Firefox does not have a built-in script approval function like that, but it could be an add-on that isn't behaving as it did before.

In case one of your extensions is involved, do you want to test in Firefox's Safe Mode? That's a standard diagnostic tool to deactivate all extensions as well as some advanced features of Firefox. More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode.

You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
• Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

Not all add-ons are disabled: Flash and other plugins still run

After Firefox shuts down, a small dialog should appear. Click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Reset).

Any difference?

You can also check the connection settings.

• Tools > Options > Advanced > Network : Connection > Settings
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Options+window+-+Advanced+panel

If you do not need to use a proxy to connect to internet then try to select "No Proxy" if "Use the system proxy settings" or one of the others do not work properly.

See "Firefox connection settings":

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firefox+cannot+load+websites+but+other+programs+can

Do a malware check with several malware scanning programs on the Windows computer. Please scan with all programs because each program detects different malware. All these programs have free versions.

Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:
  http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
• AdwCleaner:
  http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/
  http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/Removal-Tools/AdwCleaner.shtml
• SuperAntispyware:
  http://www.superantispyware.com/
• Microsoft Safety Scanner:
  http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx
• Windows Defender:
  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-defender
• Spybot Search & Destroy:
  http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
• Kasperky Free Security Scan:
  http://www.kaspersky.com/security-scan

You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.

• Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller:
  http://support.kaspersky.com/5350?el=88446

See also:

• "Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/troubleshoot-firefox-issues-caused-malware

Thank you for your reply. Please see my response to two kind responders in my response to Corel, below. - Dr. Matt

Well, that didn't work well. I intended for the first reply to be in response to the first responder's comment. Oh well.

I apologize to you both for the delay. Things got busy at the office, and I didn't have much time to play with all of the suggestions since I am not all that familiar with add-ons and such.

I decided, since it had been long postponed, that I would go ahead and accept the free Windows 8.1 upgrade. And that's when the first set of issues (those prompting my first question) began.

Because things just weren't working right, I said, "EFF IT," and decided just to uninstall Firefox and reinstall it. And that was a huge mistake. (I know enough to do the manual install and not say yes to all the "crap" free stuff.) But that didn't help at all.

Now my Realplayer Downloader doesn't work... pages load and then reload with all these WOOWCoupoNet ads everywhere... pop-ups slide in from the bottom, right and left... my google search pages have all these "relevance.com" text columns (again, pages load normally and then reload themselves with all the crap - google search results are fine and then, 3 secs later, it refreshes with CRAP - see images).

I went into Control Panel and saw the WoowCoupoNet program and uninstalled it. IT only made it worse.

I use Microsoft Defender, which I thought was best. I guess you're right, we need more than one.

What do I do now?

Have Firefox and Google sold out to all these ad companies?

Oh, and everytime I click a legitimate link on a "crap-filled" webpage, it opens a new tab with an ad.

Whose computer is this anyway? Ha....

The one image shows the top of THIS page as my Firefox thinks I should see it. The other I pieced together and cropped to give you an idea of what Google search results look like. Results normal on the left... on the right, 18 PAGES of this text crap (usu from "relevance.com." ARGHHGHHGHH

Try using Firefox's Safe Mode for the next few sessions, as that will disable extensions.

You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
• (menu bar) Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

Note: Flash and other plugins still run

After Firefox closes, a small dialog should appear: click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Reset)

Now, hopefully you will have better luck downloading the clean-up tools.

Also, when viewing the Uninstall a Program control panel, click the "Installed on" column heading to group items by install date. Hopefully that will help you spot the culprits more easily.

Do a clean reinstall and delete the Firefox program folder before (re)installing a fresh copy of the current Firefox release.

• Download the full Firefox installer and save the file to the desktop
  https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html

If possible uninstall your current Firefox version to cleanup the Windows registry and settings in security software.

• Do NOT remove "personal data" when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because this will remove all profile folders and you lose personal data like bookmarks and passwords including data in profiles created by other Firefox versions.

