Firefox will not open but process runs

Suddenly I can't get Firefox to open - process runs in task manager but no window comes up at all. Have been using it on this system for a long time with no issues. It isn't the process already running issue which most of us know.
Have tried uninstalling and reinstalling Firefox to no avail. I have no other monitor connected and desktop is not extended to an imaginary monitor where it may be opening. Running on Windows Vista.
The problem started when Firefox hung / crash / froze trying to run a video applet on a website (bbc.co.uk).
Is this an issue with any kind of known resolution or must I find a new browser after years being comfortable with Firefox?

I have exactly the same problem with both Firefox and Thunderbird, under my Windows Vista OS. However, I can get both running using the following cumbersome method. In the Task Manager right click the entry firefox.exe in the process window. Choose "Properties" from the drop-down list and then choose the "Previous Versions" tab. In my case it showed a so-called "shadow copy" dated about four weeks previously and when I selected this and clicked "Open" then Firefox opened normally, though rather slowly. Unfortunately this does not solve the problem because after Firefox is closed the same problem recurs next time I try to open it. However, if the "Restore" button is available (it was not for me) in the "Previous Versions" window then you might be able to restore an older but working copy. You can also get to the "previous versions" window by right clicking the firefox.exe file in the installation folder (usually C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\ ).
This is a really unfortunate development in Firefox and Thunderbird that will force people to abandon them and move to equivalent Microsoft products that do not have these problems. Mozilla developers please act on this problem urgently.

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Firefox will not open. Process runs, but browser window will not open.

I am unable to get the Firefox browser window to launch. The application will attempt to open, but the browser window will not appear. Task manager indicates that the process is running, it just will not launch the window. No amount of restarts or reboots will make a difference. The strange thing about this is that Firefox has never run. This is a new computer and this issue has been a problem since it was first plugged in.
Troubleshooting steps attempted thus far:
1) Attempted to open in safe mode - will not open
2) Attempted to run in administrator mode- will not open
3) Completely uninstalled application, including profile info and reinstalled
4) Uninstalled known conflicts - Skype 4 (do not have Norton)
5) Even though issues since new, I ran a virus scan just in case-nothing
6) Uninstalled Chrome which I installed after originally being unsuccesful at getting FF to install (I uninstalled it before I began all of these troubleshooting steps as I have heard of conflicts)
I am now at a loss and willing to try any other steps that you guys can suggest.
Computer is running Windows 7 pro 64 bit. Running McAffee virus software. There are three identical computers in my office, purchased at exactly the same time with the same configuration. Mine is the only one that will not run firefox. Sadness. Please help, pleeeease...

Win 7 with iTunes installed - I was also having problems with that.
"netsh winsock reset" at the command prompt resolved all issues and Firefox launched normally.
Check to see if Winsock is corrupted. May prevent FF from communicating with the web and consequently fails to launch properly - for my situation was not a firewall or antivirus block!
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936211#LetMeFixItMyselfAlways
Click Start, and in Start Search, type cmd.
Right-click the cmd entry that appears in the search results, and then click Run as administrator. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Continue.
At the command prompt, type the following, and then press ENTER:
netsh winsock reset
Then, you should see the following message:
Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog. You must restart the computer in order to complete the reset.
Restart the computer.
Note If you receive an “Access Denied” error message instead of the message that is mentioned in step 3, the command prompt was not correctly elevated. In this case, close the Command Prompt window, and repeat steps 1 through 3. Make sure that you correctly implement step 2.

I downloaded Firefox 5.0. Firefox will not open. States running offline. I have a Intel Pentium/Windows XP system.

I downloaded Firefox 5.0. Firefox will not open. States running offline. I have a Intel Pentium/Windows XP system.
This also happened when I tried to download Firefox 4.
Firefox 3.6.18 works fine

You may need to delete the Firefox program folder before (re)installing the latest Firefox.<br />
In case you still have problems after installing then check your security software.
A possible cause is security software (firewall) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Server+not+found
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firewalls
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser_will_not_start_up

Firefox will not open unless I run it in compatibility mode (Windows XP SP 3), run it as an administrator, or launch it immediately after a reinstall (the reinstall thing only works once.) How do I fix this?

