Reset Firefox

[SeaJayPea]

Hi everybody,

Firefox kept telling me recently that it was running slowly and I needed to reset it. I did so on Monday and all seems fine - everything is much quicker. Only thing is, now, when I try to open a file that was previously a .pdf, it appears to be something called a Firefox HTML Document. I've reinstalled Adobe Reader, but that doesn't seem to have made any difference. Whatever has gone wrong?

[SlackAlice]

What Windows O/S? Check your 'file associations' have you set Adobe Reader as the default for .pdf files?

[SlackAlice]

Just a thought have you reloaded the Adobe 'plug in' for Firefox.

When you re-set Firefox all the old plug ins get dumped.

[SeaJayPea]

Sorry, I'm using XP. And How would I go about adding the plug-in?

[Buenchico]

Go to Tools > Options > Applications

Scroll down the list and, in the left-hand column, click on 'PDF document'. (It will probably be listed twice. Simply start by clicking on the first reference).

A downward arrow should then appear at the far edge of the right-hand column. Click on it. Then on 'Use other'. Scroll to, and click on, 'Adobe Reader' and then click on 'OK'.

Repeat for the second 'PDF document' reference. Then click 'OK' at the bottom of the box.

[Buenchico]

SA's posts weren't there when I started typing. His method will, indeed, tell Windows what 'file association' to use to open PDFs but I prefer my method as it specifically instructs Firefox (rather than Windows) what to do with downloaded PDF files.

[SeaJayPea]

Thanks Chris, but the option for .pdf doesn't appear in that list.

Puzzling.

[Buenchico]

Are you sure you scrolled down? (The scroll bar is on the right of the box). In my list, PDF document appears (twice) between 'ogg video' and 'PICT image'.

[Ann]

Mine has also gone very slow - and the same thing happened to my friends yesterday. What on earth is going on with Firefox? Is it because we are still on Windows XP? I have tried the advice from Chris from 26th Sept to anaxcrosswords (see link below) and reset Firefox this afternoon but it's just the same tonight - very slow at opening pages. I followed Chris's instructions right to the end then it just froze with half a screen! I had to get rid of the page using x in top right then when I click on my shortcut link to Google on my Desktop it is still painfully slow. I don't understand either how to re-install plug-ins?? Have I lost them and how do I know which I have lost.

[Buenchico]

>>>Is it because we are still on Windows XP?

Well I'm using Firefox with XP and it's working fine for me!


>>>I followed Chris's instructions

Apparently not the bit where I wrote:
"If you do decide to reset Firefox, go to Tools > Extensions > Add-ons first, and note down the names of any extensions that you want to keep, as you'll need to reinstall them after resetting"!

It's possible that you didn't have any extensions installed anyway, Ann. The ones I've got include the British English Dictionary. (Type 'color colour' into an AB answer box to check whether you're using British English or US English. 'color' should be underlined as incorrect. If 'colour' is underlined you'll need to install the British English Dictionary - instructions below. Then repeat the test. If 'colour' is still underlined right click on it and then click on 'Languages' and 'English (United Kingdom)'.

The other extensions I've got active include AdBlock Plus and Easy Youtube Video Downloader Express but you might have had different extensions (or none at all).

To install (or reinstall) any add-on, go to Tools > Add-ons > Extensions and pout the name of the extension you require (or a suitable search term, such as 'download Youtube') into the box at the top right. Then click on 'Install' next to the extension you want.

If Firefox is still running slowly after resetting, it suggest that something is hogging your computer's resources. In case it's malware, download, install and run the free version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (taking care, during the installation process, to remove the tick alongside the option to take a free trial of the 'Premium' version):
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/
(If malware is found, use the 'quarantine' option)

If that doesn't help, please refer to my post here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Technology/Computers/Question1364249.html

[SlackAlice]

If you still want the Adobe plug in for pdf files it's here

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-adobe-reader-plugin-view-or-download-pdf-files

Firefox is capable of reading pdf files on it's own because it's built in, but it's not particularly good at it. I've got the Adobe plug in to view pdf files online and use Foxit Reader for any I download or receive.