Chrome is rendered unusable by adding X-Notifier add on

julio99's picture
Submitted by julio99 on Sun, 07/14/2013 - 22:49

Forums:

   I was up half the night trying to troubleshoot this issue and it came down to X-Notifier for Chrome being the culprit. The minute I added the extension the browser froze to the point of being completely unusable. Everything froze in place. No mouse no movement. Now I have ran this add-on forever in Firefox, Pale Moon and Chrome and haven't really had any major problems till now. I use ESET Nod32 AV V6 and Comodo free firewall as my security apps. I uninstalled everything and went one by one until I got to X-Notifier and then it froze. Uninstall extension and the problem was gone. It works fine in Pale Moon and Firefox. Hope it's just a hiccup. I like this app. If there's anything I can do please let me know. By the way, I did create a new profile in Chrome.

RpD

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 00:14

What release and version of Chrome?  Stable, beta, developer... version #?
What version of X-Notifier are you using?
What if you install X-Notifier FIRST, then add other add-ons... if X-Notifier works being the only add-on, then perhaps you'll isolate conflict with another add-on when you install it.
How about uninstalling/reinstalling Chrome?
Does it -not- freeze if you disable ESET? If you disable Comodo?
Seems a conflict exists somewhere... on your setup, perhaps with some recent update.

 

julio99's picture

julio99

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 01:10

Version 28.0.1500.72 m. I have tried all of what you said except for adding the X-Notifier first. This is incredible because I have never had a problem like this before . It's not ESET and it's not Comodo. The X-Notifier is the one from the Chrome Web Store for Gmail and Hotmail. The version of Chrome is stable. I ran Chrome in safe mode and it didn't crash. I can run another browser without problems, so I'm out of ideas.

jeroen's picture

jeroen

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 02:04

RpD is offering you the better idea to find the culprit:
1. First add X-notifier and check if it works.
   (I bet you it does)
2. Then add your other add-ons one by one, while checking if XN stays ok. (Do you have extra toolbars installed? They tend to cause problems)

Your last remark doesn't make much sense:
Add-ons are browser-specific.

julio99's picture

julio99

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 03:22

What do you mean it doesn't make sense? First he wanted to know what version I was using of Chrome, I told him. Heasked about ESET and Comodo, I told him. They were uninstalled and re-installed. One at a time. The only thing I told him that I hadn't done was to install X-Notifier first and I tried that right after posting to him. First, X-notifier came up without much of an interface and where all the GMail, Hotmail, etc. etc..... they were blank so just for the heck of it I filled in the credentials and nothing happened, so I deleted the add-on and re-added it and this time everything was there including the adds on the x-notifier page. The minute I opened it, FREEEEEEZE! Re-start to safe mode, clear it in their and restart again. Go to Pale Moon and log back into this forum to tell you that I have tried everything that he suggested. To say there is a conflict is an understatement. Somewhere in this pile of you know what there is a hiccup that is causing all this mess and I am just about done. X-notifier works on Pale Moon which is a x64 version of Firefox. It works on Firefox easily. It is giving me tons of grief on google Chrome only. You lost your bet by the way. I didn't even get to fill in the credentials of X-notifier in Chrome when I started with it first before my machine froze. I have also built 3 new profiles in Chrome to do all this one at a time. I have went back to the original Chrome profile and have added all the extensions one at a time with X-notifier being last this time. As soon as I post this I will enable it and see what happens, but I am not holding my breath. I hope you understood this. It is tough everytime it freezes I have to shut down, clear the add-ons in safe mode otherwise it just freezes right away if I log back into Chrome, so it takes more patience than I have to get these answers to you. Toolbars? I wouldn't add a toolbar to my machine for nothing. More spyware or adware or whatever. That is all a toolbar does for you. Anyway time to see what happens and think about plan B. If this is not happening to loads of people then I'm sure it's me and a corrupt setting somewhere.

Joe Zebran

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 03:54

Julio, with respect, and understanding you may be frustrated, I would recommend you edit your reply to make it more appreciative and friendly.  This is a free program, and as such, none of us are entitled to any support.  A little honey will make people want to help you.  I don't use Chrome, so I'm not any help.

Best wishes

jeroen's picture

jeroen

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 04:03

"I can run another browser without problems, so I'm out of ideas."

I only meant that the software for Chrome is very different from f.i. Firefox. Thus so is the XN add-on. Sorry to hear I lost my bet. Guess you have no other choice then reinstall Chrome. Unless someone has a better idea...

RpD

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 04:51

The reasoning to install X-Notifier add-on FIRST is to verify how it works with Chrome without a bunch of other...(addons)...confusing the process.  There have been times when X-Notifier worked fine, but adding another add-on caused it to not work.   So once the other add-on is identified, then you either have to make a choice of which one to keep, or try to get both addon makers to fix the conflict. 
And... no, there are -not- 'loads' (yet) of other users indicating a problem with Chrome.  I use multiple browser myself, but Chrome 9x% of the time... but if you're using Pale Moon, etc.... why Chrome?  But that's not relevant to your problem. 
There have also been conflicts with other 'security' software, but mostly resolved.   Your freeze is unusual.
Hard to resolve remotely.

julio99's picture

julio99

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 05:08

I understand the reasoning of dropping that one in first, unfortunately I can't get the new version of Chrome, (which by the way has been uninstalled and re-installed twice) to work with the new version of X-notifier no matter where I put it in order. The minute, no, second I bring the cursor off the install of that add-on the machine freezes. I have Comodo uninstalled as we speak and eset also uninstalled. I will install MSE for security purposes while I ponder the next move which is more than likely a re-format or a clean re-install. I am getting a headache thiking about this, so I either need to put it to bed quickly or run it with the problem lingering and I hate anything wrong with my machine. It bugs me badly to have something work like that. About the browsers, It's just a preference of mine to have a couple. That is how I know x-notifier is working well, because it's running well on Pale Moon. Thanks for the help you all and I will probably start tearing this down tomorrow morning. I have had enough of this today. If  you think of anything, feel free to pop it in before 10:00 am EST. Thanks again!

jeroen's picture

jeroen

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 06:52

And now I understand why you get so irritated. You are not understanding what I am trying to tell you! So perhaps I should blame myself and try to explain it more clearly.

