Would like to know how to return from v33.8.2 to v33.8.1.2 Topic is solved

[Moonchild]

I will set browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run back to original value (true) and see if this fixes anything.

That's only useful for old cache migration/sizing. We should probably remove that whole cache settings juggling from ancient Firefox sometime. But low priority so will probably not happen soon XD

[Drugwash]

Yeah, didn't help anyway.

Something else crossed my mind: maybe something related to JS isn't properly initialized? I noticed on the broken page an error related to JS in the page code:

Code: Select all

Timestamp: 28.08.2025 18:51:37
Error: TypeError: $(...).tpSelect is not a function
Source File: http://192.168.0.1/
Line: 578

That function is part of the page script:
router_homepage.zip

Mercusys router_homepage_proper.zip

(EDIT: attached proper router page - previous one was incomplete and broken)

Then on second page load attempt when it loads properly I got no errors but only a few warnings, among which:

Code: Select all

Timestamp: 28.08.2025 19:01:26
Warning: Synchronous XMLHttpRequest on the main thread is deprecated because of its detrimental effects to the end user’s experience. For more help http://xhr.spec.whatwg.org/
Source File: http://192.168.0.1/js/jquery-1.8.3.min.js
Line: 2

and

Code: Select all

Timestamp: 28.08.2025 19:01:27
Warning: Use of getPreventDefault() is deprecated.  Use defaultPrevented instead.
Source File: http://192.168.0.1/js/jquery-1.8.3.min.js
Line: 2

Wondering if deCDN 33.4 might have anything to do with this issue. No idea if the OP also uses deCDN - just thought I should mention it for completeness sake. Settings are:

Screenshot from 2025-08-28 19-41-26.png

[Pallid Planetoid]

Well, if your caching is broken, then that would explain.

Check "about:cache" to see if there is any issue with it (and check the cache paths).
Maybe "Greedy Cache" is being detrimental -- try disabling it?
Also check browser.cache.disk.* preferences that have non-standard values.

The page loads great if I do what Drugwash suggested - so there's that to consider....

about:cache

about cache.png

I had disabled "Greedy Cache" and it didn't help at all - in-fact (if this is even possible) loading seemed worse if anything. And as mentioned, using Safe-Mode (w/out extensions present) I get the same results.
about:config

ABOUT CONFIG.png

Hows about:cache and about:config look? (only the top setting is non-default in about:config)

Incidentally, I know absolutely nothing at all about "deCDN"...

[Pallid Planetoid]

I'm noticing that I get the same results (to an extent using the same scenario discussed) just opening the browser forum.

The first time I click on the link to open the forum (after starting up the browser) - it takes a very long time to open the Pale Moon forum.
All remaining attempts to open the forum after that load very quickly.

Presumably this is the case with loading any site... ... nope - it's just the Pale Moon forum that's very slow first time around (does that make any sense? - it doesn't to me...)

[Pallid Planetoid]

The laptop that I have updated to v33.8.2 is the platform that still has the loading issue as of the time I updated that is being discussed in this topic.

I have still not updated my desktop so am still on v33.8.1.2 of which I find that the loading problem does not occur on this device.

And it is worth noting that my laptop did not have this issue either while on v33.8.1.2 and it was only after doing the update to v33.8.2 that the laptop immediately started exhibiting the load issue (unfortunately, reverting the laptop back to v33.8.1.2 via updating over v33.8.2 did not help - so I updated once again back to the current v33.8.2 on my laptop).

[Night Wing]

And it is worth noting that my laptop did not have this issue either while on v33.8.1.2 and it was only after doing the update to v33.8.2 that the laptop immediately started exhibiting the load issue (unfortunately, reverting the laptop back to v33.8.1.2 via updating over v33.8.2 did not help - so I updated once again back to the current v33.8.2 on my laptop).

So you updated your laptop from 33.8.1.2 which had no loading issues to 33.8.2 and had the loading issue. Then if I understand correctly, on the laptop you then reverted back to 33.8.1.2 by updating "over" 33.8.2 and then had loading issues with (33.8.1.2). If that is correct, then you "might" have corrupted your profile on that laptop.

If I am having problems with a new update, I never revert back to an older version by "over writing" the newer version. Once I am back on an older version, I always make a new profile on that older version so I do not run into a corrupted profile.

This is just me and how I operate because I do not want to deal with "Murphy's Law" which states "if anything can go wrong, it probably will" causing problems.

Did you make a new profile when you reverted back to (33.8.1.2)?

