Were you initially starting Firefox in Safemode deliberately ? If so did you modify the shortcut used by Windows in order to do that. You would now need to change it back again.

Presumably you did read

• Firefox is stuck in Troubleshoot Mode

If necessary kill the safemode Firefox process using Vista's Task Manager. Keyboard shortcut Ctrl +Shift + Esc or Ctrl +Alt+ Del will start task manager, the look for firefox.exe in the process tab and kill it.

I did start safe mode intentionally, although I don't remember why. Ditching the firefox shortcut and creating a fresh one didn't work. Ending the firefox process in the task manager also didn't work. Maybe I need to reinstall firefox...

Do you mean that you get the Safe Mode startup window when you start Firefox with the choice to either reset Firefox or continue in Safe Mode?

If that is the case then make sure that you aren't holding down the Shift key when you start Firefox.

If you do not get the Safe Mode startup window then something else is wrong and you may not keep setting or otherwise have problems with the Firefox profile folder.

No, I don't get the Safe Mode startup window when I startup firefox. I don't understand what you're saying about the profile folder.

It may sound silly but how do you know you are in SafeMode ?
Remember we can not see your computer or your screen.

Maybe a screenshot would help

• How to make screenshots
• How do I create a screenshot of my problem?

Could I ask you to create and try a new profile as a test to see if Firefox then runs normally.

• Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles

1. I think I'm in safe mode...? I see the orange "Firefox" button in the upper left-hand corner which I hadn't seen until I started Firefox in safe mode 2. I created a new profile and then started Firefox, and the same thing happens.

You are only starting Firefox in Safe Mode if you get the Safe mode startup window and select to open Firefox in Safe Mode.

Firefox shows the orange Firefox menu button by default on Windows Vista and later Windows 7+ version and that is no indication that Firefox is in Safe mode.
You may have enabled the Menu bar previously if you didn't had the orange Firefox menu button before.
So there is nothing wrong and you run Firefox in normal mode.

You get the orange Firefox menu button when the menu bar is hidden.

• Firefox menu button > Options
• View > Toolbars (press F10 to display the menu bar)
• Right-click empty toolbar area

See also:

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/how-do-i-get-firefox-button
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Menu+bar+is+missing