firefox setting won't save

Firefox no longer blocks pop ups on my other computer, I have to tell it to block them every time I use it, it never saves. I was wondering what could be causing this

I think I am just going to make sure I have my bookmarks backed up and reinstall. But, I am really curious as to what may be casuing this and any other ways to fix it.
Thanks anyone.

 

Pop-ups can happen anytime a Windows computer is connected to the Internet. Windows allows the program "Internet Explorer" to display whatever it wants, whenever it wants. It just so happens that ad servers are alerted when the computer is connected and/or has Internet activity. Usually this is accompanied by a virus, trojan, malware, or other security risk.

If Windows Internet Explorer is allowed to instantiate pop-ups when an ad server wants, Firefox cannot prevent it. Does that make sense? Firefox does not control Internet Explorer.

You may want see if an antivirus application can catch it. Good luck.

 

Disable IE, remove spyware/adware, uninstall FF and reinstall it, look at their addon blockers or try PG2 (anti - Ads/Edu/Gov/Spyders lists are available).

 

You need a firewall. http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,7228-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html
I use Zonealarm Pro, but its too geeky for the average person.

After you install it, do a spybot/adaware scan.

Also make sure FF is the default browser. Click on tools/options, and clear private data, cookies included. Now, keep java and javscripts turned off until you need them. THAT by itself will help alot as most popups run using some kind of java.



x

 

Yeah, I have a mcafee firewall already, and on the computer in question I literally broke Internet Explorer cause certain programs kept trying to use it despite Firefox being set as browser.

 

IE can be removed by the roots if you want. Use a program called xplite.

It allows you to do things Windows won't give you permission to.


x

 

^ Thanks man. I just went into the registry and fucked up the IE files =P

 

System restore might bring it back from the dead. I keep mine turned off.


x

 

xexon
me too
it aint that geeky tho just need to get used to popup allows
[rule 1.. never allow anything 'but',,,lol.. lot of work to explain what should
be allowed. man frustrating so easy yet so hard to teach]
hhmmm maybe too geeky.. sigh

i just went through my zone alarm program control stack..so much garbage from games...really piles up in just a few months.
big offenders.. steam

occam

 

It sounds to me like you've got a trojan man. I've never known Firefox to let unwanted pop-ups through. Unless pop-up ads have augmented to open IE through Javascript I can't think of any other way they could get through. Have they gone that far yet? (Oops, now I'm giving the ad buggers ideas Dx)
Anyhow if that's the case you can go all out and block Javascript with an add-on. I don't, but I do use Flashblock, and 2 versions of AdBlockPlus. (One is for text) Also I believe there is an add-on to augment the pop-up blockers capabilities.

I don't know what I would do without Firefox add-ons

 

One popular way pop-ups (pun?) or pop-up instantiators can get through is via ActiveX. JavaScript is another but ActiveX is one of the worst. A Trojan or other Crapware comes in and instantiates pop-ups whenever you actively use the Internet. If the IE registry files are broken, IE will still instantiate popups by using the default or backup registry files for IE.

There are many ways ActiveX can install your shiny new set of 230 viruses/crapwares. Some are via ActiveX on websites, ActiveX programs/scripts, or even the infamous peer-to-peer (other than Utorrent). Especially those special key-gens and crackers, they almost always have something hidden behind the GUI. You don't even have to use the key, just open the key-gen application. Don't even ask how to fix that.

You may want to consider backing up your data/files and reinstalling the OS. If you want to prevent further problems like this, install Linux. You can keep the OS you use now and just use Linux for the Internet if you prefer.

 

Limewire seems to be a popular Gnutella client. I've heard horror stories about it. I don't know whether that's just because of stupid people trying to use the internet, or if there's an actual threat. Either way play it safe; get something else.

Funny, I used to do the opposite. Kubuntu used to have a script to make slow connections faster. The problem is, it made fast connections a lot slower.
I haven't seen a pop-up since I started using it though. Without being reminded I could almost forget they exist

 

Limewire is pretty horrible. A lot of times viruses are easy to spot, but dumb people would definitely have trouble =P

Updating to Firefox 3 solved the problem =)

 

I lied.

Problem's back.
I've noticed Spybot's immunization option now includes Firefox. Now, in it, it says:
'Immunization allows you to take preventive measures against spyware by using methods inside your browser(s)'
Which leads me to think spybot is the cause.

However, spybot has always been helpful to me, and I know no other free anti-spyware programs. I'm thinking uninstall and reinstall both, and don't touch the immunization option...

Any thoughts?

 

Avast:
http://www.avast.com/
Free. Decent. Not too heavy on system resources.

AVG
http://www.grisoft.com/
Free. Not as good as avast but lighter on the system.


I have seen (my own eyes) viruses get through both of these. Don't depend on this alone. Get a firewall and be safe. For example, porn sites are usually very destructive and very well known to infect. Monitor and know everything. Press ctrl-alt-delete and look through the active and background processes. If it is questionable, google the process name and research.

 

yeah, I do all that.
I have mcafee firewall and virus software, but I'm about to axe it. They've updated it way too much and my computer just can't handle all the realtime scanning it does (that you can't seem to disable)

I'll check out both those programs, I'll update on whether or not spybot seems to be the problem. Before I cleared out the application data caches for firefox, as well as all my windows temp and cache and cookie folders to see if it could be anything in there. If this doesn't do anything (which I assume it won't) next step is to uninstall spybot then reinstall firefox.