Clear the cache and the cookies from websites that cause problems.

"Clear the Cache":

• Firefox/Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Cached Web Content: "Clear Now"

"Remove Cookies" from sites causing problems:

• Firefox/Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: "Show Cookies"

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

• Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window.

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

You can set on the Google search settings page (gear icon on the Google results page) to open links in a new tab to prevent this issue.

I cleared the cache & deleted all cookies, no help. I started Firefox in Safe Mode and still had problem. As for the last thing, I don't see a gear icon on the Google results page.

See:

• http://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en

OK thanks. The workaround by setting Google to open a new window works. I just don't know why it ever changed & why internet explorer works & firefox doesn't.

Does anyone know what is causing this? The work around suggested by cor-el is not what I am looking for. That really doesn't work me; in a practical sense.

Thanks in advance for any help with this.

I would assume that this is a problem with the (back/forward) cache, but the OP reported that clearing the cache didn't help and Safe Mode either, so it isn't caused by an extension.

You can check for problems with preferences.
Rename or delete the prefs.js file and possible numbered prefs-##.js files and a possible user.js file to reset all prefs to the default value.

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

You can try to create a new profile as a test to check if your current profile is causing the problems.

See "Creating a profile":

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Profile_issues

If the new profile works then you can transfer some files from an existing profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over the problem.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

Okay, so I created the new profile and everything worked like it was supposed to. So, I go back to my original profile to check it before I start transferring stuff over and it was working fine as well. Not sure what occurred here, but I'm keeping the original and just going to keep an eye for the error. I have been getting the blank page for a week now, so I have no clue how it just stopped all of a sudden.

cor-el, You mentioned corrupt files in your last statement; what types of files are you referring to, book,marks, add-ons, etc????

Thanks again for your help.

okay it went back to loading a blank page. Does anyone know what is causing this? It is extremely frustrating as I rely on this function for work.

2 solutions that I see. Use Internet Explorer or go to the link above & set Google to open a new tab whenever you click on a search link.

By the way, this was never happening to me before. Maybe it is a problem with the latest version of Firefox

In an old thread from last October on Google's forums, a Google person asked the user reporting this in IE to test with Instant Prediction results disabled. When Instant Prediction is disabled, Google search does a full page load every time you search and every time you go backward or forward to a new results page.

If Google search works normally in that mode but not with Instant Prediction turned on, then there may be a problem with Firefox triggering the script that repopulates the results page with Instant Prediction results. (Assuming it's not a cache/cookie issue.)

How to debug/change your Google setting: Google Instant: Results as you type - Search Help

Any difference?

With Instant Prediction turned off the problem still exists (using Firefox)

Hold on. It does work with Instant Prediction turned off

I have this problem too for the last week. No new software or extensions added. I've used Firefox well over 10 years and never had this. I think it is some bug in Firefox, not on my computer. Safari works fine.

Hi DawnL, I don't think anyone has conclusively pinned down what causes this problem. Firefox typically stores the page and redisplays it correctly when you go back, but in some cases it has problems with Google "instant" results pages. As noted above, you can turn off the Google "instant" feature or you may be able to resolve it temporarily by clearing your cache and cookies. Otherwise, I think you have to reload (e.g., Ctrl+r or Command+r) when you get the blank page.

Thanks for your reply, but it doesn't make sense to me that that would be the problem in this particular situation. If it were just one person having the problem, that could well be. You clearly know WAY more than I do about how Google and Firefox work. I'm no computer expert. However, I've used computers and Firefox for a long time and have never had problems. I have not changed any setting in Firefox or Google in over a year. To me, it seems strange that now, all of a sudden, not only I, but other people have the same problem, all starting about the same time. What is the common denominator? If someone is using IE, they are likely on a PC. I am on 2 different Macs with the same problem, both starting over the past week or so.

Hi DawnL, Google search is a very dynamic application. Google shows different pages to different users not just based on what it knows about them, but also as part of its constant experimentation with new layouts and features. At the same time, Firefox updates every 6 weeks, extensions and plugins update on their respective schedules, and your OS updates now and then. Sometimes Firefox settings become corrupted or cached files get stuck. I don't pretend to know exactly what's going on with your Firefox, but there are lot of moving parts and despite everyone's best intentions, glitches happen. If the workarounds help, that's great, if not, hopefully someone will have another idea.

I've been having the same problem, and looked for help on the Mozillazine.org site. No help there either, but I have found that when you get the blank screen, clicking on REFRESH, brings back the page you want.

Another solution for this issue is available here: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/970863?page=2#answer-485663

Added 'another solution' as per the request of jscher2000

I've been having the same problem, I can fix it by either clicking the refresh button or right-clicking on the back button and selecting 'google search results'. Either way is a pain if I'm trying to do a bit of quick research. Sometimes the search results are there for a couple of seconds and then disappear and interestingly, if the search contained the word 'google' then the search results come back as normal when I press the back button. What is that all about?

I just want to add, I'm having this exact same problem, also. And, it's happening on 2-different laptops, running 2-diferent Windows Operating Systems, And having 2 different older versions of FireFox that have Not been updated for a long, long time.

I'm pointing this out, so that those In-The-Know, can see this problem is Not unique to the Version of Fire Fox, or installation of any updates (old 20.0 version Firefox, with No updates,on the laptop I'm currently on), running Windows 7 (Vista on other laptop, with an even older version).

Like others reported here, I first noticed this about a week ago. (And I also noticed the background color around address bar went from dark to a light blue. At first, I thought maybe I got a virus or Trojan). My work-around is to right click and select the Google Search Page that should have come up when Blank Page happened.

I want to also point out, once I enter a search in Google, and start going into a result, many times I go further and further away from the original Google Search Page. This happens if I get into Amazon or YouTube, where one page leads to the next, and so on. I can be 10, 15 pages away, and the Back Button works fine, all the way back to the Google Search page, that comes up as a Blank Page.

Another thing I've noticed, as long as I stay within Google pages, for example, Shopping Results, without selecting a product, but rather the Next results page, and/or search options (price, brand, suggestions, etc.) I do not get the Blank Page when backing up to the beginning. But, if I select a product or store, backing up to Google Results brings up a Blank Page.

I'm new to posing here, but have read a lot concerning this problem. I wanted to add this information to hopefully help others figure it out.