Tobwithu developed X-notifier for Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari as 4 completely separate and different applications. That is not by his choice, but it is inevitable. These 4 browsers are not offering the same application hooks for the add-on developer. They were built with different programming techniques and are different in structure and design.

Pale Moon is Firefox-based, so that is saying nothing for the Chrome version.

So, I hope now you can understand my former remark:
"Add-ons are browser-specific."

RpD

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 10:28

As far as I know ;)... the single Mozilla-based version is good for Firefox, Thunderbird, and Sea Monkey.
The non-Mozilla based browsers (Chrome, Safari, Opera) may share some similarities based on using WebKit engine and now WebCore component... so perhaps the versions of X-Notifier for each of them, benefit/complement each other, perhaps... just guessing.

I understand being bugged by inconsistencies; I have a similar affliction.

You might try other versions of Chrome... beta, dev, or even bleeding edge Chrome Canary. It says it's for XP also, although I run it with Win8, and X-Notifier... and it works well.  You can even get old versions of Chrome at:
http://www.oldapps.com/google_chrome.php?system=Windows_XP

Otherwise, it's hard to say... perhaps you could open an 'incognito' window, and close any other Chrome windows, to install X-N.
I assume you have fresh downloads of Chrome and X-Notifier.
I'd guess you're not syncing with a gmail account to restore settings in Chrome... before installing X-Notifier.
You can click up the Chrome customize and control menu and look at "View background pages"... and End process(es).
You can use Task Manager and see what else is running in the background... limit/close other programs. 

 

julio99's picture

julio99

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 23:12

  I reformatted and when I got to the adding updates they didn't go in like they have before. I used the Troubleshooter and they are finally all in, except for sp1 and I'll put that in later. I tried to use X-notifier for Chrome again and the same thing happened. Freeze! I did it signed in and synced, wiped it, signed out and tried it. No good either way. I then tried Developer mode V29.0, latest anyway and that froze. I tried an old version of Chrome, that froze. Then I went and took another one of those add ons similar, I think it was Google Mail Checker and it froze also. I think there is trouble in Chrome paradise somewhere. I used X-notifier inside of Chrome for as long as I can remember and I never had anything close to this happen. A reformat of my machine and it still does it? That is what's strange. Maybe it needs something else that I don't have installed. Something from NetFramework v4 orone of those MS Visual C++ x64? I'm just guessing now because I don't know what to do. The machine is still under warranty if it's something to do with the hard drive. Just guessing again.

jeroen's picture

jeroen

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 12:01

I never really got into this, but I am reading up on it now 8-)

1. Trident is Microsoft's (Internet Explorer... and Maxthon)
2. Gecko is Mozilla's (Firefox... and SeaMonkey and Pale Moon)
3. WebKit is Apple's fork of KHTML (the KDE project, Konqueror browser) for Safari and used by Google's Chromium for Chrome
4. Presto is Opera's, but for Opera Next they are switching to Blink:
5. Blink is Google's fork of the WebCore component of WebKit, as part of their Chromium project (Chrome) and recently joined by Opera Software ASA (Opera Next)

julio99's picture

julio99

Mon, 07/15/2013 - 23:56

   I got to thinking after my last post that maybe I needed to install MS Visuall C++2008 Redistributable x64 to run alongside the x86. I also added the new MS  .Net Framework 4.5 and lo and behold it worked. Not even a hiccup in and counting emails! Yay!!! Thanks for the help and I apologise for the grumpiness or rudeness if I offended anyone. All you guys help got me to thinking and that is what was needed. You can't run one of these add ons for close to 5 years and then it suddenly refuses to cooperate without there being some kind either corrupt install or something I had missed and in this case it was something I had missed. Once again Thanx!

jeroen's picture

jeroen

Tue, 07/16/2013 - 01:25

Congrats 8-)

julio99's picture

julio99

Tue, 07/16/2013 - 21:56

Sorry guys, spoke too fast. Worked for awhile and hen it went South again. Took it in to the shop to run a long diagnostic on it and see if it's an error on the disk. The tech told me that after re-formatting it that took the bad software out of the equation. It's possible there could be some deep seated malware, couldn't it. Like I said before, these kinds of things will eat at me until I've aged some more. Let the techs deal with it, that is what I paid the extra money for.

RpD

Wed, 07/17/2013 - 05:17

I would try reloading the C++2008 Redistributable and the .NET Framework -again-... to see if Chrome/X-N suddenly starts working.
If so, then I'd wonder what other software might be (mistakenly) 'updating' (corrupting) those items or parts of them.

Many years back I had a system with a boot sector virus (did -not- know it had one) and luckily I mananged to get rid of it by reformatting enough times... then later, I found that was the cause. Dogged persistence oftentimes is the only way to resolve a problem.