Firefox won't close without using Task Manager - end process; can't start in safe mode or disable add-ons

I've been having a memory leak/hanging problem for weeks -- FF slowly increases memory usage until it's at almost 100% and then freezes and I have to shut it down via Task Manager/end process.
Last week I updated to FF 12, and I also added the Web Developer 1.1.9 add-on. Now every time I open Firefox it tries to go to the "Web Developer installed" page, but the page never loads. Nothing else will load either.
I can't start in Safe Mode because of the problem with having to close it in Task Manager. I select "restart with add-ons disabled" and it just never opens. The Add-On manager page won't load, so I can't disable Web Developer to see if that's the problem.
I've uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled, and it still goes right back to the Web Developer page when I open the freshly installed copy.
Help, please!

Have you already tried clearing the browser cache, opening a blank tab, and trying to open some other website ?
* [[how to clear the cache]]
Instead of trying to open safe mode from within the User Interface menu have you tried alternative methods such as holding the shift key when you start Firefox. (After checking for running Firefox processes or plugincontainer and killing them if found )
* see [[safe mode]]
* [[firefox hangs]]
If using safemode does not help first of all try creating and using a new profile.
* [[Basic Troubleshooting#w_8-make-a-new-profile]]_8-make-a-new-profile
If all the above fail then try a clean re-install of Firefox
* [[Basic Troubleshooting#w_7-reinstall-firefox]]_7-reinstall-firefox

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