This morning, Firefox crashed. After this, when I click the Firefox icon, the hourglass appears and then nothing happens. Firefox does briefly appear in the task manager when I do this.
I tried rebooting. I tried reinstalling multiple times. (Firefox will run when I select "Launch Firefox" from the installer. Then the problem occurs again.) I tried safe mode. I have found that Firefox will work if I select Windows XP compatibility mode from the icon properties menu or if I run the program as an administrator. When I do this, Windows asks me if I want a program to be able to make changes to my computer.
I have noticed that a Windows Error Report is being generated each time Firefox will not open.

A possible cause is security software (firewall,anti-virus) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Server+not+found
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firewalls

I installed Spyware Doctor with antivirus and Firefox will not open but goes into Not Responding mode

After installing PC Tools spyware doctor with antivirus Firefox will not launch. I get a black screen with a not reponding message at the the top. I have tried an earlier version of Firefox (5) and this launch OK until I closed it and then it too refused to launch.

Hit the '''Alt''' key to show the Menu bar, then open View > Toolbars and select Menu bar and Navigation bar, so they have a check-mark.

Firefox will not open (have tried "run in safe mode" and other alternatives)

firefox unexpectedly closed; i tried to reopen- no luck; rebooted computer and "add-ons" opened but firefox did no! now firefox trys to open for about 10 sec and then quits trying. i have no messages/promts or any kind of other indication that there is aproblem (other than the browser won't open). i am using google chrome to post this request. thanks in advance for any suggestions! bill crimmins

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser_will_not_start_up
Did you check your security software (firewall)?
A possible cause is security software (firewall) that blocks or restricts Firefox without informing you about that, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process.
See [[Server not found]] and [[Firewalls]] and http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firewalls

Firefox will not open but only presents tab at bottom of page

Recently an application called Alot appeared and forced itself into my firefox browser. It appeared as a new search engine under firefox, but shortly problems occurred.

For details of how to fix this see this site - http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_in_use

Firefox will not open but when i go t uninstall firefox to reload it says i must close firefox????

Hi operating windows 7 starter pack on a samsung n150 netbook had no trouble until yesterday when trying to open firefox.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Kill_application

I had a pop-up from Mcafee yesterday with option to block a particular access request, today Firefox will not open but shows the message with "try again" -please help.

I assume that I inadvertantly authorized McAfee to block Firefox .
How to unblock ?
thanks for helping.

Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.
You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:
* [http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/default.aspx Microsoft Safety Scanner]
* [http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/ MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware]
* [http://support.kaspersky.com/faq/?qid=208283363 TDSSKiller - AntiRootkit Utility]
* [http://www.surfright.nl/en/hitmanpro/ Hitman Pro]
* [http://www.eset.com/us/online-scanner/ ESET Online Scanner]
[http://windows.microsoft.com/MSE Microsoft Security Essentials] is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.
Further information can be found in the [[Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware]] article.
Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

Firefox will not open. Unable to uninstall because message says Firefox is running. How do I turn it off?

I upgraded Firefox after upgrading to windows 8.1 now firefox will not open but when I try to uninstall the program I get a popup telling me to close firefox. The task manager says nothing is running. Help.

Try restart your computer then try unistall, then get the most recent version here:
*[http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ Last Firefox]
*[https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-firefox-windows Install Firefox]
Also:
*[https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/uninstall-firefox-from-your-computer Uninstall Firefox]

Firefox will not open,tried running profile manager but I receive a small window with the word :dialog" in it.

