Summary: Firefox can occasionally complain that it's already running when you might not see it anywhere on your desktop. It's not lying, it's just hiding.
I installed Firefox because IE7 just freezes up and runs really slow. So far I like it. It runs really fast, but every now and then I try to start it and get a message saying Firefox is already running and that I need to stop the program or restart my computer. I was wondering what you think I should or could do, plus I was just wondering what you think of Firefox.
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I'm a big fan of Firefox, and I use it every day. I still occasionally run into websites that don't work properly in Firefox, but for the most part I rarely have to open Internet Explorer for my normal surfing.
But yes, I have run into the scenario that you've described. I'm always not sure what causes it, but I can show you what I do.
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What I've seen when Firefox complains that it's already running is simply that it is already running, but it doesn't actually have any windows open. (One way to force this on purpose is to set a scheduled task that runs Firefox, and then log out of your computer and stay logged out while that task runs. At least that's how it happens to me.)
If you run task manager, or my favorite: process explorer, after getting this message you'll probably find that firefox.exe is indeed running:
(In Task Manager you may need to make sure that "Show process from all users" is selected.)
If you find a Firefox.exe in the process list but don't see one running on your desktop, then you can right click on it and click on "End Process" (task manager) or "Kill Process" (process explorer). That should halt the unexpected Firefox and allow you to start a new copy that's visible.
An alternative for the command-line fans out there is the SysInternals utility called "pskill" which can be downloaded for free from Microsoft.
One you have the tool, then in a command shell you can enter the following command:
pskill firefox
That should result in something like this:
PsKill v1.10 - Terminates processes on local or remote systems
Copyright (C) 1999-2004 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com
Process firefox killed.
If more than one copy of firefox was running, that would be terminated as well. In fact, any program with "firefox" in it's name would be killed. And of course if no such process exists it does nothing.
So rather than looking for and terminating firefox.exe in the task list, you can just use the command line tool to "kill 'em if you got 'em".
Related:
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Ask Leo! - How can I tell what's running on my machine?
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Ask Leo! - What's this program running on my machine?
Article C3240 - December 17, 2007
I use FF all the time, and only run into this when I try to install a back-up copy of a profile into the "Profiles" folder. You cannot copy the entire folder - only the contents inside it (by pasting it). :)
Posted by: Carl R. Goodwin at December 21, 2007 06:27 PM
Posted by: Michael at September 12, 2008 5:42 PMYou sir, saved me about 30 minutes of headache. Old post, new info. Thanks.
I am having the same problem, only firefox.exe is NOT in my task manager...what do I do ??
22-Oct-2008
I get this error all the time when im in uni. It says it cant open cause its already open, BUT its not listed in the processes. We have to use firefox for all our projects. It never works until you restart (it sometimes takes 2 or 3 restarts)..so almost everytime I log on in uni i restart (and the systems in my uni take at least 30 mins to restart!!!) the computer and log in again. I have reported many times this and they keep saying they've fixed it but it still keeps happening..my friend gets it about once or twice a week and i get it almost evey time i log in. Rahhhhh!!! Its extreamly fustrating. I never get this error a home!
Posted by: shell at December 4, 2008 1:18 AMthe following happens when I use the pskill command in order to delete the blocking firefox.exe (Windows Vista business, running with administration rights):
C:\Users\Rolf>pskill -t firefox
PsKill v1.12 - Terminates processes on local or remote systems
Copyright (C) 1999-2005 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com
2 processes named firefox killed.
Ok, 2 processes? There is only 1 in the task manager list!
And this process remains in the list, it is not killed.
Also using pskill with the PID of this process has no success:
C:\Users\Rolf>pskill -t 5560
PsKill v1.12 - Terminates processes on local or remote systems
Copyright (C) 1999-2005 Mark Russinovich
Sysinternals - www.sysinternals.com
Process 5560 killed.
But the process 5560 firefox.exe is still there! I have to restart to get rid of it.
Posted by: Rolf at January 14, 2009 3:11 AMYes, I've been troubled by the same FireFox (FF) problem on a Vista Home Premium system with SP1. In addition to the other problems I've seen mentioned, I'd like to add a little regarding my own situation. In my case, when FF locks up, although I can easily close the FF window, the process does not terminate. Task Manager, Process Explorer, and even "PsKill" are all ineffective in killing the FF process. I hoped that PsKill might work, but I tried referring to the process by its name as well as by the process number, but neither method worked.
Experience already tells me that whenever FF is left hanging like that, although it's not consuming any CPU cycles, I will not even be able to perform a normal restart/shutdown. The shutdown sequence gets hung up for an extraordinarily long period of time and I usually have to force it by using my system's power button, i.e., a hard, ungraceful power off. But quite by accident, I figured out a way to at least get around the shutdown difficulties I have when FF hangs like this. I kill "lsass.exe", the Local Security Authority Process. I was experimenting once and was trying to eliminate unnecessary processes to improve performance and I thought killing lsass might help. When I killed "lsass.exe" -- you can try it yourself -- I immediately learned that this is apparently an essential/mandatory Windows process. Killing "lsass.exe" DOES NOT "crash" Windows nor does it cause a Blue Screen of Death, but once the OS senses that lsass is no longer running, after a one minute delay, a graceful restart is forced.
So, although I regained control of my ability to restart when FF hangs, this hasn't done anything to remedy the question as to why FF hangs in the first place.
Good luck to all.
Posted by: Tony at February 6, 2009 8:42 AMI had this FF-problem under Vista business at least 2 times a day (see my post Jan 14, 2009).
Posted by: Rolf at February 12, 2009 5:48 AM2 weeks ago I replaced the ZoneAlarm (free) firewall by the free COMODO firewall - the problem is gone!
I experience exactly the same problems as described in the post by Tony at February 6, 2009 8:42 AM. I am running Vista Home Premium SP1. I can add to what he said that after waiting for something like 15 minutes, Windows finally shuts by itself, without necessity to kill lsass.exe first. At least this is what happened on my machine when I decided once not force 'power off'.
I also want to say that the problem with Firefox hanging and being unterminable by Task Manager, taskkill or pskill, started to regularly happen after I installed Zone Alarm firewall a few weeks ago. I will uninstall it and check whether the problem goes away. To Zone Alarm users I want to say that this problem happens even though I turned off Prosess Control in Zone Alarm.
I want to say that I am bitterly disappointed with Zone Alarm and consider it to be another piece of malware pretending to protect your computer: it sneaks Ask.com toolbars in both Internet Explorer and Firefox, and it is very difficult to get rid of them. I consider this practice to be abominable and thus strongly advise against installing Zone Alarm.
Posted by: Mariusz at March 26, 2009 1:17 AMIt's unfortunate that you don't answer the question you posed. I presume you don't know the answer?
I get this issue constatntly, running 3.0.8 and, since FireFox is such poor software, I'll always have to rely on proper browsers.
It's a shame... :(
Posted by: Derek at April 10, 2009 3:24 AMYou, sir, are a genius and scholar. This article provided invaluable help to restoring my Firefox browser. I am indebted to you forever. Thank you!!!
Posted by: Jill at August 16, 2009 5:25 PMThanks, this pskill really helps
Posted by: tim at August 30, 2009 12:30 PM