You can disable the resume from crash option by changing a hidden preference.

1. Type about:config into the location bar and press enter
2. Accept the warning message that appears, you will be taken to a list of preferences
3. In the filter box type crash
4. Double-click on the preference browser.sessionstore.resume_from_crash to change its value to false

Thanks. Wish they would make that something editable via the UI but that solves the problem. Thank you.

As an alternative you can set the pref browser.sessionstore.max_resumed_crashes to 0 on the about:config page to get the about:sessionrestore page immediately with the first restart after a crash has occurred or the Task Manager was used to close Firefox.

See:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser.sessionstore.max_resumed_crashes
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Session_Restore#Restoring_a_session_after_a_crash

I'm having nightmares with this! I've added the following to prefs.js, but still the sessions resume after shutdown. It's not just a crash either, even if firefox exits gracefully, it happens. Is there some kind of log file I can interrogate to find out what's happening?

user_pref("browser.sessionstore.resume_from_crash", false);
user_pref("browser.sessionstore.max_windows_undo", 0);
user_pref("browser.sessionstore.max_tabs_undo", 0);
user_pref("browser.sessionstore.max_resumed_crashes", 0);
user_pref("browser.formfill.enable", false);
user_pref("browser.warnOnQuit", false);
user_pref("browser.tabs.warnOnClose", false);
user_pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone", "ignore");
user_pref("browser.safebrowsing.enabled", false);
user_pref("browser.link.open_newwindow", 2);
user_pref("dom.disable_open_during_load", false);
user_pref("security.OCSP.enabled", 0);
user_pref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay", 0);
user_pref("content.notify.interval", 0);
user_pref("keyword.enabled", false);

This can be a problem with the file sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak in the Profile Folder

Delete the files sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak and any existing files sessionstore-##.js with a number in the left part of the name like sessionstore-1.js to prevent Firefox from restoring a previous session.

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Session_Restore

Thanks for the reply - there are no sessionstore.js or sessionstore.bak files! I thought it's odd behaviour - if these files don't exist, how does FF remember what was open?! Do these files normally grow in size as the time the user is browsing increases?

I can't help but feel maybe I've got some conflicting settings, effectively creating an 'unknown' state.

If Firefox restores a session then that can only be done via a file sessionstore.js.

Make sure that you look in the correct location for the Firefox Profile Folder.

Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory > Open Containing folder

I am not a computer programmer and don't remember whatever I may have learned in DOS classes... When I open Firefox it goes DIRECTLY to a page that crashes my computer: originally I had to TURN OFF my computer to get out of it. NOW Mozilla Firefox goes directy to that page again, does not ask if I WANT to restore that session. I am thinking I will just DELETE all of Firefox from the Program menu

and then reload if I get around to it

Set the pref browser.sessionstore.max_resumed_crashes to 0 on the about:config page to get the about:sessionrestore page immediately with the first restart after a crash has occurred or the Task Manager was used to close Firefox.

That will allow you to deselect the tab(s) that you do not want to reopen, but will allow to reopen the other tabs. See:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Session_Restore#Restoring_a_session_after_a_crash
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser.sessionstore.max_resumed_crashes

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/about%3Aconfig

G-sus Criiist, Firefox, what has happened to you? There are so many bugs and annoyances on this Firefox 9.0. Why in the world would you have to do all this coding sh*t just to get it not reopen pages after the crash? This has been an option in settings on ALL browsers for years.

What is WRONG with you Firefox? I just downloaded 9.0 this weekend and I've spent the entire weekend seeing one mess after another on your browser. Cripes.