the
resolution to RESOLVED > WORKSFORME.

Comment 7

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

No reply from reporter, INCOMPLETE. Please retest with Firefox 3.6.12 or later and a new profile (http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles). If you continue to see this issue with the newest firefox and a new profile, then please comment on this bug.