3 Ways to Fix Waterfox When It’s Not Opening or Working

Insufficient storage is usually the main issue

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Key notes

  • If you have encountered a problem with Waterfox and it doesn't open on your computer, you can reset your browser.
  • However, your system may be infected by a virus so you will need to perform a scan.
  • In this article, we explore different ways to fix your Waterfox if it is unresponsive.
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Waterfox is one of the best alternative browsers to Firefox that you can use today. It’s a browser that’s very fast and light on resources, and it doesn’t track your activity.

Sometimes, however, Waterfox won’t open or work properly, and this can be frustrating if it happens to you. 

In most cases, you can restart your PC and solve the issue but sometimes, your PC won’t open any browser. If you encounter such an issue, refer to our expert guide on how to resolve it.

Why is Waterfox not working? 

If you are trying to access Waterfox but it is not launching, it could be due to one or more of the reasons listed below:

  • Corrupt extensions – If the problem with Waterfox not opening has started after installing an extension, you need to examine your extensions closely and check whether they are causing the problem. This is because some extensions don’t play nicely with Waterfox and may cause it to crash or not load properly.
  • Viruses or malware – If you have not updated your anti-virus software to its latest version in a while, your system may have been compromised. Update your antivirus and scan your system.
  • Incompatible OS – Waterfox may not be compatible with your operating system or other programs running on your computer. You can check on the official Waterfox website whether your device meets the requirements to run the program.
  • Insufficient RAM – You may not have enough memory (RAM) available on your computer to run multiple programs at once; RAM usage depends on how many tabs are open in each browser window, so if you’re using too many tabs at once it can cause problems when switching between them.

Should any of the above be causing Waterfox not to load pages, try one of the below solutions to resolve the problem?

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How do I fix Waterfox if it doesn’t open? 

1. Check for browser updates

  1. Launch your Waterfox browser.
  2. Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of your screen and select Help from the dropdown menu.
  3. Select About Waterfox.
  4. If your browser is up-to-date, you will get the following dialog box.

2. Scan for viruses

  1. Press the Windows key, search Windows Security and click Open.
  2. Select Virus & threat protection.
  3. Next, press Quick scan under Current threats.
  4. Wait for the process to finish and restart your system.

3. Free hard disk space

There are many ways you can free up space in your device. You can choose to uninstall unnecessary apps and programs from your system or use a third-party uninstaller.

A disk cleanup can also do the job or you can use Storage Sense. Storage Sense is great at automatically detecting temporary files and suggesting to you to remove them to create space.

Is Waterfox safer than Firefox? 

The first thing you’ll notice about Waterfox is that it looks just like Firefox so it is expected that the security level will also be similar. 

Security is a major concern for most users so it makes sense why this question would suffice. As with any browser, you’ll want to keep your personal data safe.

While Waterfox does a good job at not tracking your activity across websites or spying on you, it is still lagging behind in terms of security.

The biggest concern about Waterfox is that it doesn’t receive as frequent updates as Firefox. Security patches are important because they can fix vulnerabilities in your software before hackers can exploit them.

Browsers are constantly being targeted by hackers and other malicious actors who want access to your data. This can be extremely dangerous if you’re using an outdated browser that hasn’t been updated in months or years.

Still, the browser does a great job if your internet activities are not as heavy and you are using another antivirus program for browsing.

However, if security is a priority for you, and you’re looking for a browser with enhanced privacy protection features, Waterfox may not be worth checking out. You may benefit from browsers with the best virus protection features.

Do not hesitate to let us know which solution worked for you in the comments section.

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