Thread: Safely reinstall firefox

There have been several problems occurring on my computer because of Firefox and the various add-ons that come with it. I would like to reinstall the application. However, the last two times I attempted to re-install it, problems crept back. How can I make sure that all the components of Firefox are deleted before a reinstall? I use Windows XP.

Firefox creates files at various locations on your Pc. These files are needed by Firefox to access the various components of your file system as well as the Internet. Here's how to make sure that every trace of your previous installation has been erased.

1.Make sure that you exit Firefox completely before attempting an un installation. Click 'File I Exit'.

2.Click 'Start I Control Panel' and then click 'Add or Remove Programs'.

3.Look for 'Mozilla Firefox' in the list and click 'Remove'.

4.Next, the 'Mozilla Firefox Uninstall Wizard' will open up. In this, click 'Next'.

5.Click 'Uninstall'.

6.Click 'Finish'.

7.Now that the uninstallation process is complete, you need to make sure that there are no traces of the application left behind. Go to 'C:\Program Files\ Mozilla Firefox' and delete all the subfolders and files in it.

8.Deleting these files isn't enough. Some profile files are hidden in your file system. Click 'Tools I Folder Options' in Windows Explorer (or My Computer).

9.Click the 'View' tab and select 'Show hidden files and folders'.

10.Click 'Start I Run'.

11.Enter the following link in the text box provided: 'C:\Documents and Settings\<userna me>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\'. In place of <username> enter the name of the User Account that is currently logged in. If you do not know this name then simply click the 'Start' button and see the name displayed on top of the 'Start' menu.

12.Delete all folders found at the location.

13.Make sure you also delete the folders found at 'C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\ Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\'.

14.When you reinstall Firefox, make sure that you download the setup from a reliable source. Downloading the file from mozilla site is recommended.