Member Avatar for Techno22

When I click on red X in small download box in Firefox it just refuses to close no matter how often I press on it.
Sometimes web sites refuse to close as well.
Does anyone know why this happens?
Normally clicking on the X in top right hand corner closes a page.
Any help appreciated.

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This thread documents a transient Firefox UI hang where the Downloads panel (and sometimes pages) would not close when clicking the X. reported the symptom resolved later and suspected an add‑on; earlier replies suggested basic scans and simple UI workarounds. The behaviour is most often caused by an extension or profile/UI corruption that intercepts or blocks window events. The checklist below gives a compact, priority‑ordered approach to isolate and fix the root cause.

  • Run Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode (safe mode) to disable all add‑ons and hardware acceleration and see whether the close button works: Run Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode.
  • If Troubleshoot Mode fixes it, use a binary disable/enable approach to find the offending extension (disable half, restart, narrow down). Extensions that inject overlays or badges are common culprits.
  • Test with a new profile; if the problem disappears the profile is damaged: Profile Manager and new profiles.
  • If a profile repair is required, use Refresh Firefox to restore UI files while keeping personal data: Refresh Firefox.
  • Open the Browser Console to capture script errors or stack traces that point to a failing add‑on or component: Browser Console (developer docs).
  • If the issue persists even with extensions disabled, check hardware acceleration and GPU drivers, temporarily disable security‑suite overlays, and test under a different Windows user account to rule out system shell conflicts.

Why this helps: add‑ons or corrupted profile chrome can swallow or freeze UI events; hardware acceleration or graphics driver problems can also make click events appear ignored. For intermittent faults, capture steps to reproduce and run the above diagnostics before refreshing or rebuilding the profile.

Recommended Answers

All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for Xlphos

Is this a consistant problem? Ctrl+J should open and close the download box, give it a go. Does you computer run slow? Sometimes my browser will freeze IE or Firefox.

Member Avatar for Techno22

Is this a consistant problem? Ctrl+J should open and close the download box, give it a go. Does you computer run slow? Sometimes my browser will freeze IE or Firefox.

It has been constant over the last few days.
Yes, computer does run slow.
Can hang or freeze, too.
I use Firefox.
Found IE too slow.
I appreciate what you say about opening and closing the download box, but I don't understand why it won't close when I click on the X.
That is how it, and web pages, always closed previously.
Thanks for response.

Member Avatar for Xlphos

I would suggest running a virus scan. Yes the download window should close by pressing the cross but if Ctrl+J worked fine then it could be a specific problem.

- Let us know if the virus scanner picks anything up.

Member Avatar for Techno22

I would suggest running a virus scan. Yes the download window should close by pressing the cross but if Ctrl+J worked fine then it could be a specific problem.

- Let us know if the virus scanner picks anything up.

I ran Spyware Terminator and Microsoft Security Essentials, and Avast is on all the time.
Ran Anti Malware Bytes also.
All have given a clean bill of health.
Switched on and off machine and box has gone.
But it does not go by pressing the cross.

Member Avatar for caperjack

this will not fix the not closing when you clickon hte x ,but it will /should close the box.
open firefox and go to tools /option and on the main scree check off close the box .see attachment

Member Avatar for Techno22

this will not fix the not closing when you clickon hte x ,but it will /should close the box.
open firefox and go to tools /option and on the main scree check off close the box .see attachment

The tools drop down box got jammed there for a few minutes!
Managed to get it closed again after I ticked the box that you recommended.
There is still the problem of web pages refusing to close, but I am very happy to have the downloads box problem sorted.
Many thanks for your help.

Member Avatar for caperjack

The tools drop down box got jammed there for a few minutes!
.

hi,sounds like you have other problems ,not sure what as you say you ran virus scan ,download ATF cleaner from Atribune and clean all to get rid of temp file s-it,just google atf cleaner ,
also check computer for dust inside ,and clean with compressed air or vacum,clean paint brush ,3 of the things i use!

Member Avatar for Techno22

hi,sounds like you have other problems ,not sure what as you say you ran virus scan ,download ATF cleaner from Atribune and clean all to get rid of temp file s-it,just google atf cleaner ,
also check computer for dust inside ,and clean with compressed air or vacum,clean paint brush ,3 of the things i use!

OK.
Will do.
Thanks for that.
Am getting vibes that problem could be to do with Firefox Add Ons.
Could be a slow trial and error process.

Member Avatar for Techno22

Was out for most of the night.
Turned on laptop when I got home.
Was very erratic for a time.
Was wondering if it was ever going to take off.
Then, out of nowhere, everything magically settles down, and the problem is resolved.
Boxes and webpages are closing without the slightest difficulty.
I can't explain what happened, because I don't know, but I had strongly come to suspect that the problem had to do with a Firefox Add On, specifically one called WOT - Web Of Trust, something that alerts to unsafe websites.
I very much appreciate all the help I received on this matter.
My sincere thanks to everyone who contributed.
I am happy to advise that this matter is now resolved.
Many thanks.

Member Avatar for caperjack

your welcome and good luck

Member Avatar for Techno22

your welcome and good luck

Thanks very much indeed.
You made a huge contribution, and I deeply appreciate the time and trouble that you took.
Best wishes.

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