Firefox not succesfully opening FamilySearch

StewartTM

Using Firfox 91.0.2 from a few days ago - cannot succesfully open FamilySearch - from sign-on the screen displays my id on top right but content wheels keep spinning wihout a conclusion - opening some options under "Family Tree" restores normality.

But any click on the FS logo to return to the home screen gives the same result of the content wheels spining without a conclusion.

ShSarff

I am having the same problems using Firefox. I tried deleting my browsing history and that worked for a day or two, but then the problem returned. When I switch to a different browser, FamilySearch opens and everything works fine. So I am assuming the problem lies with Firefox. I keep checking back since I would rather use Firefox, but so far no luck.

SheamusPatt

No, the problem likely lies with FamilySearch. Firefox is pretty good at following standards, and is pretty widely used. FamilySearch should do regular testing with major browsers including FireFox so I suspect that FamilySearch is using some trick that doesn't do what they expect under FireFox.

I've run into problems with FireFox as well recently, not as bad as yours but that don't show up under Chromium.

ShSarff

I don't know whose problem it is and at this point I don't care. I am using updated Firefox 92.0 and not having any issues other than with FamilySearch. This has been going on for about 3 weeks so I am just going to sign off for now and hope it will be fixed eventually. If I get desperate for a FamilySearch fix, I will use a different browser. ☹️

Brett .

@StewartTM ( @ShSarff & @SheamusPatt )

FYI

I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...

I normally use, 'Google' "Chrome"; as, my preferred "Browser", for 'FamilySearch'.

But ...

That Said ...

I DO use, the "Browser" of 'Mozilla' "Firefox", on occasion for 'FamilySearch'; especially, when I need to be working in 'FamilySearch', through another (ie. a SECOND) "Browser".

I have been using 'Mozilla' "Firefox" and version 91.0.2; WITHOUT, any problems/issues.

And, I have just recently, "Upgraded", to 'Mozilla' "Firefox" 92.0; and, using such; WITHOUT, any problems/issues.

As such ...

I would humbly suggest, that it is NOT 'FamilySearch', that is the problem/issue, with regard to 'Mozilla' "Firefox" and version 91.0.2.

There must be another problem/issue ...

Question:  WHAT "Operating System" are you using?

I am using the "Operating System" of 'Microsoft' "Window 10" (latest version).

Perhaps, there is some conflict, with the "Operating System", that you are using, with regard to the "Browser" of 'Mozilla' "Firefox" (Version 91.0.2); and, 'FamilySearch'.

Just a thought.

Brett

Andrew Moore

I had similar problems, especially in the Source Linker. Copying info from the source to the tree would not show the place nor allow me to standardized dates and places. Clicking on names would not bring up the summary box. At times, I would see HTML source code. Refreshing Firefox didn't solve the problem. (I'm running the 64-bit version of Firefox. For those without problems, were you running 32 vs 64-bit?)

Since I'm a FH Consultant, I use 3 or 4 browsers to separate my work from others.

Firefox strongly recommends against going to a previous version due to security exposures. Instead, they suggest installing the Firefox Extended Support Release. (See https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-older-version-firefox#w_alternatives-to-downgrading and https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/organizations/.) I installed this and then reinstalled FireFox 92.0 and it seems to have corrected the problem (for now).

Andy

LDS Search Test

Often people say that Firefox is to blame. My experience shows that Firefox implements a number of security functions correctly that are not handled properly in IE or Chrome.

Firefox is my preferred browser because of its built-in and userspace security and privacy capabilities, but I have had to stop using it for FS.

Safari usually works well, but is a terrible RAM guzzler so I cannot use it for FS more than ten or fifteen minutes without emptying the cache, otherwise I get "memory pressure" issues.

I am forced to use Chrome. However, I do take extreme steps to restrict unwanted content and traffic. I would strongly suggest that no one should use it 'fresh out of the box' with its default settngs.

I cannot comment on Opera because I haven't tested it with FS.

