Zotero causing Firefox windows to freeze or fail to open

ChrisDann
I have had problems for a week or so with Firefox, when minimised, not maximising again. Clicking on the tab in the Systray causes the screen to flicker but does not maximise the window. After disabling all add-on and re-enabling them one by one, I found that Zotero 3.0.4 is the problem. Is this a known fault, would reverting to an older version resolve this issue?
  • adamsmith
    Zotero 3.0.4 has just been out for a day, so if the problem is a week old, it's unlikely to have been caused by Zotero (the last update before 3.0.4 was more than two months ago.)
    Also, this doesn't sound like any error we've had reported before. Try again with just Zotero enabled and all other add-ons off? Anything else you can remember changing at about the time this came up?
  • aaronstephan
    Same problem here. I couldn't even open Firefox without using Safe Mode. Running Zotero 3.0.4 on Firefox 12.0 on Ubuntu 11.10. Disabling Zotero plugin allows Firefox to open.
  • adamsmith
    @aaron: that doesn't sound like the same problem - the OP describes not being able to maximize the window after it's been minimized, not problems during start-up.
    See here and start a new thread: http://www.zotero.org/support/reporting_bugs#reporting_startup_errors
  • ChrisDann
    I have checked again, and it is definitely Zotero causing the problem. I had not used Zotero for a while, (studying not happening at present), so had not installed it on my new Windows 7 PC. Last week I notice that it was still on my laptop, and decided to download it to PC, and did that on 24/04/12. I do not know what version I downloaded then, but today it definitely says 3.0.4 and when I enable it, the problem immediately recurs. Maybe it has automatically updated, and the previous version disagrees with my system, but it very clearly remains the problem. As I have no immediate use for it, I am happy for it to remain disabled at present, but thought it important to report it.
  • dstillman
    Chris: Can you reproduce this immediately after a Firefox restart? As in, restart Firefox, minimize Firefox, and try to open it, and it doesn't open?

    I don't think anyone has reported this before, and I can't reproduce it on Windows 7, so this may be something specific to your system. What version of Firefox are you running?
  • ChrisDann
    Yes, it has happened to me several times when I went through the process of elimination of add -ons and again at Adam Smith's suggestion. It may be conflicting with something else on my computer, but as I explained, I was only really worried about it when I was having problems with it. Now I have disabled it, because I don't need it, I am not sufficiently bothered to find out where the conflict is, unless you have any ideas about how to go about that, that won't take me hours and hours.
  • ChrisDann
    By the way, I checked and 'Update automatically' is ticked on my Add-ons so Zotero updated from the previous version to 3.0.4 today or yesterday, but I was having this problem before then, so it was the previous version that was doing it as well.
  • dstillman
    You didn't answer my question about your Firefox version.
  • ChrisDann
    Sorry it was late when I replied last night. Using Firefox 11, for quite sometime. Zotero is the only new thing I have added to my computer for quite a while, and certainly didn't have the problem priviously.
  • Marmach
    edited May 15, 2012
    Hi,

    Same problem here. I use Zotero 3.0.7 and Firefox 12.0, Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit. When Zotero is turned on, Firefox freezes in minimized state (not always but very frequently).

    It is possible to maximize the window, either by endless clicking on its tab, or by endless clicking on "show desktop" button, OR by right-clicking on firefox tab and opening a new page (it helps most of times).
  • ChrisDann
    I gave up. As explained I am not currently doing any work that requires the facilities Zotero offers, so just uninstalled it. It is frustration though if the Zotero Geeks can't sort it out. I loved the facilities it offered when I was doing my OU degree and have recommended Zotero to many other people doing OU courses.
  • ChrisDann
    I'm sorry you have the same problem, but at least I'm not going mad and it is not just me doing something daft.
  • aurimas
    @Marmach
    Are you also seeing the flickering describe by ChrisDann above?
    when minimised, not maximising again. Clicking on the tab in the Systray causes the screen to flicker but does not maximise the window.
    If not, then do you see any part of Firefox window open (like the top bar) when you try to restore it from the minimized state?

    When minimized, if you shift-right-click the firefox icon/bar and select restore, does that do anything? Maximize? If you select Move, hit one of the arrow keys on your keyboard and then move the mouse, does a window appear?

    What add-ons do you have installed? (if there are not too many to list)
  • Marmach
    1. Yes, sometimes there's some flickering as if the window was maximized for a very short time.
    2. Not sure, but I believe that sometimes I get the FF top bar which can be then maximised.

    3. Shift-right-clicking (never knew this one!) allows to choose "restore" and "maximize/minimize". If I choose "restore", the window is restored with a limited size (maybe half of the screen?) and then can be maximized. If I choose "maximize" nothing happens except FF is turned into that state, because "minimized" option is active - so FF seems to be switching without visible effect.

    The "shift-RMB-restore" can be a temporary solution of this issue.

    I'm using the following plugins:
    Adblock
    British English Dictionary
    ColorfulTabs
    Download Statusbar
    Fast Dial
    mouse gestures
    no color
    quick drag
    tab mix plus

    Though I never had problems with even more of them and Zotero.

    Just two details more:
    - it seems, that the AeroUI window preview doesn't work for minimized-frozen FF (while it simultaneously work for other apps)
    - other instance/window of FF can be opened even if the previous is frozen
  • aurimas
    If you haven't tried so yet, can you try disabling all the other addons and see if firefox still fails to restore/maximize?

    Some other things you can try to help troubleshoot this:

    Go to Control Panel->System

    What's your System Rating?

    Then go on to Advanced system settings->Advanced tab->Performance(box)->Settings->Visual Effects

    Which items are unchecked?

    If you select Adjust for best performance (or appearance), does the problem go away?
  • Marmach
    All right. It seems that in my case Zotero is interfering with "Colorful Tabs" addon. Turing off one of them eliminates the issue.

    Frustrating! :P
  • aurimas
    Unfortunately, I cannot reproduce this after installing colorful tabs.

    If you still care to troubleshoot this,
    Turing off one of them eliminates the issue.
    Were you testing this with just Zotero and Colorful Tabs enabled? If not, then you could try testing with just those two.

    Are you able to reproduce this on a fresh firefox profile with Zotero and Colorful Tabs. To create a fresh profile, start Firefox with "-p" command line option. You can delete the new profile later.

    Maybe Dan has some other ideas, but as he mentioned before, this could be specific to your system, which would make it really difficult to trace.

    I've actually seen similar behavior on a Windows XP machine over Remote Desktop connection. Firefox didn't have Zotero installed on that machine and I can't even reproduce it any more. I think it's probably unrelated, but maybe it has something to do with hardware acceleration.
  • Marmach
    I made a new profile and checked it with only zotero and CT and the problem still occurs - more likely when no page is opened, but also with multiple tabs.

    I don't use FF hardware acceleration, as it is draining power and raising GPU temp. with no performance gain.

    I use hibernation and sleep modes very often and I have many problems with Adobe Flash (the flash plugin needs to be restarted after system wake-up, because it freezes after short, first playback) but I can't tell if it has any impact on the FF behaviour.
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