Closed Bug 574215 Opened 14 years ago Closed 8 years ago

Firefox 3.6.4 hangs on startup for some Windows users

Categories

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Product:
Firefox
Component:
General
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
critical

Tracking

()

Status:
RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

People

(Reporter: zzxc, Unassigned)

Details

(Keywords: common-issue+, hang, regression)

Attachments

(1 file)

windbg log from an affected user
27.06 KB, text/plain
Details 
A number of Windows users on support.mozilla.com reported that Firefox 3.6.4 and newer builds, including branch and trunk nightlies, hang on startup.  In all cases, the hang occurs either before or immediately after the browser window opens.  Several users have confirmed that safe mode, removing the profile folder, and removing the installation folder have no effect.

Attached is a windbg log from an affected user on 64-bit Windows, for which 32-bit versions of Firefox 3.6.4 hang on startup before any windows can show.  (x64 trunk nightlies worked for this user, and the hang itself occurs immediately after loading C:\Windows\SysWOW64\RpcRtRemote.dll.)
This thread has more users with the same issue http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/704242?s=hang+startup&as=s
Shall we create a sticky thread?
   0  Id: 1024.794 Suspend: 1 Teb: 00000000`7efdb000 Unfrozen
Child-SP          RetAddr           Call Site
00000000`000ce0e8 00000000`7473ac9e wow64win!ZwUserMessageCall+0xa
00000000`000ce0f0 00000000`7475257b wow64win!whNT32NtUserMessageCallCB+0x32
00000000`000ce140 00000000`7473adda wow64win!Wow64DoMessageThunk+0x4b
00000000`000ce180 00000000`7478cf87 wow64win!whNtUserMessageCall+0x12e
00000000`000ce220 00000000`7471276d wow64!Wow64SystemServiceEx+0xd7
00000000`000ceae0 00000000`7478d07e wow64cpu!TurboDispatchJumpAddressEnd+0x24
00000000`000ceba0 00000000`7478c549 wow64!RunCpuSimulation+0xa
00000000`000cebf0 00000000`774182c8 wow64!Wow64LdrpInitialize+0x429
00000000`000cf140 00000000`77417423 ntdll!LdrpInitializeProcess+0x17e2
00000000`000cf640 00000000`77402e2e ntdll! ?? ::FNODOBFM::`string'+0x2bd60
00000000`000cf6b0 00000000`00000000 ntdll!LdrInitializeThunk+0xe

It's not clear to me from the log that RpcRtRemote.dll is the cause of this stack, but it does look like this hang happens before we enter main(), and perhaps before we enter any application code at all.
I see wl_hook.dll being loaded way early in the game.  That DLL is coming from Agnitum Outpost Firewall.  Could that have something to do with the problem here?  Do we know if other users who faced this issue have the same firewall software?
I do have this curious problem. Can't find the reason though. No versio above 3.6.3 works.

I have ruled out both "Norton Internet Security 2010" and the "Bitdefender Active Scan" plugin. Problem still there.
I thought that it might have something to do with my CPU being overclocked. But I checked that and it is not the case. I used Driver Genius to update basically ALL my drivers to NO effect. 

I also tried FF 4 Beta 3 - same thing.

Any other ideas?
Is there a way to fix this or will I have to change the browser I use ?

Thanks for your time
Ah. It's good to know that I'm not the only one.

Perhaps we can compare notes. We might find a common denominator!?
Yeah. I solved the problem. At least I did for me. 

I did run Secunia PSI to update all software on my computer. But I think this was just a coincidence. 

What really got rid of the bug was that I did install the new 2011 version of Norton Internet Security – at least I think so. After the installation I tried to upgrade FF from 3.6.3 to 3.6.9 and I got a message about an unknown process "updater.exe" trying to access the internet and then Firefox just started as it is supposed to do after the upgrade process. 

So NIS 2010 seems to be connected to the problem somehow, but what puzzles me now is that I - for testing purposes - had uninstalled NIS 2010 a few weeks ago and it did not help even though I used the Symantec uninstallation program supposed to uninstall every last bit of NIS.
So perhaps NIS 2010 was not part of the problem, but the installation of NIS 2011 somehow changed my system in a way that it now functions normally with FF. 

I hope this helps some people.
I am not alone with this problem, a google search brings over 1000's results and nobody seems interested to fix it

For all others that don't have a solution, is there a way to fix this or do we need  change the browser we use ?

At least guys if you're not interested to fix it, just tell us, so we can go further.
kev/christian,  sounds like we need outreach to Norton.
I have done two process trace with Sysinternals process monitor (Procmon) one with a funcional firefox 6.3.6 version and the otherone with the non funcional 3.6.10 version. 
You can find the files here
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6YM9KFIT (WorkingFirefox.txt)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OFVR9Z8D (NonWorkingFirefox.txt)

I have compared both files with compareit, and try to resolve the diferences but without luck.

