635746 - Firefox opens THREE tabs in new window (linked from Arachnophilia web editor)

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[Dan Pernokis]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13

I'm still getting a problem with THREE tabs opened in a new Firefox window using web editor Arachnophilia (4.0, Build 5310) in FF 3.6.13.  I now realize this is a very different issue than the two-windows problem that has apparently been resolved.  I've had it since first loading FF almost a year ago, right on up to present updates.

I don't believe the problem to be a quirk in Arachnophilia because none of the other major browsers open additional tabs AND the two first tabs opened in FF are both Mozilla pages:

Tab 1:  http://www.files.com/   - comes up as a normal page.
Tab 2:  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/   - comes up as Firefox download page.
Tab 3:  My local page page being tested ("previewed" by Arachnophilia)   - only THIS tab should open.

Nor can I find the URL specs for these tabs stored anywhere that I can see. 
They're definitely not my "home" page - I just go to a blank screen.

ABOUT FF:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.13) Gecko/20101203 Firefox/3.6.13
All plug-ins & extensions are valid and current.


See also:  Bug 531552 - My comments 133 & 142:
This new bug is NOT A DUPLICATE.  (When I first reported this problem, I mistakenly thought it was the same two-window bug, but obviously not.)


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Configure Arachnophilia 4.0 to load Firefox as a preview browser.
2. Open a working HTML page with Arachnophilia 4.0.
3. Press the PREVIEW button to preview the page - should open in a new tab or window.
Actual Results:  
Firefox opens a new window with three tabs:
- Tab 1 is an ad page:  http://www.files.com/
- Tab 2 is the FF download page:  http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
  Previously, this spec had firefox.exe file included, and it failed ("404")
- Tab 3 is my local page page being previewed by Arachnophilia.
  Only THIS tab should open.


Expected Results:  
Only one new tab should open - either in a new window or in an existing window, but only ONE.

On-going problem which does not show up in other browsers.
But since FF is my default browser and browser of choice, it is an irritant.

Comment 1

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Could you see if the issue occurs with a new, empty profile:
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Basic%20Troubleshooting#w_make-a-new-profile

Comment 2

[Dan Pernokis]

I'm very hesitant to risk losing my existing bookmarks and profiles on an otherwise stable system, and I don't have time to dedicate to recovery if something fails.

But I know I have done at least one or two complete re-installs of FF over the past year, plus I've faithfully installed all incremental updates.  I also have FF on a laptop -- similar configuration but not identical, likewise updated -- and it has the same issue.

I'm pretty sure I've seen this happen on other machines in this past, but that would have been on Windows XP in early 2010.  (I'll try to confirm this.)

Comment 3

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Creating a new profile will not overwrite the current one and by following the instructions on the page linked above, you will be able to switch between them at will.

Comment 4

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Also, please paste the syntax/filename/path being used in Arachnophilia settings to call Firefox.exe

Comment 5

[Dan Pernokis]

I created a new FF profile and loaded it.  (Definitely new, looks different.)  I tried Arachnophilia and it works the in the same problematic way - three tabs opened.

As for syntax, I don't load or run FF explicitly from Arachnophilia - all I do is click a button (for default browser, FF) or select FF from the list of browsers.  But here are the two configuration steps to enable FF (or any other browser):
(i) Identify the browser, which means locate the .EXE file and select it.
(ii) Check or uncheck box:  "Is this browser DDE capable? (Most Are)"

I use various settings of DDE for various browsers, and picked the optimum setting for each based on whether the browser would launch and work correctly.

I MUST run Arach with the box unchecked for FF.  In this case, each time I preview something, FF always loads a new window with three tabs, and I manually close the first two.  But at least it runs.  (Once in a blue moon, FF crashes and brings down all instances.)

If I CHECK the box, FF will either load with one tab if FF is not running yet, or open one new tab in an existing instance.  BUT... Arachnophila almost always hangs and must be killed!

I looked through all of Arach's files (they all exist in one folder + subs).  Only one file (the configuration file in binary) referenced FF, with ASCII characters for the spec and nothing additional for parameters or load string, etc.  So I'm guessing Arach must load FF exactly as specified ("C:\...path...\firefox.exe") with no additional parameters to FF except the filespec being previewed, then may or may not pass stuff to FF.  In any case, if DDE is selected, Arach goes to sleep once it launches FF.

Comment 6

[Dan Pernokis]

Sorry, I guess you wanted the actual path spec that Arach uses to find FF:
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe

...and that's exactly where it is.

Comment 7

[timeless]

please run Arachnophilia from dependency walker, see:

steps:
1. quit firefox
2. quit arachnophilia
3. run depends
4. open arachnophilia in depends following the directions in https://developer.mozilla.org/en/How_to_use_Dependency_Walker_(external)
5. optionally start firefox
6. use arachnophilia to open firefox as you normally would

you should get somewhere around 6 child windows in depends, each window will have a lower pane listing a command line, we only need that (we need all of them).