Ryan W. Noyes

Needed is a conduit to advise FS IT folks about this matter. For me, the problem emerged within the past week or so. MacOS 11.6, FireFox 92.0.1. I've tried everything one cant try: disabling all extensions, clearing cookies to include a special FamilySearch page devoted to clearing cookies just for FS, restarting etc. Behavior is such that only the top menu bar will render. All other regions/quadrants/"boxes" of the homepage have spinning wheels trying to indicate the page is loading, but it never does. I have a very fast and reliable internet connection.

No issues to report with Chrome--it is working normal. I much prefer FireFox simply because its faster, but the temporary fix; using Chrome instead, is fine by me.

Nathan Fritzler

My situation is more or less the same as Ryan W. Noyes' and LDS Search text's above. I've found that for the last several versions of Firefox (I first noticed on 88 or so) the developer tools show several Angular.js errors. Here's the first of one such error (collected on Firefox 91.0.2 (64-bit) for Fedora Linux):

Uncaught Error: [$injector:modulerr] Failed to instantiate module MyIndexing due to: [$injector:modulerr] Failed to instantiate module MBox due to: [$injector:nomod] Module 'MBox' is not available! You either misspelled the module name or forgot to load it. If registering a module ensure that you specify the dependencies as the second argument. https://errors.angularjs.org/1.8.1/$injector/modulerr?p0=MyI…%2Fjquery-f9edd45aaad861358deae4a53c047e65.js%3A1%3A26562%0A

It looks like the error is simple; likely a module isn't getting imported correctly when the page loads, but only under firefox. I haven't tested this on other firefox-based browsers, but this doesn't seem happen on WebKit or Blink-based (or Chromium based) browsers. From angularjs.org:

This error occurs when a module fails to load due to some exception. The error message above should provide additional context.

A common reason why the module fails to load is that you've forgotten to include the file with the defined module or that the file couldn't be loaded.

https://code.angularjs.org/1.8.1/docs/error/%24injector/modulerr?p0=MyI%E2%80%A6%2Fjquery-f9edd45aaad861358deae4a53c047e65.js:1:26562%0A

This is almost certainly something that FS could fix, regardless of if it's Mozilla's fault, Google's fault (they maintain both Chrome and Angular, which FS clearly uses) or FamilySearch's fault. As a web-developer myself, this, at a glance, seems fairly simple to fix.

genthusiast

I am running Firefox 93.0 (64-bit) on Windows 10 - Version 93.0, first offered to Release channel users on October 5, 2021 - but it is not configured as my default browser. There does appear to be some history of issues using Firefox to browse FamilySearch. I have a few questions related to Firefox and usage of FamilySearch - this group appears to be the best place to ask. (I ask these questions without any preconceived idea that they will help resolve anything - but just to point out some possible areas of conflict with Firefox and FamilySearch website - and suggest try adding exceptions for FamilySearch.org to see if that resolves these issues):

1. Are users logged into Firefox and syncing data? Have they tried browsing FamilySearch not logged in? I have been able to use FamilySearch.org successfully but am not syncing a Firefox profile. Yes, I realize this is not typical.
2. Firefox menu> Help> Troubleshooting mode - does this help? If Refresh above doesn't help I don't think troubleshooting mode will either - but worth a shot. If it does help then there is probably some addon/extension interfering?
3. what Network Settings are configured? about:preferences#general> Network Settings> Enable DNS over HTTPS> Cloudflare (Default)? One interesting aspect of FamilySearch that I don't know could be conflicting here is that the Feedback button - for example - uses Cloudfront - a competing CDN to Cloudflare. Maybe try non-default DNS option?
4. What Privacy & Security settings are enabled? about:preferences#privacy - has FamilySearch been added as an exception for these settings( Tracking, Permissions, about:studies, HTTPS-Only Mode - possibly more Cloudflare issue)?

Help> More troubleshooting information may be a place to play around to determine a conflict as well.

As Firefox and FamilySearch updates are fairly recent - hopefully conflicts can be determined and a solution implemented.

No one in particular

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/381641#Comment_381641

I really appreciate this deepdive. I've been having increasing problems for about a month, mostly with attaching records. I keep loading pages thru Ffx's dev tools but can't spot anything incriminating. Today tho, FS pages won't load at all. Nothing but spinning wheels. The site is effectively toast.

No one in particular

https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/377669#Comment_377669

Using ESR is a good idea. I had forgotten it was out there. It has me working for now.