Phantom Facebook window during ctrl+Tab

Screenshot says it all. The only window I actually have open is Firefox, but there's a Facebook window there. Even with no other windows open of any kind, ctrl+Tab reveals the phantom Facebook window.

It happens randomly, and the only solution I've found is to reboot. If I try to close it, it crashes Explorer.

Any idea what causes it and how to stop it?

Have you investigated Private tabs or Container tabs that you may of added Firefox Facebook to?
It certainly looks odd, looks like a tab?

Investigate your extensions also. Try uninstalling Firefox and reinstalling it would be my personal first choice.

antspants said:

Have you investigated Private tabs or Container tabs that you may of added Firefox Facebook to?
It certainly looks odd, looks like a tab?

Investigate your extensions also. Try uninstalling Firefox and reinstalling it would be my personal first choice.

Click to expand...

It's really not exclusively Firefox related, it happens even when there are no other windows open at all (no Explorer windows, browsers, apps, etc.).
I just had FF up to show what it looks like when I ctrl+Tab.
For example, here it is with nothing else open.

I am wondering

antspants said:

I am wondering

Firefox/multiprocess - MozillaWiki

wiki.mozilla.org

Multi-Process Firefox: everything you need to know - gHacks Tech News

After years of development and several delays, multi-process Firefox, also known as Electrolysis or e10S, is about to be enabled for Firefox stable users.

www.ghacks.net

Click to expand...

It's not being caused by Firefox, per my previous posts.

cbiweb said:

It's not being caused by Firefox, per my previous posts.

Click to expand...

OK, well it looks like a tab so it’s an assumption
Do you use the Facebook app? I ask these questions because there is no information on what you have that is related to Facebook. Is the Facebook App in your Apps store that you’re not aware of? What processes are running when you see it,? Have you checked you task manager when you see this? Are there Firefox processes running when you don’t have it open?
What have you checked?

antspants said:

OK, well it looks like a tab so it’s an assumption
Do you use the Facebook app? I ask these questions because there is no information on what you have that is related to Facebook. Is the Facebook App in your Apps store that you’re not aware of? What processes are running when you see it,? Have you checked you task manager when you see this? Are there Firefox processes running when you don’t have it open?
What have you checked?

Click to expand...

Is there a Facebook app for laptops? I'm only aware of the website.
There are 106 processes running at any given time. When this issue occurs, there is nothing that relates to Facebook or Firefox or any other browser.
There are no Firefox processes running when I'm not running it.

My apologies for not mentioning any of that, but I've gotten flack in the past for "writing a novel" in support forums, so I usually try to keep it short as possible.
Yes, you have no idea what I know about computers, so you need to ask what I've checked. But I'd rather go through that than get banned for writing too much (it has happened).

cbiweb said:

My apologies for not mentioning any of that, but I've gotten flack in the past for "writing a novel" in support forums, so I usually try to keep it short as possible.

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Haha yes so have I. People write novels in here, I have seen some epics.

Yes, there is a Facebook app in the Microsoft Store.

Sounds weird but are you on the latest video drivers?

antspants said:

Sounds weird but are you on the latest video drivers?

Click to expand...

I am.

So to clarify, do you use facebook at all? Web or app? Is facebook app installed on your machine? Is it listed under installed programs? Dont look under control panel, look under settings > installed apps

When you see this, what shows in task manager? If you see the facebook process, can you right click and open file location?

Feel free to write a novel, I dont think you will get banned here for that haha

This could be a Facebook ad pop up?
Do you use any type of ad blocker?

Have you tried downloading Process Explorer? There will be icon on the menu strip which looks like a crosshair, if you select it, then you should be able to drag it over the Facebook "tab", hopefully Process Explorer will then filter its entries to what processes own that tab.

andrew129260 said:

So to clarify, do you use facebook at all? Web or app? Is facebook app installed on your machine? Is it listed under installed programs? Dont look under control panel, look under settings > installed apps

When you see this, what shows in task manager? If you see the facebook process, can you right click and open file location?

Feel free to write a novel, I dont think you will get banned here for that haha

Click to expand...

I only use the Web version of FB. The app is not installed
In Task Manager, there is no Facebook process.

Next time I post an issue I'll be sure to write that novel. But I fully expect someone, somewhere, will ask something that I already wrote in that novel. LOL (it happens)

Dannydet said:

This could be a Facebook ad pop up?
Do you use any type of ad blocker?

Click to expand...

hmmm... I do use the F.B. Purity extension, which can block FB ads and other things. I can disable it and see what happens. The issue is so random and unpredictable that I don't know how long it will take to be sure. But thanks for that thought.

x BlueRobot said:

Have you tried downloading Process Explorer? There will be icon on the menu strip which looks like a crosshair, if you select it, then you should be able to drag it over the Facebook "tab", hopefully Process Explorer will then filter its entries to what processes own that tab.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the problem there is I can't drag it while I'm doing ctrl+Tab, which is the only time the phantom "tab" shows up.

Have you tried doing a handle search within Process Explorer for something like "facebook"?

x BlueRobot said:

Have you tried doing a handle search within Process Explorer for something like "facebook"?

Click to expand...

I did, but no results.

Do you know if this happens with the general release version of Firefox? From what you've said, it seems that Firefox or an extension is creating an additional window or tab which isn't being released when you close the browser.

The fact that if you attempt to close it, it then crashes explorer suggests to me that it is some detached window object.

I noticed that no Facebook icon is used in that thing onscreen.
I imagine that you have already run Defender Quick scan & Offline scans.
Run Defender scans - ElevenForumTutorials
Run Microsoft Defender Offline Scan - ElevenForumTutorials


Denis

I think you installed Facebook Container extension:

Facebook Container for Firefox