Google ... reset firefox ... That's what I would do... but that's just me.

Is IE more secure that FF? With both browsers running barebones...I don't know. I run FF with NoScript and I think that is more secure than IE but YMMV.

jerry, after installing Firefox, have you tinkered with its security settings?

I've tried adding to the exceptions to include my ISP,,,,then I did the suggested reset and ended up getting my home page hijacked - who can we trust? After some trials I got to options and reset my home page. Not sure how well FX is going to run time will tell.

Jerry-
I've used Firefox for many years and never had this problem. I, too, wonder if you are doing too much tinkering with the settings instead of just running it as it is normally configured. I'm also curious what you mean when you say that you reset Firefox and got your homepage hijacked. Do you simply mean that after the reset it opened to the Firefox web page (which seems like normal behavior, since you are, after all, resetting it)? If on the other hand, you ended up at some other site, then we need more info because that could be an indication of a virus.

i am a plug-and-play fan and never tinker until something becomes unusable. As for the just use it as is after reset, the FF reset produced a FF start-up/home that didn't include the "menu bar" at the top, so I tinkered/clicked around a few tests to rediscover a right click on the top of the display provided the menu bar and thus "options" and my choice of a home page and access to my ISP.

All that said, FF still has less performance than it had in my previous 20 year (or however long it has been around) use of XP through W7. The current machine is W8.1

As for Mac, seems a strange "help" suggestion on a computer "help" forum. Is there a hidden agenda here? Seem silence is better than a "I'm so smart and you're so dumb" help.

Sorry, Jerry, my comment stands. When a browser is installed and left alone, it will just work.

Unless you have a slow machine with insufficient memory and you've overburdened your browser install with too many extensions, add-ons, and peculiar settings, you'll never be able to assess (as a user) the performance of the browser. Why would you even think about it?

When installing a browser, it's fair game to choose the home page you want, direct downloads to the folder of your choice, and then maybe install an ad blocker. Change the settings to show Menu bar and Bookmark Toolbar if you like those at the top, DONE! Nothing further is usually required.

PS - about the Mac comment, I suggest that might be a good alternative for you. Apple's products work right out of the box, few if any "adjustments" are needed (or allowed). You wouldn't have had the litany of "problems" you've posted here over the years if you had had one.

There's nothing wrong with experimenting with application settings if you have a plan for recovery....though most times the initial changes are not necessary for the average user.

With no recovery plan, a user walks on the wild side without an immediate remedy available.

For as long as I can remember the members here have recommended that notes be taken as to "tinkering" and they be recorded in the order of action. This provides a solid foundation for system restoration.

Unfortunately we cannot rely on our memories as they are subject to error.

DA

SnidelyWhiplash writes :
". . . . i recall that when you have posted a problem, the cause of the problem was YOU."
And so on.

Snidely never seems to miss a chance to put someone down, when it's totally unnecessary and uncalled for.
What you must imagine is added to any discussion by getting negatively personal, I've never figured out. But you always go there. I guess it must make you feel better or something of the like.
If no one's told you yet, generally people don't like being put down, insulted, or made to appear stupid. I've noticed you don't like it either when it comes your way.

Snidely simply called it as it is! I don't think your "comment" has done anything to help the OP.

If you know of anything that Snidely said that was wrong, it would help if you pointed that out.

I too use Firefox and don't even understand the OP adding his ISP to the list of trusted sites. The only changes that I make to Firefox out of the box is toolbar options and I opt to display Bookmarks on the left.

I have no added Popup Blocker and I also have no problems with Firefox.

Go figure.

@saltidawg

>>If you know of anything that Snidely said that was wrong, it would help if you pointed that out.

I did - the very first sentence.

I don't know how long you've been on this forum, but that and the rest of the tone is typical of Snidely's comments.

I'm not the first to point it out. Even in this thread, did you see where the OP wrote "Seem silence is better than a "I'm so smart and you're so dumb" help."

Simply "saying it as it is" is not justification for derogatory comments.

If someone asks you for your opinion on their new pair of pants, or their new skirt, and you think it's ugly, are you really going to say, "It's ugly" ?

There's no virtue in that kind of brutal honesty. You do more damage than help.

