Author Topic: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.  (Read 5939 times)

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Offline wizzleteats

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As of Jul 11, I cannot get Firefox web browser to start.  The window opens to a blank, white screen and the busy symbol/mouse cursor is stuck on the drain icon.  I've uninstalled and reinstalled the program but the error persists.  I tried rolling back to a previous Windows 7 update setting and was able to get Firefox to work again but only for one session before the error re-occurred.  I posted on the Mozilla forums and found that others were having the same issue.  Avast/AVG seems to be the culprit as all those reporting the issue are using an Avast product.   I uninstalled Avast on my PC and rebooted and Firefox does run so long as Avast is not on the PC.  (It won't run if I just temporarily disable Avast shields.)  Any ideas how to resolve this?

Thanks.

Offline mchain

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2019, 03:35:43 AM »
What version of Avast were you running?  Free, Pro, IS, Premier?

Could you provide a link to the forum where other users are reporting issues with Avast?

Running FF 68.0 64-bit here and no issues.
Windows 10 Home 64-bit 22H2 Avast Premier Security version 24.1.6099 (build 24.1.88821.762)  UI version 1.0.797
 UI version 1.0.788.  Windows 11 Home 23H2 - Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Avast Premier Security version 24.2.6105 (build 24.1.8918.827) UI version 1.0.801

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2019, 03:54:16 AM »
I am using Avast Free Anti-Virus


program version: 19.6.2383 (build 19.6.4546.507)

Virus definition version:  190715-4


Link to the Mozilla forum discussion.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1264440#answer-1237768




Offline kwiq

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2019, 11:13:05 AM »
Hi wizzleteats,
I just tried avast 19.6 with latest firefox but it works.
Do you use any browser extensions of plugin. Can you try to disable one by one and test if firefox is able to start properly ?
Thank you for report !
« Last Edit: July 16, 2019, 01:32:23 PM by kwiq »

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2019, 05:17:16 PM »
Unfortunately, I can’t.  Firefox hangs as soon as I try to run it so I cannot access any features that will let me disable plugins.

Offline kwiq

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2019, 07:21:18 PM »
wizzleteats
can you try to disable avast self defense, rename "c:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswJsFlt.dll"  to "c:\Program Files\AVAST Software\Avast\aswJsFlt.dll.org"  and restart firefox. If you cant kill it open task manager select firefox and push end task button.

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2019, 02:20:17 AM »
It won't let me rename the file.  Says I need administrator permission.  When I try to grant permissions on the Avast file, it refuses to allow it.

using task manager to end the Firefox.exe process doesn't work.  It just stays there using up ~35,000 kb. 
« Last Edit: July 17, 2019, 03:17:12 AM by wizzleteats »

Offline kwiq

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2019, 08:57:18 AM »
Hi wizzleteats,
did you disable avast self defense ?
Can you download process explorer (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer) run it as admin
select firefox.exe process than right click and in context menu click to create a dump -> create full dump.
Please upload dump of all firefox processes to avast ftp server for analysis. (https://support.avast.com/en-eu/article/FTP-file-upload)
It will help us find why firefox got stuck ! 
Thank you

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2019, 09:20:07 AM »
Thanks for helping me with this.  I appreciate it.  I wasn't aware that I needed to disable protections.  After renaming the .dll file, I'm able to end the Firefox.exe program in the process tree but Firefox still doesn't work.  If I try to start it now, no window opens.  I just get an error message saying that an old copy of Firefox is already running and needs to shut down.  It then keeps trying and failing to restart firefox and I see several instances of firefox.exe trying to open and then shutting down.


The file was uploaded as firefox_got_stuck_wizzleteats.zip
« Last Edit: July 17, 2019, 09:29:51 AM by wizzleteats »

Offline kwiq

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2019, 11:16:40 AM »
wizzleteats even when you kill all firefox instances via process explorer and start clear new firefox.exe process It fails to start ?
Please try to disable avast components one by one and test if it helps or not. (Web shield, File Shield, Antirootkit, Behavioral Shield)
Thank you for help !
« Last Edit: July 17, 2019, 12:43:02 PM by kwiq »

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2019, 09:38:30 PM »
I cannot kill the final instance of firefox.exe via process explorer.  It does not appear in Task Manager but it does show up in Process Explorer but trying to kill the process or the process tree does not get rid of it.  Disabling components in Avast one by one doesn't work.


« Last Edit: July 17, 2019, 09:42:30 PM by wizzleteats »

Offline Cluster-Lizard2014

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2019, 11:04:01 PM »
I'm no expert on Firefox processes (understatement) but have you identified what that FF process actually is?

Currently on my system the three FF.exe processes shown are the main browser, the user settings/preferences (presumably the profile info) and, in my case (with a private window open) a private window.

The process you can't end looks like, from its size, that it is the main browser .exe but it might not be so if you can identify exactly what it is it might help someone else here identify the problem.

Serious problems with FF, including not shutting down, are sometimes blamed on the user profile corrupting ie. it is trying to load the profile before it shuts down but can't so gets stuck in a loop. That's the theory I've read - no idea if there is any truth in it.

But it might be worth considering a FF Reset if not already tried. That should return the installation to default factory state and a new profile created. Under the FF Help tab you'll find the option in Troubleshooting information. 

I can't advise whether this is a sensible thing to try, it could mean a lot of work to get FF to be re-customised back to how it was before and it might not even work. But if I had a FF installation not functioning properly and other saying that there is no problem with up to date AVAST + up to date FF then I'd be looking at it as more likely a FF issue rather than another program provoking it.

 

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #12 on: July 18, 2019, 12:35:27 AM »
Thanks.  I've already tried reinstalling FF with my profile intact and with a completely fresh install.  Neither works.


Offline kwiq

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #13 on: July 18, 2019, 08:53:30 AM »
Hi wizzleteats,
as admin you should be able to kill event system process :-(.
It looks like firefox process got stuck in some kernel mode call can you try to induce it again and make kernel mode dump ?
To create a full memory dump you need to set it up see https://community.sophos.com/kb/en-us/111474 and
here s a tool for it https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/notmyfault. Start is as admin and press the crash button.
Please zip the dump as wizzleteats_BSOD_7_2019.zip and upload it to avast ftp server https://support.avast.com/en-eu/article/FTP-file-upload
Thank you for help !
 

Offline wizzleteats

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Re: Firefox v68.x hanging on start. Cannot end task via task manager.
« Reply #14 on: July 18, 2019, 10:20:35 PM »
I'm not comfortable making edits to my registry.