Separate Security Issue: Update your Flash Player or remove it using these links; http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html Uninstall Flash Player | Windows http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html Uninstall Flash Player | Mac

Note: Windows users should download the ActiveX for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox).

Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the ActiveX.

Flash Player Version: Version 31.0.0.148

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only> +++++++++++++++++++ See if there are updates for your graphics drivers https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

djf789 said

those individual items will REAPPEAR the next time I open a Firefox tab

Does that tab go to the website you wanted to be deleted?

If you create a new history entry for this web page then Firefox will re-add the URL to the about:newtab page. If you would use dismiss then this web page is added to a blocked list (pref: browser.newtabpage.blocked).

Changes made manually on the about:newtab page are stored in prefs that you can find on the about:config page.

• browser.newtabpage.blocked stores websites that you have removed by clicking the X button in a tile
• browser.newtabpage.pinned stores websites that you have pinned to a tile

I thank you FredMcD and cor-el for your prompt replies!

Fred: "Does that tab go to the website you wanted to be deleted?" Answer: Yes.

cor-el: "If you would use dismiss then this web page is added to a blocked list (pref: browser.newtabpage.blocked)." Answer: I've tried the "Dismiss" option and that doesn't work either to PERMANENTLY delete the website link in "Highlights".

To both of you: SOMETIMES (not often), when I "Delete from History", the feature DOES work as it should. But most of the time, not so. Regardless of the current condition of my graphics drivers and Adobe FlashPlayer (which I have not yet updated as Fred suggested), why is this such a complicated issue? SHOULDN'T THE "DELETE FROM HISTORY" OPTION FUNCTION PROPERLY WITHOUT THESE UPDATES?

P. S.: I noticed that if I go through the trouble of "Delete from History" many, MANY times in many tab and window openings, EVENTUALLY the links will STOP reappearing! But, rhetorically speaking, is it worth all that time and trouble?

After removing a site (however you do it), if you return to that site, its entry will show up again in the history.

Are you saying that the entry is not deleted at all, sometimes?

[v57+] Places Maintenance is built into Firefox.

Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.

You will find Places Database near the bottom. Press the Verify Integrity button.

When done, copy and post the results here.

Hi there, Fred McD!

Again, I will sincerely thank you for your prompt reply and attempted assistance!

"Are you saying that the entry is not deleted at all, sometimes?" Answer: Yes.

(And yes, Fred, I am aware that if I RE-visit a website, it will automatically reappear in my "Highlights". I am referring to websites that I do NOT re-visit.) Although, for even more detail, I DO occasionally re-visit the "Nextdoor" website (Nextdoor.com). But even when I have not been to "Nextdoor" for over a week, it STILL reappears in my "Highlights", even after attempting to "Delete from History" or "Dismiss".

As requested, Fred, here are the Verify Integrity results:

> Task: checkIntegrity + The places.sqlite database is sane + The favicons.sqlite database is sane > Task: invalidateCaches + The caches have been invalidated > Task: checkCoherence + The database is coherent > Task: expire + Database cleaned up > Task: originFrecencyStats + Recalculated origin frecency stats > Task: vacuum + Initial database size is 15360KiB + The database has been vacuumed + Final database size is 15360KiB > Task: stats + Places.sqlite size is 15360KiB + Favicons.sqlite size is 4640KiB + pragma_user_version is 52 + pragma_page_size is 32768 + pragma_cache_size is -2048 + pragma_journal_mode is wal + pragma_synchronous is 1 + History can store a maximum of 77026 unique pages + Table moz_places has 15350 records + Table moz_historyvisits has 112729 records + Table moz_inputhistory has 3 records + Table moz_hosts has 0 records + Table moz_bookmarks has 48 records + Table moz_keywords has 0 records + Table sqlite_sequence has 1 records + Table moz_anno_attributes has 6 records + Table moz_annos has 84 records + Table moz_items_annos has 35 records + Table sqlite_stat1 has 18 records + Table moz_bookmarks_deleted has 8 records + Table moz_meta has 3 records + Table moz_origins has 702 records + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_inputhistory_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_hosts_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_keywords_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_anno_attributes_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_bookmarks_deleted_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_origins_1 + Index moz_places_hostindex + Index moz_places_visitcount + Index moz_places_frecencyindex + Index moz_places_lastvisitdateindex + Index moz_historyvisits_placedateindex + Index moz_historyvisits_fromindex + Index moz_historyvisits_dateindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemindex + Index moz_bookmarks_parentindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemlastmodifiedindex + Index moz_places_url_hashindex + Index moz_places_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_bookmarks_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_annos_placeattributeindex + Index moz_items_annos_itemattributeindex + Index moz_keywords_placepostdata_uniqueindex + Index moz_bookmarks_dateaddedindex + Index moz_places_originidindex > Task: _refreshUI

