Neither Firefox or iTunes will open on my computer. I’ve restarted several times. Help please?!
Restarting is always a good move when programs won’t open because rebooting frees up system resources that could be interfering with your programs opening properly. Since that hasn’t worked, let’s dig a little deeper.
Rollback Recent System Changes
It sounds like this has just started. If so, performing a System Restore may be a viable option. If your computer is running Windows XP or Vista and System Restore has been enabled, go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore and choose a Restore Point from when you could open Firefox and iTunes successfully. This will reset your computer to that point without affecting your newly added data. You will need to reinstall any new hardware, software, or updates since that point. Keep in mind that those reinstalls may reintroduce the problem that interfered with these programs in the first place though.
Try Opening the Programs Directly
If you are launching Firefox and iTunes via a shortcut icon on your Desktop, try opening them directly from their .exe files. It could be that the shortcuts have become broken or corrupt. Mozilla is typically located in C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe. If the shortcuts are corrupt and you can open the programs locally, there could be either a file association problem or corrupt icon cache.
Update your Operating System
Operating system updates often solve intermittent problems with other programs. Likewise, updates often cause conflicts (which is why System Restore helps). If you haven’t updated your system in a while, do so now and see if that repairs the issue.
Check to See if Programs are Running
Does either of these programs give you an error message? Firefox sometimes doesn’t close properly and then stubbornly refuses to open again. Go into Task Manager and look for firefox.exe under the Applications tab. If it’s running, stop it. Try launching it once again.
Uninstalling and Reinstalling the Programs
Sometimes, it’s easier to uninstall and reinstall applications then it is to figure out what has gone wrong.
Another good step when your computer suddenly refuses to operate as it should is a thorough antivirus and antispyware scan. Malware often gobbles up so much of your computer’s resources that programs no longer open. This could be a symptom of a larger problem. Assuming you have a reputable antivirus product, update it, and run a full system scan. If you don’t have one, we recommend any of the product we reviewed last year: Antivirus Reviews.
Celeste Stewart | July 14th, 2009
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