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Waterfox keeps crashing at startup

A crash is what happens when Waterfox closes or quits unexpectedly and the Waterfox Crash Reporter appears. If Waterfox keeps crashing when you open it, this article will show you how to get it working again.

Other problems with crashing:

See if you can start in Waterfox Safe Mode

As a first step you should see if Waterfox starts in Waterfox Safe Mode. This special startup mode temporarily turns off hardware acceleration among other settings and disables installed extensions that may prevent Waterfox from starting. If you can start in Waterfox Safe Mode, see the article Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Waterfox problems for solutions.

Try a clean install

If crashes are preventing you from starting Waterfox, even in Waterfox Safe Mode, a clean install will often fix the problem.

Will I lose my bookmarks, passwords and add-ons? A clean install will not delete your bookmarks, saved passwords, add-ons or other personal information. This information is stored separately in your profile folder. Here’s how to do a clean install of Waterfox:

  1. Uninstall Waterfox from your computer.
  2. Delete the Waterfox installation folder (normally located in one of these folders by default):
    • C:\Program Files\Waterfox
    • C:\Program Files (x86)\Waterfox
  3. Download a fresh copy of Waterfox.
  4. Double-click on the downloaded file and follow the prompts to continue the installation process.

For more information on how to install Waterfox, see How to install Waterfox on Windows.

Uninstall software known to cause crashes

Some programs are known to cause crashes in Waterfox and other browsers. Check your computer and remove any malware or software that might be causing problems:

  • Check the release notes to see if there are any known issues for your version of Waterfox. Check your computer’s instructions on how to uninstall software that’s causing problems.
  • Scan your computer for malware. Check the support site of your antivirus program for help with scanning and removing malware. For more information, see Troubleshoot Waterfox issues caused by malware.

Get help fixing the problem

If you need more help, you can ask a question in the support forum. If possible, please include a crash Report ID when you post your question. See Get help fixing this crash for details.