May be, some one with better knowledge can resolve this puzzle.

Thanks and Regards,

Hernán
Another month has gone without any one trying to resolve this problem.

I think nobody will never take care of it.
So for the moment I'll use Google, and later once Opera has add-ons like announced, I'll probably forget Firefox due to the lack of support.

Sorry guys, I know you make a good work and not paid for it, but I cannot wait longer
Hurbert,  Comment 8 suggests something to look at and try on your system.  Do you use Norton NIS 2010?   Can you try disabling it or installkng NIS
2011?  Are any plugins or addons on your system out of date?  Can you update them to see if that fixes the problem?

FatBaron used Secunia PSI to check for out of date plugins, but you could also use the Firefox plugin check, and tools | addons | check for updates

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/

If you do find out of data plugins or addons can you share what you find?
Also of updating fixes the problem like it seems to have with FatBaron can you let it know.  That would allow us to block/force updates on that plugin/addon to help fix the problem for others.    If you have crashed lately can you add a the crash report id (found by entering "about:crashes" in the location bar).  that would also allow us to see what other processes might be running that are interfering with Firefox startup.

Without more information about which addon or plugins might be involved in this hang it will be hard to make progress.
I already tried with Secunia PSI, and all my softwares are up to date.
I don't use Norton but BitDefender Total Security.

The last time I uninstalled FF, I removed every link to FF in the registry and all the files that could be connected in AppData and in Application Data. All folders and sub folders from Firefox have been removed and a new profile has been created.
I made a fresh install without any plugin, without any theme.

After launching FF, it loads (I followed it in the task manager) and suddenly stopped working, without showing anything on the screen.

I have tried this whole process a couple of time, even with one of you Live Chat colleague. We found out that at one process, I don't remember which one know, FF freezes. He told me that he will transfer all the info to the Bug section and since nothing.

I'm ready to try everything except format my hard disk.
wow, you have tried a lot! thanks for sticking with this.

what happens if you turn off bit defender?   there are a couple of support articles that mention problems with interaction between firefox and bit defender.

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Configuring+BitDefender+Internet+Security
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/751473

a quarantined firefox module like described in this support forum post might cause something like you describe

http://support.mozilla.com/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?locale=nl&forumId=1&comments_parentId=330375
I already did this too. I even closed all programs loaded at startup leaving only W7 stuff running. Still not working.

I have the Anti-Phishing toolbar uninstalled, and I have checked all the BD setting from the posts you gace me, everything was like described.

Thanks for your help
> After launching FF, it loads (I followed it in the task manager) and suddenly
> stopped working, without showing anything on the screen.

so the last thing I can think of is to see if we can determine exactly how far you are getting  into the start up process before things get hung up.  I'm not sure nspr logging might help a bit with that.  this article tells how to get that set up:  http://bit.ly/9xjC71   If you can figure out how to do this and can attach the log that might be an interesting next step.
I followed the link, but I couldn't find which variables and setting enter

I wanted to try to debug FF again, but I don't remember what to launch to have a trace of all the processes
FF 3.6.12 doesn't repair the upgrade bug

When will you work with users directly (Live chat is dead since long) so this problem could be solved once for all ?
I noticed that nobody wants to repair that bug, and this really not something nice.

I wanted to go live with the support, but it's always closed and nobody in the forum gives an answer.

What's your toughts for actual bugs ????

The problem comes from 3.6.2 to 3.6.4 update.

I really hope somebody will contact me to get this stuff repaired
Have you tried disabling BitDefender Total Security's real-time protection to see if that helps? There might to be a conflict between the two based on a google search.
Let me explain one more time everything I made before bringing it to bugzilla.
- I close totally Bit Defender Total Security, FF still not running
- I check to see if there where any spyware or either sort of stuff running, everything is ok, FF still not running
- I totally uninstalled FF, cleared the registry, delete manually all files and folders on my hard drive, make a fresh install with a new profile and no plugin at all, FF still not running
- I tried installing version 4 beta, not more chance, FF still not running

The only left solution is to uninstall FF and forget it, would be sad, as I use it since over 5 years now

So if you have a solution, I am ready to try it.

I have Windows 7, BitDefender Total Security 2010

Hubert
Just try to uninstall Bitdefender and install the NIS 2011 demo. 

Remember - it worked for me!

FatBaron
I remember that for you it worked, I use PSI to check my programs and everything was good, I haven't stopped since to try to make it work, but no way to run it.

I even downloaded W7 debugger to try to find where it bugs, but I need some more info from the FF team, but as the live support doesn't work, I have probably to forget FF.
Six years since last comment. Does anyone believe this still occurs?
Severity: normal → critical
Keywords: hang
Whiteboard: [closeme 2016-09-15]
Resolved per whiteboard
Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 8 years ago
Resolution: --- → INCOMPLETE
Whiteboard: [closeme 2016-09-15]
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