[Lucio Chiappetti]

If I am having problems with a new update,

which so far never happened to me

never revert back to an older version by "over writing" the newer version. Once I am back on an older version, I always make a new profile on that older version so I do not run into a corrupted profile.

or I will ripristinate a backup profile I create just before the update (I do that routinely, although I never needed it so far)

[Moonchild]

One thing you can try is to uninstall the browser, remove any leftovers in c:\program files\Pale Moon, and remove the c:\users\{username}\appdata\local\moonchild productions\pale moon folder in its entirety (note: "local" not "roaming"!), then reinstall the browser with the installer.

[Night Wing]

which so far never happened to me

or I will ripristinate a backup profile I create just before the update (I do that routinely, although I never needed it so far)

The last time I made a new profile because of a "questionable" new update for Pale Moon was when there was a problem with versions (if my memory serves me correctly) 30 to 31 which affected all of my Pale Moon addons.

Those addons would no longer work. So I went back to the previous version (and I think it was 30) and made a new profile until Moonchild fixed the problem. When the problem was resolved, I then updated to the newer version where all of my addons worked again.

The only other times I make a new profile is when the linux distros I use, at the time of this posting, (MX Linux, Debian) go to a new "major" version. As an example. When Debian went from version 12 (Bookworm) to version 13 (Trixie), a new Pale Moon profile was created since those developers "highly recommend" doing a clean new fresh install of the Debian distro.

I will do the same thing when MX Linux goes from version 23 to version 25. Time wise, it should not be too far in the future since MX Linux is based on Debian and Debian is now on version 13 (Trixie).

[therube]

why is Pale Moon's "cached web" content and offline "web content" and "user data" both remain zero all the time

Are you using the Portable version of PM?
If so, by default, they are set to 0.
(You would have to override that in Palemoon-Portable.ini, I believe.)


Anyhow, test in a new, clean Profile.

You can separately test old versions using the Portable versions.

[Pallid Planetoid]

Thanks for all the great feed-back

A new (fresh/clean) profile does not help - the start-page takes over 2½ minutes to fully load (ever since updating from v33.8.1.2 to v33.8.2).
After that of course (as has been the case the start-page will load just fine if I refresh or start the start-page in a new tab again) which then takes just 30-35 seconds to fully load.

So I switched back to my former "default user" profile - with the same results as described above).

Post v33.8.3 - It's always very slow loading, i.e. taking 2½+ minutes - and then any load after that has no problem.

[Pallid Planetoid]

One thing you can try is to uninstall the browser, remove any leftovers in c:\program files\Pale Moon, and remove the c:\users\{username}\appdata\local\moonchild productions\pale moon folder in its entirety (note: "local" not "roaming"!), then reinstall the browser with the installer.

I would frankly dread starting over fresh and have to add all that I've done with Pale Moon (re: extension/settings and the like) over the past 10 years (I'd rather just check on Pale Moon on occasion in the hope that an update will eventually fix the problem - or come up with a better approach than starting everything I've done over again, ugh!).

[Moonchild]

I would frankly dread starting over fresh and have to add all that I've done with Pale Moon over the past 10 years.

You wouldn't be touching your profile's important data. That's why there is the distinction between local and roaming.
AppData/Local for Pale Moon only holds transitional data: update files, disposable caches, etc.

[Pallid Planetoid]

I would frankly dread starting over fresh and have to add all that I've done with Pale Moon over the past 10 years.

You wouldn't be touching your profile's important data. That's why there is the distinction between local and roaming.
AppData/Local for Pale Moon only holds transitional data: update files, disposable caches, etc.

So losing "update files" or any other "etc." you mention, would leave me with what I have now in regards to how Pale Moon stands as I currently have it in regards to "add-ons" i.e. all my "extensions", "User Scripts", "User Styles", "Themes" and "Plugins"?

One more question - I'm running 32-bit - If I were to reinstall, would I need to install as 32-bit again (I've often wondered if I should have originally installed as 64-bit) - or could I safely install as 64-bit? (or would it be better to just stay with 32-bit on my 15+ year old Win10 laptop?).

[Pallid Planetoid]

why is Pale Moon's "cached web" content and offline "web content" and "user data" both remain zero all the time

Are you using the Portable version of PM?
If so, by default, they are set to 0.
(You would have to override that in Palemoon-Portable.ini, I believe.)


Anyhow, test in a new, clean Profile.

You can separately test old versions using the Portable versions.

Nope not using portable - but I do have a very old 'portable' I never use.