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

• (32 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\"
• (64 bit Windows) "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\"

• It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_Firefox

Your bookmarks and other personal data are stored in the Firefox profile folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure NOT to remove personal data when you uninstall Firefox as that will remove all Firefox profile folders and you lose your personal data.

If you keep having problems then also create a new profile.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Clean_reinstall

All:

I began implementing the suggestions yesterday, beginning with JS2K's instructions re operating in safe mode. Thank you, sir, for those. (However, it begs my first question: It seems all I am unable to do in Safe Mode is use realplayer downloader. How is safe mode even possible and why on earth don't we all just use IT?)

Because JS2K implied I was to use Safe Mode to DL a bunch of other stuff, I then proceeded to cut and paste each link into a tab. I DL'd all I could. (Not all of them are free - something you don't find out until you attempt to use the program.) I have to say, many of these things take hours upon hours to run. Some of them claim I don't have Admin permission to run them; others click right on through asking me (the Admin) if I will allow the modifications. Some of them state if you don't purchase it, it may contain ads. Some say ads will come with it if I don't agree to all the terms. (Which begs my second question: How now brown cow when I thought the entire purpose of this exercise was to remove that very thing... "ads.")

I've had to reboot about 16 times... some programs require it 2 or 3 times just to fix some malware or other errors.

So far, I've gotten through the following, I think: Super Anti-Spyware and Spybot, the latter of which required 3 reboots to allow me to be my own Admin. I think it was ManageEngine-AdManagerPLus (V 6.2 from Zoho Corp), which required me to enter (1) login and password info and (2) specific domain names individually, which, surely, is not what I need, since all of the websites and domains are affected. Do I still need, then, to DL all the service pack updates if it deals only with specific domains? >> http://www.manageengine.com/products/ad-manager/service-pack.html <<

The Kapersky Security Scan program claims it is scheduled to run a scan, but a view of the "buy me" page >> http://usa.kaspersky.com/store/kss/discounts/2926/0?inpkss=2926:kss:12.0.1.881:en:0:na:na:bannergui&ICID=INT1675180 << leaves me feeling, "if I am not getting any of this unless I pay for it, what AM I getting?" Frankly I don't even know if the scan ran, much less what it ran for (viruses, spyware or vulnerabilities), though I think it did run for one of them.

Some programs wished to place icons on the desktop, which I allowed. In order to find them, that's where I went. I DL'd nothing but the suggested help sites' software, but, lo and behold, on the same day (10-01-14) smack in the middle of Kapersky and Spybt - Search and Destroy, is this little ditty called "Cut the Rope." >> http://astromendagames.com/game/Cut-The-Rope/888?shs=dt&p=ast&utm_medium=icd&utm_source=ast&sc=dt << How, I ask, did that get there? I don't like games on my computer, and I always delete them from all new computers I purchase. (Have to confess, the synthesized music accompanying the little bubbles isn't so bad.)

I deleted the shortcut from the desktop but cannot find the program. For some reason, a new development has occurred; one, which I have never seen before: only the name and file size are options which appear. [See image.] So, to JS2K's suggestion in ordering items by date, unfortunately that isn't an option. (Is all this because I updated from Windows 8.0 to 8.1?)

I am uncomfortable installing Cloudmark Desktop 1.8. I don't see it in the list, but it's one of the things which DL'd when I did follow Cor-el's kindly assembled recipes. Is it safe to install? My computer thinks not.

Similarly, I question whatever pgm is from softonic.com? (354 Kbs) My computer doesn't want me to install it.

Malwarebytes (Chameleon) is currently running in the background (DOS). It seems to be working well.

I've not DL'd the root detection system yet. (I still have to run Microsoft Defender and Security Scan - time absorbing programs, to be sure.) Once I have, I'll verify the connection settings, as Cor-el recommended and, if that doesn't solve the problems, I am all for the idea of removing all traces of Firefox, including folder contents, excluding my personal stuff.

If that doesn't work, I'll get to the "root" of the problem, and if that doesn't work, I'll just use my iPhone instead <w>.

