seems like Foxit Reader is overriding the default preferences

Preferences are not saved

• https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Preferences%20are%20not%20saved#w_user-js-file-overriding-preferences

Follow through this article till the part - Unable to save any preferences or settings

Check and tell if its working.

User.js file overriding preferences - i had no user.js file so i couldn't delete it.

Locked preferences file - my prefs.js file was not read-only and there were no additional prefs-n.js files.

Corrupt preferences file - This warned me that i would lose settings. It didn't warn me that it reset and in one case remove my add-ons!! I deleted this file and i've now lost all my numbers stored in my speeddial extension. Not only has it removed the skin i had selected as an appearance add-on it has deleted it altogether. The warning is inadequate.

Oh and no it's still opening pdfs in Foxit Reader.

-> Install IObit Toolbox

• http://www.iobit.com/toolbox.html#none

-> Use UNDELETE tool to Recover your Deleted Files

-> After that, Remove Foxit Reader to get rid of your problem altogether - Manually Uninstalling a Plugin

• https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Troubleshooting%20plugins#w_manually-uninstalling-a-plugin

You don't have much need for it either since you can use Adobe Reader plugin. Why clutter Firefox with Needless Add-ons and Plugins ?? it causes various Malfunctionings.

Check and tell if its working.

ok, i installed the tool but it didn't find prefs.js. i then noticed there was a prefs.js in the recycle bin. i restored it, closed Firefox, re-opened Firefox, but it appears to have ignored it as my settings are unchanged.

i'm happy to remove or disable Foxit Reader plugin to allow the Adobe Reader plugin to work. i just wanted it on standby in case i had more problems with Adobe Reader, and as a test case if and when i next get the hanging problem with an plugin.

I wouldn't say having 2 pdf plugins is "cluttered". If having more than one pdf plugin causes malfunctions, which it evidently does, and that only one should be enabled at a time that surely renders the option of choosing an application default as redundant. Sure it's no longer a problem for me if i remove Foxit, but it's still worth noting Mozilla that the default setting doesn't work (at least with my configuration) and it's another add-on issue that needs addressing.

ok thanks anyway for trying to help. it seems to have randomly reset my add-on settings (SpeedDial settings wiped, Persona totally deleted, Adblock settings intact) but i don't have too many so not a problem.

my next move is to wait to see if Firefox hangs again with the adobe reader plugin and try your troubleshooting link further up and report back.

OK a few minutes ago Firefox starting hanging again. When i tried the Mozilla test page it hung for about half a minute and then i got a black screen instead of the pdf. So i tried the Troubleshooting plugins link you gave.

Determining if a plugin is the problem : I disabled all plugins and retried the Mozilla privacy policy test pdf. It then opened it immediately but of course in Adobe Reader not in Firefox because the Adobe Reader plugin is disabled. I then enabled JUST the Adobe Reader plugin leaving all other plugins disabled and attempted to open the Mozilla privacy policy test pdf and it hung for about 30 seconds before giving a black screen.

Solutions please?

ps when i say "hung" i mean hourglass cursor, browser goes white, firefox icon in top left-hand corner turns into the standard windows white square and on occasion, but not typically, the firefox window disappears from the taskbar even though it's still present as a not responding application in task manager.

Testing Plugins

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Testing_plugins

Issues related to Plugins

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Issues_related_to_plugins

Check and tell if its working.

Hi and thanks for the links

As the Adobe Reader plugin is currently not working, i have disabled all plugins except Adobe Reader for testing.

Testing Plugins : Plugin Check : I tried the plugin check and it said i have the latest version of Adobe Reader plugin.

Plugins Information - Browserspy.dk : "Plugins" : "Adobe Acrobat Adobe PDF Plug-In For Firefox and Netscape 10.1.0 Filename: nppdf32.dll"

"Result" : <blank>

Embedded media : Embedded PDF at plugindoc.mozdev.org

It hung for about 45 seconds and then gave the following message:

"PDF Test

This page contains an embedded PDF document. You do not have a PDF plugin installed or working.

This document may also be viewed standalone."

Other media tests : Direct link to Adobe PDF file (1.4 MB) at adobe.com This came back with "Sorry, this page is not available"

I can try the second link soon, but do you have any further advice based on the answers from the first link?

Other media tests : Direct link to Adobe PDF file (1.4 MB) at adobe.com This came back with "Sorry, this page is not available" the link is working fine here, try reloading the page again. However there is no file to download unless you click one of the links mentioned at the right-side of this page.

Proceed to the second link of my previous post.

The line says "Direct link to Adobe PDF file (1.4 MB) at adobe.com" i click on the hyperlink and it navigates to "http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/pdfs/acro7_matrix.pdf" which is a 404 page "Sorry, this page is not available". I don't see any links on the right-side of that page or the one i clicked the link on. There are just some links to Adobe pages underneath such as Solutions / Products / Support / Communities etc etc

ok, in the meantime i tried link #2.

I attempted Standard Diagnostic tests. The first instruction was "Exit Firefox completely and reboot the computer." This stopped the problem occurring as i would expect. I will now wait until the problem re-occurs and start the steps again (without rebooting) as obviously rebooting every day is not a solution to the problem.

Update: The problem i am getting appears to happen after i've used the Citrix application which uses Citrix ICA Client firefox plugin. Having done some research my problem seems very much like this one

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2139029

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=655117

I am not familiar with bugzilla. Does this mean that a bug has been acknowledged and is being investigated?

I've applied the about:config fix and i will report back if this doesn't cure my problem

Update: I have had no more problems since i applied the workaround and have made Citrix aware of the problem.

I have now upgraded to Firefox 6.

There is still a bug with the reader plugins. If i enable Adobe and Foxit reader plugins and set Adobe to be the default in Options > Applications it always chooses the Foxit reader. i.e. it is ignoring the setting in Options > Applications.

Close All Web Browsers and Update Adobe Reader software.. Check and tell if its working.

I am already using Adobe Reader 10.1.0, so there are no further updates.

See this post:

• https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/questions/857882

Check and tell if its working.

This solution uninstalls Adobe Reader. The bug is that if i enable Adobe and Foxit reader plugins and set Adobe to be the default in Options > Applications it always chooses the Foxit reader. So i don't see how that fixes the bug?

you can try it...

ok i tried it but the instructions do not follow what actually happens.

having uninstalled Adobe Reader and amended the settings in Foxit Reader, there were no results when i searched for pdf in Firefox Applications and there is no Content Type called "Foxit Reader PDF document" There is a Content Type called "Adobe Acrobat Document" that has an action "Use Foxit Reader Plugin for Mozilla".

I then re-installed Adobe Reader to test to see if the bug was fixed. Installing Adobe Reader automatically sets ContentType "Adobe Acrobat Document" back to Action "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox)" but when i open a pdf it still opens it in Foxit Reader.

So still a bug.

-> Create a New Profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problems.

-> Basic Troubleshooting: Make a New Profile

• https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Basic%20Troubleshooting#w_8-make-a-new-profile

-> If that New Profile works then you can recover your Bookmarks and Passwords from the Old Profile.

-> Recovering important data from an old profile

• https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Recovering%20important%20data%20from%20an%20old%20profile

Check and tell if its working.

i created a brand new profile. I ran with this profile using profile manager. i checked the Firefox Application settings and ContentType "Adobe Acrobat Document" had Action "Use Adobe Acrobat (in Firefox).

i opened a test pdf file and it opened it in Foxit Reader.