I tried the 'portable' I have and the start-page doesn't load at all - can't even get the start.me start-page login to render to even access the start.me start-page (see what I get below, note "update" dialog that I don't know if it would be what I want to do or not):

get this using 'portable'.png

[Pallid Planetoid]

^ @ therube, to follow-up on your addressing my 'cache'....

I really do believe that if I could get my 'cache' off of ZERO, i.e 'cashed web content' etc., for Pale Moon that this might help with my start-page loading issue.

I've never before observed 'cache' never getting used - but that's what is occurring for Pale Moon; all references to browser 'cache' is always remaining ZERO all the time.

[Pallid Planetoid]

^ followup on 'cached web'

I'm finding that the 'cached web' IS getting used - but if I check for it again (w/out clearing any cache at all) - it reverts to zero 'cached web' the next time I check again.
If I check I get this the first time (and I'm not clearing any cache, i.e am not clicking on the 'Clear Now' button - just exiting preference setting is all I'm doing):

PIC-1 Cached Web.png

If I check again, I get this the second time (and I'm still not clearing any cache myself)

PIC-2 Cached Web.png

So something would appear to be clearing cache....

This is tested using safe-mode - so no extensions are involved at all.

Browser cache should remain unless "cleared".

Again, as mentioned - this seems to have started as of PMv33.8.2....

... is anybody else getting this same result on PMv33.8.2?

ADDENDUM: Hmm, just loaded my start-page from a new tab (using URL) and the start-page loaded just fine (no problems at all) - and then did a check for 'cache' the first time and found it to be at ZERO (so I just don't get it... ).

[therube]

A new (fresh/clean) profile does not help - the start-page takes over 2½ minutes to fully load

That's ridiculous (the 2½ minutes).

A new, clean Profile should have caching enabled, by default.
Did you check that that is so?

After that ... (start-page will load just fine if I refresh or start the start-page in a new tab again) which then takes just 30-35 seconds to fully load

Again that 30-35 seems ridiculous (to me).
(Now, I have no idea what you're "loading" that could possibly cause such slow loads, but...)

Post v33.8.3 - It's always very slow loading

I'm running 32-bit - If I were to reinstall, ... or could I safely install as 64-bit?

IMO, especially what the web is these days, anyone who can, should be on a 64-bit browser.
(In my simplistic view of going from 32 to 64, all should "just work", but then I do not install, so not totally sure.
But... backup first, second & third. And so long as you have backups, perhaps you can restore to where you were, if need be.
It could be ? that 64-bit would want to install into a different directory, not sure? But if you (backed up), uninstalled 32-bit, installed 64-bit, I'd think you should be OK.)

I do have a very old 'portable' I never use

I have no idea what that (WS) is? My 31.0.0 does not show that.
In any case, 31.0.0 appears to be too old to function on current https://palemoon.start.me/start webpage.

Anyhow, you can get the current Portable Windows versions from https://www.palemoon.org/download.shtml
& older versions from https://archive.palemoon.org/palemoon/ (https://archive.palemoon.org/palemoon/33.x/33.8.1.2/).
(Again note that Portable, by default, disables cache. Though you can always check in that mode, then enable, & check again.)

all references to browser 'cache' is always remaining ZERO all the time

Using a user.js file?
A new, clean Profile would not have a user.js.

I'm finding that the 'cached web' IS getting used - but if I check for it again (w/out clearing any cache at all) - it reverts to zero 'cached web' the next time I check again.

An extension that is set to clear caches on browser close?

This is tested using safe-mode - so no extensions are involved at all.

Kind of blows the above thought out of the water?

[Pallid Planetoid]

I changed the pref browser.cache.disk_cache_ssl in about:config from "false" to the default "true" setting and found the start.me start-page to be loading as expected (tested 3 times, so far).

Could the last v33.8.2 update have changed this pref setting to the non-default "false"? (since this issue started right after updating to the current Pale Moon version).

If the answer is "no" to the above question - then what changed my browser.cache.disk_cache_ssl pref setting from the default "true" to "false" -- keeping in mind that using the default toggle value of "true" (which was not the case until I reset the pref to the default value "true") has addressed my start-page load issue apparently?

I'll continue to monitor for a while longer before checking this off as the resolution to my issue at some point.

Addendum: tested another 3 times - the resolution remains persistent, so am checking this off as the "accepted answer" to the topic.

[Pallid Planetoid]

@ Drugwash, just wondering since you were having a similar issue as I've been having --- what is your browser.cache.disk_cache_ssl pref set at?