Thank you all for your continued help. I'm trying. I just feel like people don't deserve to be treated so maliciously. (Sometimes I think these malware companies pay the Chinese a coupe of bucks to create, what I would call "job security.") Oh come on, someone is doing it... and I can think of no one who benefits from it more than these companies. Can you?

[I'll give you one answer... the advertisers. Find out who they pay to get their ads placed, and you might find the sources of this nuisance activity... oui? (I for one would deliberately NOT buy anything appearing in such a manner.)]

UPDATE: Mbam killer just "terminated" that damnable game, which, you may recall, was also installed with some of the other DLs Cor-el recommended. [See other image]

Your honors.... I rest my case. Ha

I'll keep you updated...

Thanks, all.

Thanks for that extremely detailed reply!

Is this a work computer? ADManager Plus sounds like something your IT people installed on your computer.

As far as the programs you installed, looks like some crapware piggy backed on one of tools. Probably the AdwCleaner download from bleepingcomputer.com. It has a sponsored ad that appears to have confused you into downloading ManageEngine-AdManagerPLus. You don't need that program if you didn't have it before you started this adventure. So uninstall it if so.

No idea where Cut the Rope came from. It must of piggy backed another program. Do not install Cloudmark Desktop 1.8. I don't know what it is but you don't need it.

Out of all those tools, Malwarebytes is the best in my opinion. I use the free version and it has worked well. But make sure you run a full scan (the "Threat scan" not the "Hyper Scan") and that the database version is the latest (click "Update Now" on the Malwarebytes Dashboard) . Even on a Windows 8.1 PC, I've seen the full scan take less than 20 mins. Of course it depends on how many files you have. The more you have, the longer the scan takes.

Please start with that before moving on to Microsoft Defender and Kapersky Security Scan.

I would run these programs primarily and in this order: Malwarebytes SuperAntispyware Spybot Search & Destroy AdwCleaner (download from the official site click the "Download Now" button)

These should be enough to get the job done. Hopefully this simplified things for you a bit. Sorry for the additional problems.

Thank you, Noah-son. I look forward to the moment when I can check "yes it helped" in each of your comment boxes.

Did you happen to notice that Mbam showed a little human emotion in his farewell? Look at it again. (I missed it the first time myself. <w>)

OK. I am not sure enough to proceed without some advice. If you have the time, please read my first "after action update," with my thanks.

http://www.americorps.ch/uploads/After-Action_Update_-_Part_I.pdf

UPDATE: I did decide to proceed without any replies to this request. I reply to a "which program did it?" query below....

Sorry, got tied up with a few things. Did you really end up fixing this?

Good report in your pdf btw. I completely agree that Kaspersky was just trying to get you to buy its software with those extra scan results.

If you did solve this, I'd appreciate knowing what software ended up helping you fix this. My guess is Malwarebytes.

It is impossible for me to answer your question with any certainty, because, as I said, I performed every action suggested.

The delay in my response was to be able to test the browser's functionality and report on its performance. I needed time to allow for an opportunity to revisit any number of browsing situations.

My linked pdf offers most all of the results I encountered in the repair process. Since then, though wowwcouponet.. is gone and none of the individual web pages attribute ads to it, I have experienced other, somewhat innocuous problems, most of them related to my browser not be recognized when i visit a site for the first time, or, sometimes, a request that the administrator approve a page-related action.

My biggest problem, however, is serious and unrelated to browsing. I don't know why (it may be because one or more of the downloaded repair software programs require a huge amount of CPU to run in the background), but I am unable to perform a few otherwise simple tasks.

One of them is to move my toolbar to the bottom. Somehow it ended up on the right. I have always had it auto-hide. I have never locked it. When I try to move it back to the bottom, the toolbar task program freezes up ("not responding"), and it does so every time, even when I use the Task Mgr to disable nearly all of the background running aps.

I'll try to do it again now and, if the same thing happens, I'll include an image of the problem in my reply to this post.

Any suggestions?

Here are images of the unsuccessfully completed operation.