The fired fox.......

The_Conductor

Very curious issue.
Firefox has suddenly, and inexplicably, started to have a problem with my firewall. I cannot get past my firewall with firefox. Opera and IE work fine, as usual. I have tried playing with security setting, enabling and disabling java scripts, shutting any running tasks in task monitor etc, to no avail.

System is W2k SP4- patched with all updates, running Avast as antivirus s/w and an external 3Com hardware firewall (wireless).

All other programmes (including bittorrent/IE/Opera/Avast/Outlook etc- can all get through the firewall no problem whatsoever- Firefox throws up an error- unable to interrogate (a random port) on whatever the server hosting whatever webpage you try to browse (its not a 404 error).

I reloading the latest version of Firefox (1.5.0.5 -I was pushed the update at the weekend as it contained "security features").

From looking at the web- it seems a lot of people are in similar situations:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Error_loading_any_website

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=443852

I do not have zone alarm or any of the other firewalls mentioned in the bulletins installed (just my hardware firewall) and all other programmes work perfectly normally......

This is only since I installed 1.5.0.5 at the weekend- and it will not let me uninstall and go backwards.......

Any suggestions or tips guys?

Soundman

Open your firewall and go to the programs or exceptions list. Remove Firefox from teh list (it might be on it as Mozilla Firefox). Then apply and click add program. Go and look for Firefox.exe in your Programs Folder in teh window that opened and click it and ok. Apply once more and that should have it sorted. Best to do this with Firefox closed at this point. Open Firefox when yo uare finished all that and it should work once again.

The_Conductor

There are no outgoing exclusions whatsoever.
There are also no defined list of allowed programmes- everything should have access to the firewall- nothing whatsoever excluded.

At least Opera is working fine.....
Note: Firefox still working on Mac OS....

Have uninstalled, removed registry keys and installed an old version- with exactly the same problem......

Je n'cest pas.....

kippy

What type of hardware firewall are you using?
Have you tried taking it out of the equation to see if FF works then? (Just to rule out any other possible causes.)

shanemort

Have u checked that firefox has no proxy server settings????

The_Conductor

First of all its a 3Com h/w firewall. Firefox does not work on its own on the open internet connection. Opera/IE etc all work fine.

Regarding proxy server settings- Firefox inherits system proxy settings- which are blank.

I'm now using Opera- fine. I've given up on trying to get Firefox working again. Downgrading to previous versions didn't work. I could try a fresh install of Windows, but I've zero enthusiasm for that at present.