cannot enter text & no text cursor
Sometimes, seemingly random, I can't enter text properly into Firefox. Usually if you click on the address bar or search bar, the current content is highlighted and you can overwrite it. Instead, nothing is highlighted and any text I type is in the light grey colour of URLs or names of search engines and inserts directly where clicked (rather than the end, for instance). If I open a new tab (with no home page), any text typed is in the same light grey default font. This also happens in other text boxes like Facebook status update boxes (but does not seem to happen in the Google search bar on Google search results). Regardless, it's impossible to follow any text entered. Restarting the browser makes it go away.
All Replies (6)
Try the Firefox SafeMode to see how it works there.
A troubleshooting mode, which disables most Add-ons.
(If you're not using it, switch to the Default Theme.)
- You can open the Firefox 4.0+ SafeMode by holding the Shft key when you use the Firefox desktop or Start menu shortcut.
- Or use the Help menu item, click on Restart with Add-ons Disabled... while Firefox is running.
Don't select anything right now, just use "Continue in SafeMode."
To exit the Firefox Safe Mode, just close Firefox and wait a few seconds before using the Firefox shortcut (without the Shft key) to open it again.
If it is good in the Firefox SafeMode, your problem is probably caused by an extension, and you need to figure out which one.
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes
If that doesn't solve it try a new Profile.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_new_Firefox_profile_on_Windows
When you figure out what is causing that, please let us know. It might help other user's who have that problem.
Well, I'd always have to be running it in safe mode then because restarting (in safe mode) when it happens solves it the same as restarting it not in safe mode... It's infrequent enough (or at least sufficiently difficult for me to predict) that running in safe mode all the time wouldn't really solve it because I wouldn't be able to know if it's not happening because it's in safe mode or because I hadn't triggered it...
It is possible that you opened a pop-up in a tab and the website has disabled the location bar, so it is now only read-only.
See:
But I can still type in it. And it affects other text boxes. It's happened right now actually.
I should note that when typing in the address bar when this problem happens that there is no drop-down suggesting history or favorites.
Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).
- Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
- https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode
Also check the location bar setting:
- Firefox/Tools > Options > Privacy > Location Bar: When using the location bar, suggest: History, Bookmarks, History and Bookmarks