hello, this might happen when firefox is not able to properly save preferences in its profile folder. please try this: Click the menu button ≡ and then click help ? > troubleshooting information > profile folder - "show folder". then a new window will open up. in this window look out for a file named user.js (it might be used to overwrite your custom settings). in case it is present , delete or rename this file and restart firefox afterwards.

for more information and other steps please also see: How to fix preferences that won't save

This was the first advice I received that seemed like it would work. But unfortunately, I followed the steps and I do not have a file called user.js. I did a full search for it on my machine and came up with nothing. I am running Windows 7.

ok, in this case could you go to the firefox menu ≡ > help ? > troubleshooting information, copy the contents of that page and paste them here into a reply on the forum? this might give us a clue what is going on...

Troubleshooting Information This page contains technical information that might be useful when you're trying to solve a problem. If you are looking for answers to common questions about Firefox, check out our support website. Application Basics Name Firefox Version 34.0.5 Update History User Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:34.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/34.0 Profile Folder Enabled Plugins about:plugins Build Configuration about:buildconfig Memory Use about:memory Multiprocess Windows 0/1 Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days Report ID Submitted

All Crash Reports Extensions Name Version Enabled ID Flashblock 1.5.18 true {3d7eb24f-2740-49df-8937-200b1cc08f8a} TelevisionFanatic 6.83.5.49220 true [email protected] WebEx Productivity Tools 2.0 true [email protected] Graphics Adapter Description Intel(R) HD Graphics Family Adapter Description (GPU #2) NVIDIA NVS 4200M Adapter Drivers igdumd64 igd10umd64 igd10umd64 igdumdx32 igd10umd32 igd10umd32 Adapter Drivers (GPU #2) nvd3dumx,nvwgf2umx,nvwgf2umx nvd3dum,nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um Adapter RAM Unknown Adapter RAM (GPU #2) 1024 Device ID 0x0126 Device ID (GPU #2) 0x1057 Direct2D Enabled true DirectWrite Enabled true (6.2.9200.16571) Driver Date 9-26-2011 Driver Date (GPU #2) 1-10-2013 Driver Version 8.15.10.2538 Driver Version (GPU #2) 9.18.13.1100 GPU #2 Active false GPU Accelerated Windows 1/1 Direct3D 11 (OMTC) Subsys ID 21d017aa Subsys ID (GPU #2) 21d017aa Vendor ID 0x8086 Vendor ID (GPU #2) 0x10de WebGL Renderer Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Intel(R) HD Graphics Family Direct3D9Ex vs_3_0 ps_3_0) windowLayerManagerRemote true AzureCanvasBackend direct2d AzureContentBackend direct2d AzureFallbackCanvasBackend cairo AzureSkiaAccelerated 0 Important Modified Preferences Name Value accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value 665600 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max false browser.cache.frecency_experiment 1 browser.places.importBookmarksHTML false browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion 7 browser.privatebrowsing.autostart true browser.search.useDBForOrder true browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID 20140923175406 browser.startup.homepage http://wwwin.cisco.com/ browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID 20141126041045 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone 34.0.5 browser.urlbar.autocomplete.enabled false dom.disable_open_during_load false dom.mozApps.used true extensions.lastAppVersion 34.0.5 font.internaluseonly.changed true gfx.direct3d.last_used_feature_level_idx 0 gfx.direct3d.prefer_10_1 true media.gmp-gmpopenh264.lastUpdate 1414789556 media.gmp-gmpopenh264.version 1.1 media.gmp-manager.lastCheck 1418519992 network.cookie.prefsMigrated true places.database.lastMaintenance 1418572397 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages 104314 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types application/pdf plugin.importedState true plugin.state.npdeployjava 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_bgcolor false print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_bgimages false print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_colorspace print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_command print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_downloadfonts false print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_duplex -870317900 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_edge_bottom 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_edge_left 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_edge_right 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_edge_top 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_evenpages true print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_footercenter print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_footerleft &PT print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_footerright &D print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_headercenter print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_headerleft &T print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_headerright &U print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_in_color true print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_margin_bottom 0.5 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_margin_left 0.5 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_margin_right 0.5 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_margin_top 0.5 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_oddpages true print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_orientation 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_page_delay 50 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_paper_data 1 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_paper_height 11.00 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_paper_name print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_paper_size_type 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_paper_size_unit 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_paper_width 8.50 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_plex_name print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_resolution 299621920 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_resolution_name print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_reversed false print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_scaling 1.00 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_shrink_to_fit true print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_to_file false print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_left 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_right 0 print.printer_Brother_MFC-J5910DW_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_top 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_bgcolor false print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_bgimages false print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_colorspace print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_command print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_downloadfonts false print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_duplex -870317900 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_edge_bottom 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_edge_left 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_edge_right 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_edge_top 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_evenpages true print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_footercenter print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_footerleft &PT print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_footerright &D print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_headercenter print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_headerleft &T print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_headerright &U print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_in_color true print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_margin_bottom 0.5 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_margin_left 0.5 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_margin_right 0.5 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_margin_top 0.5 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_oddpages true print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_orientation 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_page_delay 50 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_paper_data 1 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_paper_height 11.00 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_paper_name print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_paper_size_type 1 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_paper_size_unit 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_paper_width 8.50 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_plex_name print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_resolution 299621920 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_resolution_name print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_reversed false print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_scaling 1.00 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_shrink_to_fit true print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_to_file false print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_bottom 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_left 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_right 0 print.printer_PaperPort_Image_Printer.print_unwriteable_margin_top 0 privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs true security.warn_viewing_mixed false storage.vacuum.last.index 1 storage.vacuum.last.places.sqlite 1417898902 Important Locked Preferences Name Value JavaScript Incremental GC true Accessibility Activated false Prevent Accessibility 0 Library Versions Expected minimum version Version in use NSPR 4.10.7 4.10.7 NSS 3.17.2 Basic ECC 3.17.2 Basic ECC NSSSMIME 3.17.2 Basic ECC 3.17.2 Basic ECC NSSSSL 3.17.2 Basic ECC 3.17.2 Basic ECC NSSUTIL 3.17.2 3.17.2 Experimental Features Name ID Description

do you use any third-party tool like Advanced SystemCare with its Surfing Protection feature or similar other ones that might be able to lock browser preferences?

in addition you could try to run a full scan of your system with different security tools like the free version of malwarebytes and adwcleaner which are specialised in adware/browser-hijackers.

Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware

You can check for problems with preferences.

Delete possible user.js and numbered prefs-##.js files and rename (or delete) the prefs.js file to reset all prefs to the default value including prefs set via user.js and prefs that are no longer supported in the current Firefox release.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Resetting_preferences

After digging around with this some more, it appears the problem just may be that my Privacy preferences were set to Never Remember History. I did a few other things but changing that setting looks like it solved it. But I appreciate your assistance.