Issues viewing with Firefox

[Sibling Spoffish]

Sometime in the last week or so, the site layout stopped working properly for me on Firefox. It all stretches out and I have to scroll down about a page and a half to get to the content... the sidebar is in the normal place, but the black background and coloured header aren't working.

If I use the Firefox extension to convert it to IE, or actual IE (I use 6) it works better... background and header come back and everything's normal when viewing forums, but when posting replies or new topics the box you type into (ie the one I'm typing into right now) is right down the page, as though it couldn't fit in with the sidebar.

So... it doesn't work on either. But much worse on Firefox. Anyone else having this problem?

[ivor]

Hmmm.  Can you post a screenshot?  What is your screen resolution?

MB

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I'd also add:  what is the version of your FireFox.  The latest is 1.5.0.8, if you're still on the "1.5" series.  There is a semi-beta 2.0 version out as well.

Next, have you properly updated ALL your extensions? Tools --> Extensions --> [FIND UPDATES button].  Then, close and re-start Firefox.

(Me, I'm still on 1.5 series, because I have a boat-load of extensions I can't surf without   And, until these are compatible with 2.0, I won't be upgrading. )

What about your video-drivers' version?  Do you have the very latest video drivers? Sometimes a new Firefox update will conflict with an old video-driver.  Updating the video driver can help, too.

Oh! One last note, obvious, but important, clear your cache in Firefox.  Close down and re-start Firefox after.  I find this eliminates 90% of Firefox display issues.

[Sibling Spoffish]

OK, good news: I did all the stuff you said, Bob (except video-driver since I don't know where to find that, lol) including installing Firefox 2.0. Then I rebooted. Everything looks fine now.

But I've lost my bookmarks, layout, everything, and it won't load Gmail. That's bad. I LIVE off Gmail.

I managed to find the file for my bookmarks, load it to IE, then import it from there... so I have my bookmarks back. But when I closed Firefox and started it again, they were gone again. So I've redone it.

What's going on? Should I email Mozilla? I'm really confused, and surprised. I don't like the new Firefox at all.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Hmmm. That DOES seem very odd. 

I do know that bookmarks can disappear in firefox easily enough, if you change PROFILES in windows (and, if you are running XP or 2000 - there is only 1 profile in ME or 98.  FF won't run on 95)

Are you running as an Administrator in XP/2000? Did you change your windows login profile?

Firefox keeps the bookmarks in this path (by default):

C:\Documents and Settings\Bob of Q\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<random characters>

Note:  "Bob of Q" will be your WINDOWS login profile ID

Note: "random characters" will be exactly that: a string of random characters.  This is your FIREFOX profile.  If you see a SERIES of these folders under the "..\Firefox\Profiles\"  folder, this is what is happening.  Each time you're starting up Firefox, it's creating a new profile for some reason.

The good news, is that your bookmarks are STILL THERE under at least ONE of the profile folders.  Look for a file called "bookmarks.html"

The better news, is that your GMAIL settings are still there under one of those, too.  They will be in the form of COOKIES. Once you find your original profile (hint:  look for dates on files - in windows explorer, change VIEW to DETAIL.) look for a folder called CACHE. 

Now for a possible fix.  Look AT the different profiles using Windows EXPLORER (note this is NOT IE ).  Use the DETAIL view, so you can see the dates the profiles were created.  Likely your CURRENT profile is the newest one. 

Copy ALL the cookie-files from your original cache into the same place/folder on the newest one.  This may fix your Gmail.

Copy your bookmark.html file from your original into the current one - this WILL fix your bookmarks (at least until FF creates a new profile).  I know it will fix it, because I keep a BACKUP of my bookmarks on a different hard drive - I have 1,000's of the dang things (all alphabetic & categorized, natch. I AM a geek, after all. <heh>)

However - you DO seem to have a problem with FireFox creating a new profile every time you start it up.

For THAT issue, I suggest the Firefox Support Forum.

Luck, and let us know what you find out - likely someone ELSE will benefit from what you discover.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Backing up your FireFox profile

Here are the OFFICIAL instructions

OOOH!  I found your VERY ISSUE on the FF forum.

Here

[Sibling Spoffish]

Thank you VERY much. A simple uninstall/reinstall fixed it all. An interesting point....