>>If you know of anything that Snidely said that was wrong, it would help if you pointed that out.

>I did - the very first sentence.

In that this is a technical question, I should have asked you, "If you know of anything that Snidely said that was TECHNICALLY wrong, it would help if you pointed that out."

You have contributed absolutely nothing to helping the OP address his technical problem, but you have decided to be the censor/moderator for other people trying to resolve the OP's issues and concerns.

@saltidawg

Negatory. That I didn't contribute any technical answers is technically true.
But have I decided to become the "censor/moderator" of the forum ? That's just a simple and weak straw man argument.
Indeed I will call out uncivil behavior whenever I see it.

One more time . . . the OP wrote, " "Seems silence is better than a "I'm so smart and you're so dumb" help." So indeed I did address one of his concerns. By contrast, you ignored it.

If I'm in a technical discussion at work, and someone starts inappropriately berating someone else, or yelling at them, or belittling them - or anything close to that - I'm going to speak up. It's the only right thing to do - and to do otherwise is cowardly.

On the other hand, by ignoring an issue here, and protecting bullying behavior, you are tacitly supporting it.

I guess I'll just concede that you're morally superior - and unable or unwilling to help resolve the technical concerns.

To the OP, hope you get the help you asked for - I'd certainly take a listen to the help actually offered. Many of us that don't mess with settings unnecessarily don't seem to have the problems you are having. (Example: there is no need to add you ISP to the trusted list. That won't cause a problem, but it suggests a lack of understanding or at least a lack of a structured approach as to how to get Firefox up and running. I'm really sorry that your thread got hijacked by the morally indignant "karb."

Im not sure what dragged me into this back and forth, and I apologize to all. If Snidely does not report the personal attack I'd be sorely disappointed.

Again, sorry!

saltidawg, you seem to be new here and may not be aware of issues that the frequent flyers come here for help with. The OP does seem to bring some of his issues on himself and comes here for help. It serves no purpose to berate or insult those that are asking for help.

Kbarb is one of the better 'helpers' here, but there are many that offer technical support for free for those who ask for help. Maybe you are potentially someone that can offer help.

You could do a simple search of the forum for any of the involved parties here, I think that you may be enlightened.

"If Snidely does not report the personal attack I'd be sorely disappointed."

Nah, I ignore him. I'll tell you why.

A couple of months ago, there was a music related thread in this forum (you can find it with a search for - Ripping CDs for multiple use-). He tried to act authoritative on topics and techniques I'm very familiar with (my main hobbies of music and digital music). Frankly, he seemed to know rather less about the subject than his manner would have suggested. In the course of a discussion of several posts, he wrote a number of comments I thought were wrong. I responded politely but indicated what I thought he was misinformed about. 10 hours after my post, he completely changed one post I'd responded to, removing the incorrect comments he'd made and essentially orphaning my comments such that they referred to earlier comments of his that now didn't exist.

The old Gardenweb software (for which I hold no unnecessary nostalgia, believe me) did have a useful feature that would add a time stamp when edits were made. The new Houzz forum routines don't do that.

He didn't like being caught. His response to my calling him out concerning his long after the fact changes was a series of prevaricating comments. I don't have time for people like that.

Saltidawg, there's no need to apologize on behalf on anyone else here.
You're responsible for no one but yourself.
If you'd like to apologize to everyone else here for your innuendo, sarcasm, and defense and contribution to unsavory behavior, be my guest.

@ SnidelyWhiplash

Speaking of prevarication, your accounting there of what happened is extremely tendentious and for the most part apocryphal.

Yes, I remember that incident and that you made a huge deal about something that didn't make sense to me. I asked you to state what the actual revised comments were, as I was pretty sure they were either insignificant, or the way you had framed things was incorrect as a whole. I wanted to see if there was any merit to your raging.

You never delivered.

Just check the thread and see for yourself : Ripping CDs for multiple use

As far as I'm concerned, that you ran off at that point spoke for itself.

If you're going to sling spurious accusations, at least support them with evidence.

Nice try with the smear then.

Anyone going back and reading that thread - and many others where you have commented I might add - will most likely see that what's really going on is that when people don't accept that you are "authoritative" (as you put it), you take it very personally and lash out at them with derogatory comments.