What is XPCOM in Mozilla Firefox?
XPCOM stands for Cross Platform Component Object Model. This
cross-platform component model by Mozilla makes the environment of the
application like an actual framework. The software developer gets the following
features from this development environment
- ·
File abstraction
- ·
Component management
- ·
Memory management
- ·
Object message passing
While running your Mozilla Firefox, if you are facing the
error related to XPCOM, then you are at the right page. Keep reading the
article to gather more information about the topic.
What Causes “Couldn’t Load XPCOM”
Firefox Error?
Mozilla Firefox has been the favorite browser of web
developers as it comes with various extensions that support development. But
sometimes it faces fails as a result of the introduction of new features. But
there are several methods by which you can fix the errors including couldn’t
load XPCOM Windows error. But before moving on to the various fixes, let us
have a look at the reasons that lead to such an error.
- ·
Due to Windows update
- ·
Corrupt Firefox’s profile folder
- ·
Virus attack
- ·
Installation of third party extension
As discussed above the XPCOM Firefox error occurs when you
try to run Mozilla Firefox after a Windows update. And the situation becomes
worse when you don’t have any backup. But don’t worry as there are some ways by
which you can fix the issue.
Here are 5 working
solutions to solve “Couldn’t load XPCOM” error.
1. Solve Couldn’t load XPCOM using Firefox in Safe
Mode
The first method that you can try to fix the error is to
open Mozilla Firefox in Safe Mode. For this, follow the given steps-
Step 1: Hold the shift key down and then to open the Mozilla
Firefox application, double click it.
Step 2: Now select the Start in Safe Mode option.
Step 3: If the Firefox application starts without any error
in Safe Mode then the Firefox extensions installed might be the reason behind
the error. And so disable the installed Ad-on one after the other, close and
restart Firefox normally. Follow these steps to discover the plugin leading to
the problem.
To disable the
extensions and Firefox plugins, follow the given steps.
Step 1: Click on
the three horizontal lines at the top right corner of the home page. Then
select Add-ons.
Step 2: Now
disable the Add-ons installed from the Extensions pane. Then restart the
application normally to discover the extension causing the error.
Step 3: After you
get to know the root of the problem, it is advised that you remove the
extension completely, provided you run the application in Safe Mode.
That’s it. After disabling the Add-ons and the extensions,
check if the error still persists. If yes, then you can try the next method.
2. Solve XPCOM
loading error by using Fresh Firefox
The next method that you can apply to fix couldn’t load
XPCOM Firefox Error is uninstalling, reinstalling and then upgrading the web
browser to the latest version. For this method, you will require another web
browser like Internet explorer or Google Chrome.
Step 1: Firstly
uninstall Mozilla Firefox completely from your device. Removal of the
application means that you remove everything that was related to it.
- ·
Uninstall Firefox
- ·
Remove the Registry entries
- ·
Delete from Program files
- ·
Remove entries from the AppData folder
- ·
Removal from the Program data folder
Step 2: After
uninstalling Mozilla Firefox, make sure you delete the Mozilla folder in the
Roaming folder from AppData.
Step 3: Now
download the latest version of Mozilla Firefox from web browser like Internet Explorer
and install it on you device.
Now your web browser is all set to open and offer you its
services without any kind of error. So you can browse anything very easily now.
3. Reset the Firefox
Settings to Default to fix XPCOM error.
Resetting all the Firefox settings to its default value is
another tried method that helps to fix couldn’t load XPCOM in windows 10, 8.1,
8. These steps will help you complete the process.
Step 1: Open the
Firefox application in Safe Mode.
Step 2: Now
choose Refresh Firefox option.
Step 3: Then
choose Refresh Firefox again.
Step 4: As you
will refresh Firefox, all the settings will restore to its default. The add-ons
will be removed and a new user Id will be created. But the following items are
not removed by this feature-
- ·
Passwords
- ·
Bookmarks
- ·
Browsing History
- ·
Cookies
- ·
Personal Dictionary
- ·
Open windows and tabs
- ·
Web form auto-fill information
4. Back Up and Get in
the Clean Boot State
Another method to resolve the issue is getting the system
into the Clean Boot State. And so by just carrying out this clean installation
process, you can enjoy errorless browsing with Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Press the
windows icon key +R together to open the Run dialogue box. Now type “msconfig”
and run the command to system Configuration utility.
Step 2: Now in
the General tab, select Selective Startup.
Step 3: Next
click on the Services tab. And then select the check box against Hide all
Microsoft Services. Click on the Disable All option.
Step 4: Now click
on Apply and press Ok to save the changes.
Restart your device and check if Firefox is running without
the error. But if the error still persists, then don’t worry. We still have one
more method to fix the issue. Hope that it would be of some help to you guys.
5. Repair Corrupt
Files to fix couldn’t load XPCOM problem
If any of the above methods don’t work for you, then you can
try this last method. You should give a shot to this universal solution that
can resolve almost every problem that comes up with Windows. Just download
Reimage Plus and run the scan. All the corrupt files will be restored and
repaired, fixing the issue.