When I have a problem, I'm always amazed at how often a simple Internet search will reveal other with the same problem and very often a solution. But sometimes not. The negative results fall into two catgories: either I'm having a genuinely rare difficulty, or I haven't found the right combination of search terms to narrow the results down to something relevant.
I don't know which was the case with our recent Firefox problem, but I couldn't find any help, so I'm posting this in case it might help someone else.
Invisible Firefox, Firefox opens invisbly, invisble window, can't maximize window, perpetually minimized window, can't see open application window. Maybe that's enough search terms, at least for someone who thinks as I do.
You may have guessed the problem. Suddenly Firefox started operating in stealth mode on our laptop. It would appear to be opening, and would show up as a taskbar button, but appeared to be perpetually minimized. But in reality it was maximized ("maximize" was greyed out when I right-clicked) but invisible.
I won't detail everything I tried, but it was an interesting puzzle and I did find some interesting things, including that the program was still running and would respond to keyboard controls, even though I couldn't see what I was doing. That way I was able to bring up the bookmarks manager and export the bookmarks, which provided a measure of relief.
Doing a system restore did not work; the process was unable to complete for any of the three restore points I tried.
I uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox, but even that was not enough.
After I discovered that uninstall doesn't delete your profile, I repeated the uninstall, then changed the names of the old files to force the reinstall to create a new profile, and that did the trick: the Firefox window was visible once more.
Clearly something about the profile had become corrupted, because when I switched back to the old profile (by modifying the profiles.ini file), the problem returned. I had planned to add pieces of the old profile back in a bit at a time to try to discover the source of the problem, but then decided I didn't want to spend any more time on the project; it was faster and easier just to import the old bookmarks into the new profile, set up our customizations again, and deal with the loss of a few cookies and remembered passwords
If this story has a moral, it is the same moral as in all computing tales: backup, backup, backup.
Recovery procedure: (1) If in the docking station, turn on the external monitor; problem solved. (2) If away from the docking station, right click on the taskbar button to reveal the shortcut menu; choose "Restore." This may have to be done more than once, until the "Move" option is available on the shortcut menu. When you can choose Move, do so. Then use the arrow keys to drag the window back onto the laptop screen. Whew!
This has nothing to do with Firefox, but I'm putting it here so I can find it again. Some of my programs open windows on the alternate screen that have no accessible taskbar button. In that case, use ALT+SPACE then M then arrow keys to move the window onto the laptop screen. (This won't work if the window is maximized on the alternate screen. In that case, first use ALT+SPACE then R, then ALT+SPACE then M.)
I had a similar problem and through this post quickly realized it was because I just set up a new TV as a second monitor. And of course FireFox was opening on the TV and seemingly broken due to 'invisibility' on the monitor. I may have eventually thought of this but I was going to try re install FireFox until I spotted this post. Thanks to the OP.
It has nothing to do with FF. Go to control panel, screen resolution, where it says "multiple displays", select "show desktop only on 1". That did the trick for me.
I had the same problem with only a notebook running Windows 7 Starter involved and through trial and error found out that I could bring back a visible display of the window by opening Firefox twice. Once my homepage and window was visible again, I closed the first window.
This just happened and so I don't know whether it is a permanent fix but it is working right now.
I found deleting localstore.rdf to be the cure. In gratitude to this forum, here's a link explaining the source of the problem:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Corrupt_localstore.rdf
Thanks!
In my case the problem turned out to be a window off-screen, and fixing localstore solved it in a tangential manner. But for the future, and in the name of the many folks who end up here with Firefox problems, I thank you.
After scrolling through the program windows with Windows+Tab or Alt+Tab, stop at Firefox, then press the F11 key. That at least gets you in there till you do whatever maintenance or saving you have to do. But the localstore.rdf fix did the trick for me also. Thanx.
WOW, I had this problem and tried the many things suggested to me all over the place and this finally helped. Seems the page had ended up shrunk to next to nothing and I was fiiiinally able to get at it. Thank god, since it was the one for my school paper.
Based on what is suggested above, here is one solution:
1) Close Firefox.
2) Open localstore.rdf in Notepad.
3) Near the beginning, my file contained:
Sorry, PdA, we seem to have lost the rest of your post. That sometimes happens if you include html that is either incorrect or one of the commands not allowed here.
OK, let's try again:
Based on what is suggested above, here is one solution that worked for me:
1) CLOSE Firefox.
2) Open localstore.rdf in Notepad.
3) Near the beginning, my file contained:
RDF:about="chrome://browser/content/browser.xul#main-window"
screenX="-32000"
screenY="-19"
width="885"
height="799"
sizemode="maximized"
4) Reset screenX= and screenY= to zero.
5) Save the file and restart Firefox.
Thank you very much, PdA.
In my case I could see that when I tried to restore it appeared to be going down below my start bar in Vista. So I tried using the Move command for the window as suggested with the arrow keys and it moved right up.
Thank you all.
Thanks for the Alt-Space hint. That sorts it for me. I just had to select maximize. To shrink the window again once this problem has struck, the only way is to drag the title bar, the minimize option puts you back in trouble otherwise. Thanks for this quick and clear cause plus solution.
Is considering writing a script to just reset or restore the X and Y when they get toasted.
In my case I suspected the problem was remote-desktoping software causing pain, since I don't use a docking station... But turns out I do someimtes plug a monitor into my laptop for LCD presentations :-(
I just read about your site, woah. I knew there was something about the way your FireFix Invisible Window question was just so thoughtfully worded. (And solved.) `It's not about winning the argument, it's about progress` - is something I have now got to take away with me to work on Monday as well.
Thanks, Conrad. It is a sad reflection on the current spam situation that I almost deleted your comments because the second was laudatory. Usually a commenter who praises my blog also wants to sell me fake designer handbags, counterfeit passports, or worse. But your comments were actually related to the post topic, so I took the time to determine that you are a real person. :)
