Re: Firefox can't start -- thinks it's Internet Exporer

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 16:08:13 UTC, Roland <[email protected]> opined:

> On 23-1-2005 16:44, Stan Goodman wrote:
> > I have Firefox v1.0 on Win2k/SP3. Among other extensions, it has UserAgent 
> > Switcher, which is an indispensible weapon in dealing with websites which 
> > demand a browser that claims to be Internet Explorer.
> > 
> > Unfortunately, after a session with such a website, I shut down the browser 
> > while it was still spoofing IE. (Evidently, the checkbox that would return 
> > to the default user agent had been deselected inadvertently.)
> > 
> > Now Firefox won't start. Instead, I got an announcement telling me that I 
> > should not be using Netscape Java plugins with a Microsoft browser. That 
> > happened once only; subsequent attempts to start Firefox produced a little 
> > HD activity, but nothing more, not even the announcement. I can't open FF to
> > fix the user agent; I am in Catch-22.
> > 
> > The question is: How can I change the user agent without opening the 
> > browser? Alternatively, how can I override whatever it is that is preventing
> > the browser from opening, so that I can fix the user agent? If the switch is
> > in some file that I can remove termporarily, I would like to know which it 
> > is.
> > 
> > Thanks in advance...
> > 
> It's a known issue (<http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/faqs/java.html>):
> <quote>
> Do not use Java with a spoofed useragent, as this may cause crashes (Bug 
> 83376 - a JRE issue).
> </quote>
> 
> Bug 83376:
> <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=83376>
> 
> To resolve follow this (it's an attachment to bug 83376):
> <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/attachment.cgi?id=167225>

The fix reads as follows:
=====
To manually remove the User agent switcher plugin (on win32) and restore 
functionality to firefox (if you dont have that plugin, skip 3 steps) 

1.locate firefox's temporary files for you windows logon account (on winXP :
(assuming drive C) C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local 
Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\) 

2.for each foler in there, in \extensions , delete the directory 
"{e968fc70-8f95-4ab9-9e79-304de2a71ee1}" if it is there (I am assuming this 
will be a constant regardless of OS) 

3.back up a couple of level to profiles BEFORE DOING THIS, BACK UP YOUR 
PREFS.JS FILE (to something like backupprefs.txt) and restore it if anything
goes wrong 

4. in each of the folders in there, edit the prefs.js file to remove any 
lines beginning with user_pref("useragentswitcher 

5. locate a line like user_pref("general.useragent.override", "Mozilla/4.0 
(compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1)"); and delete it.
=====

Step 1 is no problem. I can CD down to \Documents and 
Settings\<username>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles. DIR shows 
that the only thing in that folder is a single directory, 
<gibberish>.default. An attempt to CD into it gets the retort "Path not 
found". ATTRIB */s gets "File not found". I am not allowed in there, or to 
know what is there. Thus Step 2 of the instructions above is stymied.

Firefox is not running. I am the only user of this system and of this 
machine. What do I have to do to get into The Forbidden Directory? I would 
not be averse to just making a new profile, and letting the current blocked 
on just sit there an ferment; how do I do that?



-- 
Stan Goodman
Qiryat Tiv'on
Israel

All those who believe that the best physicians in France, given two weeks, 
can't diagnose what ails a patient - please stand up.