hello l.j.claessen, please perform the following steps - they should remove the remaining bits of babylon:

• go to firefox > 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, delete or rename this file and restart firefox afterwards. this will get rid of the file that is overwriting your custom set homepage.

• install the serach reset addon, it will revert some other settings that got modified by babylon back to the default ones: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/searchreset/

If you have removed the rogue software you now need to reset the Firefox settings that will have been messed up:

• see Remove a toolbar that has taken over your Firefox search or home page
  Note I DO NOT personally recommend trying the FirefoxReset feature, you will loose extensions
  • But DO then try installing this restartless add-on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/searchreset/ ''SearchReset''

I do not think the SearchReset deals with the user.js and that could need attention if it has been modified or created unecessarily, but try the SearchReset first of all.

• see http://kb.mozillazine.org/User.js_file

The user.js file may be used to reset firefox preferences, and sometimes that is the cause of a preference resetting itself unexpectedly.

Hey Madperson... Brrrilliant...your suggestion did it right away. Thanks a million.! LodyJ

Note that you have the Browsing Protection extension installed and that extension will most likely block changes to some of the prefs that you try to change, so check that out if you can't make a permanent change.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

Hi Co-rel, You're that I have Browsing Protection installed... But I switched it off, some time ago. Thanks anyway. Regards LodyJ

I have the same exact problem, but I don't have a Babylon toolbar or a user.js file. SearchReset didn't solve the problem but didn't kill my extension either.

I'm using Ubuntu 10.04 LTS - the Lucid Lynx and Firefox 20.0

perf.js parameters:

user_pref("searchreset.backup.browser.startup.homepage", "about:blank");user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "about:blank");

user_pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID", "20130329042733");

user_pref("browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone", "20.0"); user_pref("browser.startup.page", 3);

user_pref("pref.browser.homepage.disable_button.bookmark_page", false);

user_pref("pref.browser.homepage.disable_button.restore_default", false);

user_pref("toolkit.startup.last_success", 1365644389);

What is going on here?

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

• Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window or otherwise make changes.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

I started in safe mode (all extensions and themes disbled). No change. My home page setting still said about:blank.

I started in normal mode after manually disabling all extension but left default theme enabled. No change

https://support.cdn.mozilla.net/media/uploads/images/2013-04-10-21-30-59-aa597c.png

Also, the web sites displayed haven't changed for at least two or three days .. hmmm!

I found that "New Tab" has an icon to toggle the web site display on and off here https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/new-tab-page-show-hide-and-customize-top-sites. Problem "solved" except that about:blank should display a blank page! Grrr!

So tell me it's a feature and not a bug :)

Hi NotTooOld

You can reload web page(s) and bypass the cache to refresh possibly outdated or corrupted files.

• Press and hold Shift and left-click the Reload button.
• Press "Ctrl + F5" or press "Ctrl + Shift + R" (Windows,Linux)
• Press "Command + Shift + R" (MAC)

You seem to have two issues:

• the New tab page (pref: browser.newtab.url)
• the home page (pref: browser.startup.homepage)

If you set one or both those prefs to about:blank then you should get a blank page.

You can hide the content on the new tab page via the 3x3 grid icon in the top right corner like you've noticed (pref: browser.newtabpage.enabled).
This will have the new tab page present in a new tab and this is not about:blank as you can see in the page code (right-click: View Page Source).

Bingo, cor-el. I opened another browser window, put about:config in the url bar. and set the New tab page (pref: browser.newtab.url) to about:blank instead of about:newtab.

The home page (pref: browser.startup.homepage) was set to about:blank, but it looks like that's not enough.

BTW,when I first opened the new window to edit config, New Tab was blank (no toggle icon). Curious, I opened another New Tab, but it had the toggle icon.

Solved! Like the fictional detective Hercule Poirot, you used the "little gray cells" to solve the case!

Thank you.