Almost every time it starts it's asking to restore previous session even though my option is set on starting with new tab. Changed 1 to 0 in about:config as someone suggested - same thing...Aside from general slow start-up, works fine otherwise and closes without warnings or errors. I shut off power to the PC daily. Any ideas?
New: Run-Command (Dec 2, 2024), Platform 29.5.3 (Jun 27, 2024)
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I'd suggest starting with checking for drive errors. You could also then try copying (not moving) your whole FirefoxPortable directory to your Desktop directory and deleting the Data directory. This will let it start up fresh and help determine if it's an issue with your profile or Firefox/your PC.
That said, FF 57 is outdated, unsupported by both us and Mozilla, and has multiple known security vulnerabilities. It definitely shouldn't be used as a daily browser anymore.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I'd love to try your suggestions, but need full instructions how to do it. Also, if I copy FF to desktop wouldn't' it be leaving private info in desktop HD? I use portables specifically to avoid that...
My FF updates always caused some issues, some extensions not working and took a lot of time to troubleshoot and resolve. So I'm reluctant to give up what's working and am eternally grateful for your creations - used them for many years:-)
First, click Help and then Check Drive for Errors in the PA.c Platform. Make sure your disk is ok.
Second, copy the FirefoxPortable directory (don't move, copy) from X:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable to X:\FirefoxPortable. Now, within that copy, delete the X:\FirefoxPortable\Data directory. That will let it start from scratch. See if it works as expected. If it does, there's an issue with your profile. If it doesn't, there's an issue with Firefox, your drive, or your PC.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Only FF and TB portables directly on USB drive. Also, where would I paste that copy without leaving any traces? Thank you
To scan for errors, open Explorer, right-click the drive, select Properties, select the Tools tab, click Check, click Scan drive.
Just use the relevant locations for your copy of Firefox Portable and make a copy of it on the same drive using the details I gave above. Copy it from X:\Whatever\FirefoxPortable to X:\FirefoxPortable and then delete X:\FirefoxPortable\Data.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Are you saying to copy the entire FF file to the same drive then delete the Data files in that copy, delete the old copied version and make that new copy without data the only FF copy available on the drive? Or you want the the entire existing FF file to be copied INSIDE that existing file somewhere?
Also, I shut off the PC every day and wait till the screen turns black then turn off the power switch on power bar. Is it possible that FF files do not have enough time to close before the computer shuts off? My TB doesn't have that problem. I just restarted FF and it took awhile but started normally without crashing - could it be the cause?
Copy (don't move) your FirefoxPortable folder from its current location to another location on the drive. Like the root directory. Then, in that copy, delete the Data folder and try running that copy of FirefoxPortable.exe as if it were a fresh copy. DO NOT change anything about your existing copy. This is just a troubleshooting test out if your copy works from that drive on its own. It won't fix anything and won't alter your existing copy.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
waiting a few minutes to shut off the pc after I closed FF and today it started normally. I'll try that again a few times and see if it starts every time, Maybe FF takes awhile to close all files and pc won't let it...If it crashes again, I will proceed to your test. Still, takes about a minute to open home page, same with TB. I tried clearing folders and compacting - no difference. But, if all it takes is waiting, I can live with that
Thank you so much for your help!
How fast is the drive you're using it from? Something like CrystalDiskMark will let you properly measure it. The bottom number is the important one for small file writes which an app like Firefox will do a lot of writing to sqlite databases for cookies, history, bookmarks, etc.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
and has about 1/4 free. I avoid dowloading new stuff unless it's absolutely necessary as my experience shows any interference in a working system can cause trouble that would take me forever to resolve, if at all. But, the good news, it started normally again today after I waited to shut off the pc - so far so good
Thank you again for your help
Ah ok. That is likely a very slow drive, which is why it takes so long to open and close apps. I'm not sure what your financial situation is, but for about $13 US, you can get a SanDisk 64GB Ultra USB Drive Luxe. It will be *much* faster than what you have. And it has both USB-A (like your current drive) and USB-C, so it can be plugged directly into newer Android phones, tablets, laptops, etc.
I hope your setup keeps working for you.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
In the meantime, is it better to have a drive with much more capacity and more free space? Would it speed up the process? I already have a 32gb SD card. Do you think if I use it with an (old) adapter for my desktop, it will be faster? When I copy FF to it, is there something I can omit to lighten up the load? I usually copy the entire file when transfer to another drive.
It depends on both the SD card and the adapter. If the adapter is older, it's probably slower. You can use something like CrystalDiskMark to check its speed. Compare both your current USB and the SD for now. It's best to have some space free, but the bigger difference is the speed of the memory and controller in the drive. In the case of the SD card, the controller will be in the adapter. Compare it to this Samsung Bar (currently US$11.99 for 64GB) which gets close to 10/5 4K r/w. An older USB2 drive will be more like 5/0.01. Note that this second drive I linked is probably better than the Sandisk I linked above. I have the 256GB variant of this drive for theater tech stuff and it's worked well.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
and technician said my line connector underground was dirty. Then a miracle - FF suddenly sped up and opened the home page wirhin a few seconds! Go figure...Still, I'll try to update my equipment as you suggested - thanks for helping and for your prompt replies!