Firefox loads with a bunch of coded mumbo-jumbo.

[Clark2008]

I upgraded to Win XP and my Firefox will not open in anything other than Safe Mode (well, it opens, but it's a clusterfuck of codes in the search and tool bars in regular mode).

We've taken all instances of Firefox out of the registry and uninstalled it and reloaded and reloaded it. Nope.

It works OK in Safe Mode (I'm posting, aren't I?), but I can't use my extensions, like themes and BugMeNot, and I can't download.

Anyone else had this problem and fixed it?

[salvorhardin]

1. Delete the Firefox directory

In your user account on Win XP under C:\Documents and Settings. Then reinstall Firefox.

You'll lose all your extensions and saved passwords and stuff but that will clear up the problem.

Is there a better way to do this? Anyone know?

[RoyGBiv]

2. Not that I know of ...

That's what I was going to suggest, but with an addition. If this was an upgrade from Windows 98/ME, the profile directory is here:

Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox

and it needs to be deleted.

If it was an upgrade from Windoze NT, it's here:

WINNT\Profiles\<UserName>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox

and needs to be deleted.

The problem could be caused by two separate instances of the profile existing. Upgrading a Windoze version will often result in old directories like this not being deleted or moved to their new counterparts, especially when we're talking about a program that competes with a MS product. (I don't know if that's intentional, but I suspect it.)

Which is to say, I am assuming from the OP that this was an upgrade of Windoze from one version to another, not a fresh install from scratch. If that is the case, the directory where the profile is kept has changed, and, without going into detail, it can get screwed up. It's not FF itself, so deleting registry entries won't do it. It's actually a problem with how Windoze handles this. Every trace of FF needs to be wiped, the profile directory included.

There is a workaround, but it requires doing things before the upgrade is attempted.

[salvorhardin]

3. Thanks for the clarification

Good points all.

[Clark2008]

5. Yes, it was.

It was an upgrade.

Hell, I thought it would be simple. Just run the operating system.

Geesch... it never is, is it. :crazy:

[RoyGBiv]

6. Ain't technology great?

:-)

I can't even rant about Windoze with this. I recently upgraded my Linux kernel and just about got to the point I wanted to throw my machine onto the highway before I got it all worked out. Dependencies this, dependencies that, edit configs, recompile the kernel. AHHHHH!!!

And, ya know, all I really wanted was for it to stop telling me I was out of date....

[Clark2008]

4. I'm bumping this to save

Thanks guys, I'll report back in the morning when I try some of this and let you know.

[Clark2008]

7. Bumping again for the morning crew

It was an upgrade from Windows ME.

And, where do I find the profile directory? I already deleted everything - or so I thought - from the registry; however, when I re-install Firefox, all my bookmarks are there, so I know it's not getting deleted entirely from somewhere.

[RoyGBiv]

8. Profile folder ...

In WinXP, it's here:

Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox

Under that you'll probably have a directory called "Profiles" and in that will be a directory with a random name that makes no sense. That's the default profile folder.

Note: I think I remember correctly that WinXP's default installation hides the "Application Data" directory. In order to see it, you'll have to open a folder, then Tools > Folder Options > View (tab) > Show Hidden files and folders. Then click OK and save it.

Also check to see if you have a leftover folder from ME in

Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox

Whenever you find your profile directory, go into it and copy the bookmarks file out of it and save it somewhere else, like on the desktop, so you won't have to reconstruct your bookmarks.

When you've found all that and deleted it, restart FF. It'll create a new Profile, and everything should be okay. Then copy your bookmarks file back into the new profile folder, and your bookmarks should be there.

Assuming all this works, after you're done and have all the extensions, themes, etc. you want, copy the profile directory to some sort of Archive directory you set up as a backup. If anything happens to your profile in the future, just copy the archived version back over.

[Clark2008]

9. Thanks!! That works!

And I even have all my bookmarks.

:)

[RoyGBiv]

10. Cool beans ...

Glad it worked out.

[Clark2008]

11. Cool lyrics in your sig line, too.

I love Green Day.

:)