Start-up problem

[Nocton]

For the last few days when I turn on my PC (Windows 10) the Lemon Fool site has appeared opened in Firefox, my default browser.
I have checked the Windows Start-up options using Task Manager and also CCleaner, but there is no sign of LF in the start-up apps. For Firefox, my default/Home opening option is DuckDuckGo, not LF. As far as I know I have changed/done nothing differently in the past week,

Does anyone know how/why this is happening and how I can stop it?

[mc2fool]

The very first two options under Settings are: (in 126.0, the latest)

General
Startup
[ ] Open previous windows and tabs
[ ] Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up

[Nocton]

TY,mc2fool. What you suggest may be the problem, BUT
I am using version 126.0 but there is no option "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up" showing.
After "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up", which is not checked,
there is only the option "Always check if Firefox is your default browser"

However, I have done a web search and followed instructions on this page:
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-stop-firefox-from-opening-on-startup-in-windows-10
I found that toolkit.winRegisterApplicationRestart was indeed set to True, so I've changed it to False. I'll check when I next reboot, that that has fixed the problem.

[mc2fool]

TY,mc2fool. What you suggest may be the problem, BUT
I am using version 126.0 but there is no option "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up" showing.
After "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up", which is not checked,
there is only the option "Always check if Firefox is your default browser"

However, I have done a web search and followed instructions on this page:
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-stop-firefox-from-opening-on-startup-in-windows-10
I found that toolkit.winRegisterApplicationRestart was indeed set to True, so I've changed it to False. I'll check when I next reboot, that that has fixed the problem.

Uh? There is no option "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up" but after "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up" there is only "Always check if Firefox is your default browser" ?!? I take it you mean there is no "Open previous windows and tabs" option!

That's strange ... maybe having the 64-bit version makes the difference? Here's mine below.

But in any case, what you reported as the problem in your OP wasn't that Firefox starts up automatically but that "the Lemon Fool site has appeared opened in Firefox", and that's almost certainly to do with the (missing?) "Open previous windows and tabs" option. If that's set and you have a tab/window open on TLF when you close Firefox (inc. by shutdown), then it'll restore it, along with any other tabs/windows you had open, when Firefox next starts. And you don't have to wait for a reboot to test that, simply close Firefox and restart it.


(My image).

[mc2fool]

However, I have done a web search and followed instructions on this page:
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-stop-firefox-from-opening-on-startup-in-windows-10

P.S. And if you scroll down in that page you'll find a section titled How do I stop Firefox from opening old tabs at startup? which tells you about the "Open previous windows and tabs" option -- although curiously their screen capture doesn't have the "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up" option! Possibly 'cos they've nobbled it by other means....?

[Nocton]

TY. It is indeed the 64bit version.
But I do have the "Open previous windows and tabs" option and it is not, and never has been, checked.

I see in my first post I did not make this clear as I said:
After "Open Firefox automatically when your computer starts up", which is not checked,
there is only the option "Always check if Firefox is your default browser"
which does not make sense in the context, when I meant:
After "Open previous windows and tabs" , which is not checked,
there is only the option "Always check if Firefox is your default browser"
I'll report tomorrow when I start my PC.

[tjh290633]

Has The Lemon Fool become your Home Page? Apert from the "Start Firefox on Startup" issue, that would explain it.

TJH

[GrahamPlatt]

Sounds like there’s a bit of confusion here.
What apps start on boot is a decision that’s made by the OS.
What tabs are opened when FireFox is launched depends in settings in FF.

IIRC Windows has a menu for apps that start automatically at boot.
Try here https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 3c295d89dd

Once FireFox opens, the tabs that are presented to you depend on choices in FF’s settings..
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/ho ... -last-time

[Nocton]

Has The Lemon Fool become your Home Page? Apert from the "Start Firefox on Startup" issue, that would explain it.
TJH

No it wouldn't and it hasn't. The problem is that it opens when Windows starts up.

[Nocton]

Sounds like there’s a bit of confusion here.
What apps start on boot is a decision that’s made by the OS.
What tabs are opened when FireFox is launched depends in settings in FF.

Yes, but there's no confusion on my part.
But I've been clutching at straws because, as I said in the OP, I have already checked the Windows start-up options and LF is not showing. When I have time, I'll check another way of doing it as in your MS link and get back.

Needless to say perhaps that my FF tweek did not work.

[mc2fool]

Sounds like there’s a bit of confusion here.
What apps start on boot is a decision that’s made by the OS.
What tabs are opened when FireFox is launched depends in settings in FF.

Yes, but there's no confusion on my part.
But I've been clutching at straws because, as I said in the OP, I have already checked the Windows start-up options and LF is not showing. When I have time, I'll check another way of doing it as in your MS link and get back.

Needless to say perhaps that my FF tweek did not work.

But there clearly is confusion on your part, as you have repeated "I have already checked the Windows start-up options and LF is not showing".

There is no way of adding The Lemon Fool as a Windows start-up option*, and you appear to be conflating the two separate matters, as explained by Graham.

So, what exactly is the issue that you want fixed?

1. That Firefox automatically starts up when you boot the PC?
2. That when Firefox starts it always does so on The Lemon Fool?
3. Both of the above.

Note that for (b) you don't need to reboot to investigate and/or try any fixes. You simply need to close the Firefox window (the X at the top right will do) and then restart it (just Firefox, not the PC). Try that now; have one tab open on this and open another couple of tabs on other sites and then X close Firefox and then restart it. Does it come back looking just as it did, with the same tabs on the same pages, as when you closed it?

* Ok techies, I am dismissing the idea that the OP has somehow managed to set up the command line options somewhere to do that ... for now at least!

[Nocton]

Sorry it is still not clear.
The problem is a. But also why then would it start in LF. When I load FF as normal from the desktop or Windows task-bar it starts up at my home page, DuckDuckGo.
That's why my first thought was to check the start-up options via Windows Setting/MSconfig/Task Manager and CCleaner.

But the problem is now solved
Looking more closely at the start-up browser window showing LF, I noticed that although it had all my usual bookmarks showing, it is was not quite the same as my normal FireFox browser. Closer inspection showed that is was the DuckDuckGo browser, not FF with the DDG search option that I have as my default option.

Going back to Task Manager Startup tab, I identified what appeared to be the DDG browser and disabled it. That solved the problem. I have now removed the DDG browser altogether from my PC. It looks as if I must have accidentally clicked on the Download DuckDuckGo browser from my home page, although why it should then decide to load LF at start up I don't know. And it is rather annoying that by default it should load at Windows boot.

[tjh290633]

Has The Lemon Fool become your Home Page? Apert from the "Start Firefox on Startup" issue, that would explain it.
TJH

No it wouldn't and it hasn't. The problem is that it opens when Windows starts up.

Have you looked at "Settings" in Firefox, accessed by the 3 horizontal lines at the right of the top line? That is where the decision to start Firefox on startup is found. That is under "General". Then if you look at "Home" it will tell you what your home page is.

This is where the source of your problem may be.

TJH