LOL - you can see spellcheck not working in my post above :)

Hi jakex, could you also check your setting here:

• Mac: "3-bar" menu button (or Firefox menu) > Preferences
• Windows: "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options
• Linux: "3-bar" menu button (or Edit menu) > Preferences
• Any system: type or paste about:preferences into the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it

In the left column, click Privacy & Security. Then on the right side:

In the History section, either:

• Firefox will: Remember history -- no problem

• Firefox will: Never remember history -- problem!!

• Firefox will: Use custom settings for history -- in the detailed settings this displays, check this:
  • "Clear history when Firefox closes" -- not checked, ok
  • "Clear history when Firefox closes" -- checked => click the Settings button and make sure Cookies are NOT set to be cleared

Do you use any external utility software like CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare that may delete browser cookies?

Hi there, thanks for the speedy response. My settings are as expected (Will remember history)

Don't use external utility software, no

cheers

jakex

Hi jakex, I missed the last thing:

In the Cookies and Site Data section, check your cookie "lifespan" setting:

• Keep until: they expire -- allows sites to set persistent cookies
• Keep until: Firefox is closed -- only allows sites to set session cookies (cleared when exiting Firefox) unless the site has an "Allow" in the Exceptions list

Hi, it was set to "until thety expire" but 3rd party cookies and site data was turned off

Youtube has an exception, thiough so should be saving no matter what..I do think my Firefox installtion is broken, though, as the spellcheck stopped working, too...I can't fix that either

This all happened about 6 weeks ago, when my sync profile started getting popups on eBay..I fix that in Chrome by logging out and removing my logged in profile, so I tried that on Firefox and broke it, it seems

I think because there is some back-and-forth between youtube.com and accounts.google.com you may want to enable third party cookies and site data and see whether that helps.

For spell check, the settings are on the "General" panel under "Languages". There's a checkbox for "Check your spelling as you type". For U.S. English, the dictionary is bundled with Firefox, so you shouldn't need to install a new one.

If that is enabled and not working, maybe reinstall Firefox. Trashing the Firefox.app and installing a new one from the .dmg file shouldn't damage your existing settings, but I guess a backup is always a good idea.

• Download a fresh installer for Firefox to a convenient location: https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/

• Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles

What Firefox locale do you use because not all locales come with a builtin dictionary?

Do you have a dictionary installed and selected?

You can see which dictionary is selected if you right-click in a text area and open the Languages sub menu. At least one dictionary should be installed and have a check mark to indicate that it is selected.

• open the "Add Dictionaries" link to install a dictionary if you do not have one.

The spelling checker is enabled if [X] "Check Spelling" in the right-click context menu has a checkmark.

You can enable or disable spell checking globally:

• Options/Preferences -> General: Browsing: "Check my spelling as I type"

You can look here for dictionaries:

• https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/language-tools/

Note that you need a dictionary and not a language pack that provides string translations for the user interface.

If clearing cookies didn't help then It is possible that the cookies.sqlite file in the Firefox profile folder that stores the cookies got corrupted.

• rename/remove cookies.sqlite (cookies.sqlite.old) and if present delete cookies.sqlite-shm and cookies.sqlite-wal in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed in case cookies.sqlite got corrupted.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Directory:
  Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

jscher2000 said

I think because there is some back-and-forth between youtube.com and accounts.google.com you may want to enable third party cookies and site data and see whether that helps. For spell check, the settings are on the "General" panel under "Languages". There's a checkbox for "Check your spelling as you type". For U.S. English, the dictionary is bundled with Firefox, so you shouldn't need to install a new one. If that is enabled and not working, maybe reinstall Firefox. Trashing the Firefox.app and installing a new one from the .dmg file shouldn't damage your existing settings, but I guess a backup is always a good idea.

• Download a fresh installer for Firefox to a convenient location: https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/

• Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles

I'll try a reinstall. None of that has worked :(

cor-el said

You can see which dictionary is selected if you right-click in a text area and open the Languages sub menu.

I don't get this sub-menu when I right-click in a text area

Nope, none of this works. it's just totally broken on my Mac. Nothing works. Cookies, dark mode nor any sort of dictionary...seems to be totally working fine on my PC.

Anyone know how I totally trash my Firefox environment on the Mac? Anything marked mozilla in app support?

Did you already try a Refresh? See: Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

jscher2000 said

Did you already try a Refresh? See: Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

I think that's what caused it in the first place :) It broke so I did a refresh and it broke even more lol

I'll try that, then I'll remover every single trace of it from my Mac and use Chrome lol (I'll reinstall it and see how that goes - been too busy)