658837 - KB2467174 prevents Firefox from starting

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[metabug0]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:2.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:2.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0.1

I had recently installed windows update KB2467174 and began getting exactly the problem described in https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/812306. The process firefox.exe would appear in the Task Manager with 104k / 108k / 112k memory consumed and would not load. After Firefox fails to load, trying to start other programs such as Skype or Steam will also fail the exact same way, but a reboot will allow them to load normally provided that Firefox is not started first.

I uninstalled the update (from Programs and Features), rebooted, and the problem went away. Other than KB2467174, I have all other Windows 7 updates.

Reproducible: Didn't try


Actual Results:  
Firefox fails to load although the process firefox.exe will appear in Task Manager consuming 104k / 108k / 112k of memory.

Expected Results:  
Firefox should load normally

Other than KB2467174, I have all other Windows 7 updates at this time.

Here are the extensions I have installed:

- Adblock Plus 1.3.7
- ChatZilla 0.9.86.1
- Flashblock 1.5.14.2
- Java Console 6.0.25

And Plugins:

- Adobe Acrobat 10.0.1.434
- Java Deployment Toolkit 6.0.250.6
- Java Platform SE 6 U25 6.0.250.6
- Shockwave Flash 10.3.181.14
- Shockwave for Director 11.5.9.620
- Silverlight Plug-In 4.0.60310.0

Comment 1

[Justin Dolske [:Dolske]]

Uhh, this doesn't sound good.

Comment 2

[Justin Dolske [:Dolske]]

How did you get this update? Was it installed through Windows Update (automatically?) or were you installing it manually for some other reason?

Comment 3

[Justin Dolske [:Dolske]]

I just checked, and this was being offered as an optional update on my Windows 7 x64 box. I installed it, rebooted, and Firefox 4.0.1 still works fine for me. Anything else interesting about your system?

Only thing I can think of is that another program (eg, plugins) might need to be involved to trigger the issue?

Comment 4

[Tony Chung [:tchung]]

Reporter, if you manage to install KB2467174 again, can you try launching firefox in safe mode?  This will at least take the extensions and plugins out of the scenario.

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Safe%20Mode?s=safe+mode&as=s#w_how-to-start-firefox-in-safe-mode

Comment 5

[juan becerra [:juanb]]

One of the machines in the QA has the update in question and when I start up the 5.0b2 build, nothing happens for a while, maybe a minute, and then I get a dialog:

"A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding.
You can stop the script now, or you can continue to see if the script
will complete.

Script: chrome://tavgp/content/libs/include.js:595"

If I opt for Continue, I don't get a Firefox window, but the process keeps running. If I click on Stop Script then I get a window right away. Starting in Safe Mode also brings up a Firefox window right away.

This machine runs AVG Identity Protection Monitor, and its toolbar isn't supposed to be compatible with 5.0.

Fx4.0.1 doesn't show this problem.

Reporter, please check if starting up in Safe Mode helps.

Comment 6

[metabug0]

I reinstalled KB2467174 and was able to start in safe mode, followed by normal mode. The only thing that has changed is that I also installed KB2541014 - just released and seemingly unrelated to KB2467174 - immediately prior.

As I cannot reproduce the hang, I've marked the bug as resolved / worksforme.

Comment 7

[Shea Browning]

I uninstalled KB2467174 and then reinstalled the underlying software and then didn't have any problems for about 3 weeks.  This morning it came back.  This isn't a mozilla (firefox - thunderbird) issue, though.  I think it is an underlying windows problem.  When the problem strikes, it kills Firefox 6 (alpha), Thunderbird 3, Norton Antivirus 2011, Truecrypt, CCleaner, MS Office.  It does not stop Internet Explorer, Adobe Photoshop, or Windows Media Player.  (For more information on my problem, visit this link:  https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/811296#answer-194894 - that will tell you how I think I did this to myself.)

I know I had 14 Windows Updates waiting for me last week... I wonder if one of them did something.