Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Arrowkeys stopped working in FF11

more options

My arrow keys suddenly stopped working. I'm using Firefox 11 and haven't updated recently. They were working fine yesterday.


They also work fine when using any other program. Internet Explorer, texteditors. No problems.

Might be related might not, but the ENTER key skips two rows instead of the usual one as well.

My arrow keys suddenly stopped working. I'm using Firefox 11 and haven't updated recently. They were working fine yesterday. They also work fine when using any other program. Internet Explorer, texteditors. No problems. Might be related might not, but the ENTER key skips two rows instead of the usual one as well.

All Replies (20)

more options

You most likely just need to customize your shortcuts/keyboard shortcuts again. There is actually an add-on that makes it simple, and easy to do this. Check out the following add-on page for the customizable extension shortcut page & be sure to read the About Add-On section.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fire.../customizable-shortcuts/

more options

That didn't help.

Maybe I was unclear earlier. I don't use my arrow keys to scroll or anything like that. I use them to move the marker when I type text(like I am now). Easy way to get to spelling errors quickly.

That doesn't work anymore. And it's not the keyboard. Already tested that and it works fine everywhere else. Also, the ENTER key skips to rows instead of the usual one.

more options
more options

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).

more options

Sorry to say that those suggestions didn't work.

I've also tried with another keyboard and the problem persist so at least I know it's not my keyboard acting weird.

Also deleted cookies and cache. That did nothing as well.

more options

This looks like it died a week ago. I have the same problem and have had for a while. Firefox is up-to-date and the problem is identical, i.e. no problems in any software except FF, arrow keys don't work in FF, Enter key moves two lines instead of one. It is surprisingly difficult to work with this problem, so I would appreciate any other suggestions. Using Win 7 64 bit and the problem exists whether using my laptop keyboard or an attached keyboard.

more options

Is that only happening in text areas?

Create a new profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problems.

See "Basic Troubleshooting: Make a new profile":

If that new profile works then you can transfer some files from the old profile to that new profile, but be careful not to copy corrupted files.

See:

more options

Thanks for the suggestion. It happens, for example, when you are given suggestions for field input, where it is a particular pain. That can be when logging in to a site or simply when typing an address in Firefox.

I have created a new profile, and it seems to have solved the problem. My only reservation is whether this proves that it is the profile, or, for example, an add-on. It does no harm to copy the relevant files to the new profile and see what happens though.

more options

And in fact, having copied the files from the old profile, the problem comes back. So I now know the problem is in the profile, but how do I find out where? I obviously want to keep my bookmarks, history, add-ons, passwords. Is there anything else? Where can I find out what to do to copy over just those items I want to keep? That way I could do one at a time and see if the problem comes back at any specific point.

more options

I have found various articles about moving a profile and followed the advice. Unfortunately, passwords, add-ins and settings are not being transferred, the former despite copying the appropriate files across. Even the session information is not being used, despite copying the file across. The arrow key issue is a pain, reinstalling all my add-ins and losing the stored passwords is a much bigger one. So it is currently looking like I will have to live with the original problem, as the cure is worse than the disease. I find it difficult to understand why such a fundamental, and common task, is not possible in a well-documented and guided manner. What is needed is a form that allows you to tick the boxes for the things you want to transfer to a new profile

languageservicesco modificouno o

more options

From the lack of response, I assume that I can't transfer the things to a new profile that I want to. Can I also assume that the only way to "mend" a profile is to create a new one, i.e. there is no "repair" function like you get with most software?

more options

Perhaps you want to enable caret browsing. When in Firefox, press F7 to toggle from normal to caret browsing. This will allow the arrow keys to move a cursor across the text instead of scrolling the page.

more options

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, that doesn't change anything. The arrow keys still don't work. I have also noticed that the Home and End keys don't work either.

more options

Does it still happen in you start Firefox in Safe mode?

  • Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

Did you try to copy files to the new profile to see if you can identify the file that is causing the problem?

more options

Hi languageservicesco, you could get a better idea of the problem if you take the profile migration in smaller increments. If you are now running Firefox 13, you could use the Reset feature to do a partial migration. These are carried over automatically:

  • Bookmarks
  • Browsing history
  • Saved Passwords
  • Cookies
  • Web form auto-fill information

More info: Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

more options

Hi, Cor-el. Thanks for your response. See my reply of April 13 regarding new profile. The problem does seem to go away in safe mode or if I create a new profile, but unless the other solution mentioned here works, it is far too much work to reinstate my existing profile manually and I would rather live with the problem.

languageservicesco modificouno o

more options

Hi jscher2000. Thanks for the suggestion. That might do the trick. Is there anywhere I can look to work out what is "not" carried over? It looks like most things are, so I am wondering what isn't.

more options

Hi languageservicesco, this article describes most of what's in a profile folder: Recover important data from an old profile.

more options

Many thanks for the contributions. Even with the reset function it is going to be a time-consuming job, so I may well set up a new profile and gradually move files over as and when I have time. In the meantime, I have uninstalled some plugins that I wasn't actually using, and at the moment the problem has gone away. Maybe I got lucky or it is in one of the phases where everything works!

more options

I had a similar problem, could not navigate a page or text any where in firefox using the arrow keys, home/end or page up page down keys. I had to press and hold to make them work.

My problem was caused by adobe acrobat reader, I had a PDF tab open, a tab which was an open PDF document. All keys work fine now the tab is closed.

found this here: http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/747442

  1. 1
  2. 2