- however if that's too complicated, please feel free to save each window (as a .dwi) and then zip the set of .dwi files, if we're lucky they'll be small enough to attach to this bug.

Comment 8

[Dan Pernokis]

Attachment: First attempt to track ARACH loading FIREFOX

NOTES FOR FILES "01":


Started DEPENDS, dragged Arach icon into window, things happened, got all the .DLLs etc listed.
Note error in red re: IESHIM.DLL missing ("...delayed-load dependency missing..."), which led to more.

PROFILES, start profiling ("If first time, check all boxes" so all checked) - No parameters entered.
** FILE, SAVE: "Arach01.dwi"

Clicked ARACH.EXE at top left corner of DEPENDS.  Arach ran, got log list.  Opened "music.htm" file, normal.

Clicked preview in Arach to load Firefox.  FF ran, got log list.  FF opened in new window, opened three tabs
as usual (the problem).  Then FF crashed.
** FILE, SAVE: "FIREFOX01.dwi"

Closed ARACH, closed DEPENDS.

Re-ran process again:  See files "02".

Comment 9

[Dan Pernokis]

Attachment: Second attempt to show ARACH loading FIREFOX

NOTES FOR FILES "02":


Started DEPENDS, dragged Arach icon into window, things happened, got all the .DLLs etc listed.
Note error in red re: IESHIM.DLL missing ("...delayed-load dependency missing..."), which led to more.

PROFILES, start profiling (all boxes were still checked from first pass)  Entered "-console" parameter.

Clicked ARACH.EXE at top left corner of DEPENDS.  Arach ran, got log list.  Opened "music.htm" file, normal.

Clicked preview in Arach to load Firefox.  FF ran, got log list.  FF opened in new window, opened three tabs
as usual (the problem).  FF survived this time (no crash).
Closed FF, closed Arach, get lots more on log list.

** FILE, SAVE: "FIREFOX02.dwi"

Closed DEPENDS.

Comment 10

[Dan Pernokis]

Just a note on updates...
Today I installed Windows 7 Pro Service Pack 1 which has just now become available.  I also installed Java 6 Update 24, likewise just out today.

I tested Arachnophilia again and Firefox still opens three tabs in a new window for each preview.

Comment 11

[Ed Morley [:emorley]]

Does this occur using 4.0.1 (or higher) and a clean profile?

Comment 12

[Dan Pernokis]

The problem has happened consistently with every FF, right up to 4.0.1, although I didn't try a clean install, just an upgrade to new FF4 + subsequent update to 401.

However, after running DEPENDS (per your request) some time ago, I came to realize that it must be ARACHNOPHILIA that is at fault.  After all, it is an old program using old (and possibly obsolete) interfaces.  It looks like ARACH is passing two additional pointers when launched, one that happen to point to "files" and one that points to the MOZILLA site.  In each case, when FF loads, it searches and finds files.com (successfully) and mozilla.org (with an invalid URL - gives 404).

After doing a clean install previously, this sequence of events do NOT occur first time.  But once FF got to remember and find the two sites again, it happens consistently just as before.

My ARACH is old and will not be fixed. (There is a whizzy new "modern" version, but I don't like it.)  Unless you think otherwise, I can live with the problem.  (I can use Chrome for previews in ARACH -- since I have to test on it anyway -- and keep FF as default for everything else.)  Thanks for your work on this issue.

Comment 13

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Dan, in your most recent comments you are suggesting this is not a bug in firefox, correct?

Comment 14

[Dan Pernokis]

Hi Wayne...

YES, the problem is NOT with FF -- and I can live with the current state, given that Arach is an old (but favourite) editor program.

Definitely a problem with my old web editor, ARACHNOPHILIA.  Similar symptoms occur in Opera (even recent).  Safari launches OK but can't cleanly return to Arach.  FF consistently gives the same three tabs ("files", Mozilla somewhere -- presently the FF home page, and the current page to be viewed) and always in a new window.  MSIE does various things depending on the day.  Only Google Chrome launches cleanly, always in a new tab within the current window.

The only interface setting I have is to check  "This browser is DDE compatible (most are)" when I identify the browser executable. Turning the setting on or off, the browser either works (more or less) -- or fails totally -- so the required setting becomes obvious.  But I can't read the current setting -- always have to re-specify and test to see what happens, then I know what works and what it must have been set to.

FYI, all browsers work correctly when launched via Windows Explorer (or equivalent):  double-clicking loads the default browser (FF in my case, in a new tab), and OPEN WITH... correctly loads and opens the page in the specified browser, usually in a new tab if that browser is already open, sometimes in a new window regardless.  And each browser's FILE, OPEN... works exactly right.

You could probably set status to "Resolved", unless someone wants to look at why Chrome does work OK. (It might just be by pure luck...)

-dan-

Comment 15

[Wayne Mery (:wsmwk)]

Dan, thanks for the feedback.