Release Notes page always loads on startup Topic is solved

[tenseys]

Have you tried the portable version? I wonder if that could provide some info/idea depending on how it behaves.

You're on creators? Maybe try fall creators.. Make sure you have all recent windows updates in any case.

[Cassette]

It sounds to me like your browser is being sandboxed maybe by ESET Smart Security since none of your settings are saving. I haven't used the program, but I looked at the website and it does have a HIPS function. You might want to dig in the options to see if there is a way to add Pale Moon as a trusted application.

[graveller39]

Have you tried the portable version? I wonder if that could provide some info/idea depending on how it behaves.

You're on creators? Maybe try fall creators.. Make sure you have all recent windows updates in any case.

Can I use the portable version on a PC? I thought they were for phones - shows you how much I know...

I'm using the Fall Creators update - or whatever they pushed back in October - and all the most recent updates.

[graveller39]

It sounds to me like your browser is being sandboxed maybe by ESET Smart Security since none of your settings are saving. I haven't used the program, but I looked at the website and it does have a HIPS function. You might want to dig in the options to see if there is a way to add Pale Moon as a trusted application.

I'm not too familiar with HIPS or how to use it - I've been using Pale Moon for the last year or so and its worked fine with ESET, so I'm not sure what might've changed there. I'd have to do a bit of reading to try and figure out what HIPS is all about.

[tenseys]

I've never tried portable but I think it is meant to be run off a usb flash drive on a computer.
There is information about it here: https://www.palemoon.org/palemoon-portable.shtml
I'm not sure how helpful this would be for your situation.

Regarding eset, there is some information here about how to disable HIPS:

https://support.eset.com/kb2811/

Looks like computer restart is needed after you disable it.

More info about HIPS that includes location and settings for it:

https://support.eset.com/kb2950/?viewlocale=en_US

[graveller39]

thanks tenseys,

I just tried the Pale Moon portable version and exactly the same situation happens as with the installed version. I'll look further into HIPS.

One further note - I installed Pale Moon on my wife's laptop today (Win7 Pro with ESET Smart Security) with absolutely no issues - everything worked as it should, so the problem is no doubt something specific to mine (MSI CX72 6QD w Win10 Home).

[graveller39]

Disabled HIPS and tried to change homepage - no luck; still loses it when browser closed.

[tenseys]

You're also seeing tabs (release notes etc) open like before in addition to settings not saved?

Does desktop installed PM work normally in other ways? Can you visit websites, log into this forum, watch videos on Youtube etc?

[graveller39]

Yes - still seeing multiple tabs open like before in addition to settings not saved. Otherwise it seems I can use the browser for the usual stuff...

Some settings are being saved - like which toolbars are selected (Menu bar, Navigation Toolbar) and other changes under View > Toolbars > Customize, but settings under Tools > Options are not. As for add-ons, I can add uBlock Origin & Print Edit and they seem to work fine, but the Moonfox3 theme won't work - it installs, but there's no button to disable the default theme.

[Nigaikaze]

Some settings are being saved ... but settings under Tools > Options are not.

Almost sounds like the prefs.js file in your profile folder is set to read-only. Take a look in your profile folder and make sure all of the files in there are writable.

EDIT: Ooops, sorry, just re-read the thread from the beginning and saw that you've already tried deleting prefs.js as well as the profile folder. Still sounds like something is preventing Pale Moon from writing to prefs.js, but I'd be grasping at straws to guess what that something is.

EDIT #2: By any chance is there a user.js file in your profile? I believe settings in user.js can override prefs.js. If there's a user.js file there, close Pale Moon, rename user.js to something else, restart Pale Moon and see if you can save settings. Again, grasping at straws here.

[graveller39]

Should my prefs.js file be storing something? When I open it in Notepad, this is all I see:

# Mozilla User Preferences

/* Do not edit this file.
*
* If you make changes to this file while the application is running,
* the changes will be overwritten when the application exits.
*
* To make a manual change to preferences, you can visit the URL about:config
*/


Seems to me there's really nothing there...?

[tenseys]

With PM closed, my prefs.js file in notepad shows a lot of settings in addition to what you have there.

[Nigaikaze]

Seems to me there's really nothing there...?

Prefs.js is the file where Pale Moon stores setting changes from Tools > Options and about:config. So yeah, something on your system appears to be preventing Pale Moon from writing to prefs.js. The $64 question now is, what's preventing that?

[Scribe]

Try this: Type about:config into the address bar, press Enter, accept the warning, scroll down to browser.startup.homepage and right click > Reset, then restart PM. You should now see only the default start page.

(FYI, you can also right click > Modify, and enter a start page URL of your choice; or about:home is the home page; about:newtab is the New Tab page).

If you still get multiple tabs, something is changing it. Possibly your security program or maybe malware...

[tenseys]

I think there is some secure browsing feature for banks with eset that works with FF, IE, Chrome. Doesn't work with edge. I wonder if it is somehow messing with PM.

I remember when I had a problem caused by avast a long time ago that affected FF I first tried disabling all settings on avast and it wasn't till I uninstalled it, restarted and enabled win defender temporariliy that the issue cleared and showed itself to be cause by avast (on that particular machine). This requires having the activation code and links to reinstall eset AV etc.

Any other antimalware programs on computer?

Is Windows defender disabled with eset running? (it should be).

[graveller39]

Well... before I try anything else, I got to thinking... (I know that can be dangerous) - what if I copied the prefs.js file from my wife's laptop into my profile here? That might work, right? Well it did! I haven't tried changing the homepage - its now set to what I want (google) - and I'm not sure I want to try...

I don't know if the prefs.js file is completely okay now or not - I suppose, for what its worth, I could try changing something else in the Tools > Options settings to see if its saved. I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks so much for the help guys - I've at least got Pale Moon back behaving how I want it. We'll see if its a permanent fix.

[Nigaikaze]

We'll see if its a permanent fix.

Fingers crossed!

[tenseys]

Yeah it seems like based on what's happened so far that it won't save but I hope it does. If that's the case maybe you can add/change code directly to the file like you did and then it will save should you need to change something. If that is true then I guess it is still an issue. Did the tabs stop opening?

Glad though at least you have your homepage back and some progress.

[graveller39]

So, yeah, something is definitely preventing the prefs.js from being written to... I tried a couple of quick changes and they revert back when PM closes. At least I have PM looking and working the way I'd like now, but how might I determine what's stopping it from saving when PM closes? Something in the OS likely?

[graveller39]

Did the tabs stop opening?

Yes, Pale Moon now opens with only my homepage and the Moonfox3 theme is working now as well.