Firefox will not open.Tried uninstalling and reinstalling program without any success.
Tried running profile manager,but a small screen shows up with the word "dialod" in it.
Any assistance appreciated.
== User Agent ==
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/4.0; GTB0.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; Media Center PC 6.0; InfoPath.2; .NET4.0C; Tablet PC 2.0)

Can you provide us a screenshot?
Vista/7
Go to Start and type in Snipping Tool then provide a screenshot ,save it, and upload it to any of these file uploading websites.
[http://www.imageshack.us ImageShack]
[www.mediafire.com MediaFire]
[www.kimag.es Kimages]
XP
Press '''FN + PRT SC''' on your keyboard to take a screenshot and Press '''CTRL + V''' in Paint to paste it and save it and upload it.

Firefox will not open. Hangs at "connecting" stage. Non-responsive even to process shut-down via task manager.

Starting yesterday, Firefox will not open at all. It hangs at the "connecting stage." For hours. It will not shut down even using the task manager for applications or processes, and it locks up virtually every other application. I thought I managed to save an open Word document yesterday - it looked like a slow, but normal save during the Firefox hang, but the document was empty when I restarted my computer.
Even though my machine is not pentium 4 based, I tried starting using the Windows XP/M configuration, I downloaded and re-installed (over the top of) the existing version, I verified that no Mozilla processes were running before trying to start Mozilla, and tried creating a new profile. Absolutely no success. Every time (of the dozens) I have tried to start Firefox I have had to force a hard shut-down to get out of the application. I have now unpinned Firefox from my task bar because I keep forgetting and hitting it by reflex.
I am running version 11.0 (at least that is what I just downloaded - I am not positive what I was running yesterday). My system is Windows 7 Home Premium, Intel Core i3, 2.4 gHz, 4 GB RAM, 64 bit OS.
Next option is to restore to a previous version. If that doesn't work, I will uninstall and start over from scratch.

A possible cause is security software (firewall) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Server+not+found
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firewalls
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser_will_not_start_up

I upgraded from 3.6.13 to Beta 4.0 and now Firefox will not open at all I tried to uninstall to start again but it will not uninstall either it does nothing.

I uninstalled Beta 4 and re-installed 3.6.13 now Firefox will not open at all I tried to uninstall to start again but it will not uninstall either it does nothing, I have been using Firefox for a long time but cannot resolve this problem can anyone help and give me a solution please. As I use Firefox as my web browser it is very frustrating.
The fact it will not uninstall appears to be something completely new as nobody I know who uses Firefox has ever encountered this in the past.

Did you check your security software (firewall)?
A possible cause is security software (firewall) that blocks or restricts Firefox without informing you about that, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process.
See [[Server not found]] and [[Firewalls]] and http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firewalls
If necessary then also see:
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser_will_not_start_up
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Error_loading_websites

Firefox will not open on my laptop computer,It is my designated server but will not open???? Any ides why?

Firefox will not open on my lap top

No, nothing at all happens. Once clicked the 'circle' that suggest it is loading appears (if that makes sense) but no, nothing
Many thanks.
Can you check something for me please?
Restart your PC. after the PC restarts, bring up your Task manager, and go to the "Processes" tab. Click "Image name" to sort the processes alphabetically.
Now try to launch iTunes.
Does an itunes.exe process appear? If so, does it vanish after a second or so, or does it persist in the Processes tab (even though iTunes itself never shows up)?

Firefox will not open at all. I tried to remove it from the programs to try to reinstall it but it wont let me remove it. So I tried to download again anyways and ff still wont open. My email is alicia@*****

Firefox will not open at all. I tried to remove it from the programs to try to reinstall it but it wont let me remove it. So I tried to download again anyways and ff still wont open. My email is alicia@****

Did you check your security software (firewall)?
A possible cause is security software (firewall) that blocks or restricts Firefox without informing you about that, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process.
See [[Server not found]] and [[Firewalls]] and http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firewalls
If necessary then also see:
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser_will_not_start_up
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Error_loading_websites

Firefox will not open but process runs

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