Firefox crash on saving files

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 04:30PM #1

I'm running FF 2.0.0.12 on Win XP Pro.

I have my hard disk partitioned between System and Data.

When I attempt to save a file to the Data partition, Firefox crashes. I am unable to end the process. I can log off, but when I log back on, or when I log on as another user, I see that Firefox is still running, and I still can't kill the process. Nor can I start another copy of Firefox. I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it. I have upgraded to Version 3, and downgraded again when that didn't solve the problem.

I use the IE Tab extension to avoid having to run IE itself. When I download a file from an IE tab, there is no problem, no matter which partition I choose to save the file on. Similarly, using IE itself is not a problem.

Does anyone have any ideas? I don't want to ditch Firefox.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 04:41PM

Are you selecting where to save it with FF?

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 04:42PM

I am.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 04:44PM

Do you have permission to write to the partition? Does it crash if you save to System?

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 04:47PM

Yes, I do. This is just a recent development. I've had my HDD partitioned like this for a couple of years.

EDIT: No, no crash if I save to System.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 04:48PM

The only time i've seen this type of FF crash is if I have set a download path that doesn't exist. Try a clean profile or FF safe mode.

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 04:52PM

Grand, will try those tips, thank you.

Meantime, I've uninstalled BitComet, for other reasons, and it seems (it seems) that my problem has cleared up... I know BC is supposed to be able to capture downloads from both FF and IE, although I never had it do so. I wonder if that might have been the issue?

Although I did have that installed quite a while before I began having thsse issues.

Thanks for the advice, Sherifu.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 04:56PM

These download managers will normally install a FF extension to hijack the download process. If the extension went bad I guess it could cause the crashing.

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 05:16PM

Odd, that. BC didn't install any extensions (besides FlashGot, which it always managed to sneak in there without telling me).

But this still doesn't explain why it had issues with one partition, but not the other.

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 07:56PM

Hmmm... OK, I spoke too soon. I still have that issue. Only with Firefox, only with locations on the Data partition. System partition I can save to no bother, and IE, and FF's IETab extension also, can save to both without any issues.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 08:08PM

Really weird... Did you try a new profile?

woolymammoth · 08-03-2008 08:36PM

you could try the DownThemAll download manager, see if saving with it helps!

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 08:40PM

Sherifu, creating a new profile didn't help, I'm afraid.

Mammoth, thank you, I'll give that a shot now.

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 09:10PM

No luck with DownThemAll, either, I'm afraid.

God, this must be the most-rebooted PC in Ireland today.

woolymammoth · 08-03-2008 09:16PM

what are the main differences in the partitions? are they both primary partitions, or it the second one Logical? same cluster sizes and all that? FAT/NTFS...

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 09:18PM

pdebarra wrote: »

No luck with DownThemAll, either, I'm afraid.

God, this must be the most-rebooted PC in Ireland today.

lol

Can you navigate the Data partition from FF's address bar?

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 09:25PM

System is a primary partition, ~25Gb in size, NTFS.

Data is a logical drive, ~208 GB in size, NTFS.

I can navigate Data partition from FF's address bar.

As I say, this is a relatively new problem; certainly not more than a couple of months old.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 09:28PM

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_crashes

Anything in the windows logs?

woolymammoth · 08-03-2008 09:28PM

here's a thought.. does the problem exist with an older version of firefox?

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 09:39PM

Windows logs indicate that Firefox hung. Uncle Bill has not lost his knack for stating the obvious

Mozillazine may well be of use.

Right, first step is yet another clean install of Firefox. Wish me luck!

CHKDSK has also found errors on both partitions, so we'll see if fixing them helps - or if they were in fact caused by the FF issues.

I appreciate the help and advice on a Saturday evening.

woolymammoth · 08-03-2008 09:46PM

did bill also give you an event ID and source?

i'd see if you can try an older version of ff first, see if the issue exists there too, that way you can just update for the newer version!

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 09:53PM

Oh, he did, yeah. And when I followed the nice wee linky to Help & Support Center, he was able to tell me more (see screenie).

I'll get an older version, then. Actually, I should still have an installer from an older version.

Sherifu · 08-03-2008 09:56PM

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_hangs#Hang_downloading_files

woolymammoth · 08-03-2008 10:10PM

may or may not be of any use...

http://www.eventid.net/display.asp?eventid=1002&eventno=1522&source=Application%20Hang&phase=1

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 11:13PM

Neither of those articles had a solution, I'm afraid.

I have deleted download.rdf, as recommended, although my download list was not over-full.

I have run Portable Firefox off my memory stick and got the same issue (this is Portable FF I'm using now).

I uninstalled version 2.0.0.12 and attempted to replace it with 2.0.0.6. When I try and run 2.0.0.6, though, I get an error message telling me that FF is already running, but not responding. Which is not the case, as portable FF will run just fine (barring my main issue, that is).

So I've uninstalled 2.0.0.6, and will now reboot, reinstall, reboot, and attempt to run.

pdebarra · 08-03-2008 11:59PM

Failed on that. Reinstalled 2.0.0.12, and finally got around the "already running" probbo sorted, by creating a new profile.

Portable FF 2.0.0.6 and 2.0.0.12 showed same problem as ordinary FF.

Interestingly, Songbird (http://www.songbirdnest.com), a Mozilla-based media player, gave exactly the same results.

Now that I know how to solve the "already running" thing, I'll revert to 2.0.0.6 and see what happens.

Firefox crash on saving files

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