(Again, many thanks for your continued interest in this relatively trivial matter!)

P. S.: Fred, I did update my Adobe FlashPlayer to the latest version: Version 31.0.0.148

Nice work. Is the problem still there after doing the maintenance?

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} by holding down the <Shift> (Mac=Options) key, and then starting Firefox.

A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Safe Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?

Well, hello again, Mr. Fred McD!

I THINK the problem is resolved, after following your directions above, regarding starting Firefox in Safe Mode. Time will tell if it is PERMANENTLY resolved, so I am not yet marking this posting as officially resolved...YET! (I'll give it a week or so.)

Later...after following your instructions and then restarting my 'puter...I refreshed my Firefox, and many of the old, unwanted "Highlights" links returned. I "Deleted from History" those unwanted links (sometimes it took a FEW attempts to get them to disappear). And now (at least for the time being), everything is the way I want it.

IF this issue reappears, I will again try the Safe Mode operation of Firefox, and NOT refresh it later.

However, Fred, I don't understand WHY, when a link is "Delete[d] from History", why it doesn't STAY PERMANENTLY deleted. It doesn't make sense to me, and I would suggest that Firefox resolve this issue.

Fred, IF the problem continues to occur in the future, I may come back here to this thread of posts to complain again. But I must say that, considering that this is a relatively trivial issue, and I know the world will not explode or cease to exist if this problem is not fixed properly, I may just surrender to it and "live with it". (I need to weigh how much time and aggravation I'm willing to tolerate over this small issue.)

If, on the other hand, the issue IS resolved, in a week I will mark it "Resolved" and we can all live "happily ever after"!!!

In the meantime, Fred, I am most grateful for all the time and research that YOU have put into this issue on my behalf! I do appreciate it, Sir!

The places.sqlite file stores bookmarks and history and issues with history not working properly can be caused by a corrupted places.sqlite.

If "Verify Integrity" button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page cannot repair places.sqlite then remove all places.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder. Firefox will rebuild places.sqlite and restore the bookmarks from a recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

• keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Unable_to_process_the_backup_file_-_Firefox
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/fix-bookmarks-and-history-will-not-be-functional

I thank you cor-el for your informed tips! Much appreciated!

With the help (above) from Fred McD, the problem SEEMS to be resolved: Usually, after clicking on "Delete from History" just once, it WILL delete the first time! (With the exception of Nextdoor.com.) (Referring to deleting from "Top Sites" as well as "Highlights".) If this trouble should recur again, I will try your (and Fred McD's) tips to resolve it permanently (IF I have the stamina to go through the time-consuming process). And I do also thank you for your explanation.

Also, as a matter of trivia (perhaps unrelated to this issue), I have updated yesterday to the latest version of Firefox Quantum: version 63.0.3 (64-bit).

THIS ISSUE IS OFFICIALLY RESOLVED!!! (With special thanks to Fred McD. Fred, your instructions from 11/16/18 [posted above], I believe, did the trick! This problem has not recurred since then. Fred, I very sincerely thank you with much gratitude for your advice.) (And cor-el, I also thank you for your time researching this matter as well.)

Thanks to you both. Over and out! --Don

Glad to help. Safe Surfing.