[SOLVED] Browser or programs only open once

Pulling my hair out again! Blasted machine. I open Firefox and surf about, close it and it won't open again w/o a reboot. Programs won't open after the browser has been open as well. Hang on, I'll be back...

Yep, just wanted to make sure. My desktop shortcuts open once as well. This is extremely aggravating for me, especially since I've started two online businesses! I'd be willing to take a day with someone with remote access to get my mess cleaned up so I can use this damned machine with some kind of efficiency!

I have a little better idea of what's going on. I run into this problem intermittent, but often enough to be extremely aggravating and since I'm trying to make a buck with this, I need to get it resolved.

Just now, Firefox wouldn't open, just faded out on my task bar, so I decided to run CCleaner to see if it would help. CCleaner told me I needed to close Firefox or it would be skipped! That means Firefox is already open but there's no indication of it that I can see.

I would be willing to allow one of you tech wizards here to get into my system to tweak, clean, organize and fix this mess of mine. This biz stuff o' mine ain't gonna work unless I can get this monster set up properly.

OK, so now I can't close my browser if I want to keep working. I don't have a life as it is. Someone please help a decrepit old fart out.

Are you sure the programs aren't just minimized? Check your taskbar and see if maybe it is on there. The reason I ask is I can't think of any reason why they would not start again unless in actuality they are already running.

Also multiple occurrences of the same browser get grouped together on the taskbar by default so you could have two instances of IE but only one taskbar entry; to stop the grouping you need to change start menu property settings.
To do that, Right-click on the start orb and choose properties; select the Taskbar Tab; and beside Taskbar buttons choose "Never combine".

I would encourage you to make this change because it makes it so much easier to tell what programs are actually still running via a quick look at the taskbar.

Here in this example of mine you can easily tell where File explorer is closed on the top screenshot and open to my libraries on the one below...

This sounds familiar - with Firefox, I occasionally encounter this, or a simmilar issue - firefox appears to be closed (it's not on the taskbar, and not even in the list of running applications in the task manager) but firefox.exe will still be listed as running process in the process list in the task manager.
The fastest way to get firefox running again when you encounter this issue is going to your taskmanager (press ctrl-alt-del on your keyboard, and choose "start task manager")
There, go to the "processes" tab, and check if "firefox.exe" is among the running processes. If so, select it, and choose "end process"
After that, close the taskmanager, and try to start firefox again.

This has been an ongoing problem for ages, with FF. This is an old fix, but might still work:
In Windows Explorer, go down the path:
C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\5nipw14w.default
Open the folder and delete “parent.lock” FF must be closed when you do this!

You can also disable the Automatic updates in FF. This has helped in some cases.

This is getting just ridiculous. I've applied all the fixes suggested, ones that applied (there weren't multiple instances and IE doesn't apply to FF and the path you gave me, Dave, doesn't exist; I could find no "profiles" folder in Mozilla at all!). I'm having to cheat to get online, going to the HP Shop for Supplies icon and opening from there. I can't open other programs and installing programs is a laborious chore if I can even get it done.

I had a fellow out to look at my computers and one think he recommended was that I uninstall my Kapersky, he said he hadn't seen a virus in nearly 10 years and I was operating OK when he left. Well, now I'm involved in internet marketing and I'm trying to reinstall my AV and it's just not happening.It seems that this super-fast, top-o-the line machine has bogged down.

I've tried everything I can think of, spent money I probably shouldn't have spent on "fix-it" programs and I'm trying to operate a work-at-home business and that's very difficult with what's going on now.

I need a computer guru fast. I have Team Viewer. I know Windows 7 also has the capability of allowing remote assistance. Is anyone here willing to go in and straighten out my mess? I'm on a fixed income, but I'd be willing to pay a reasonable "consultant" fee for the service (my last computer guy charged me $75 for four hours work and he came to the house!). Now, I know that some of you certainly value your time more dearly, but please, be gentle on me.

Just a few thoughts.
Did your HP system come with Norton installed?
When you installed Kaspersky did you run the Norton clean-up tool to completely remove Norton from your pc?
Did he/you uninstall Kaspersky?
Did he/you use the clean-up tool for that?
Do you have any AV program installed now?

""and the path you gave me, Dave, doesn't exist; I could find no "profiles" folder in Mozilla at all"" The Profiles folder is inside the Firefox folder which is inside the Mozilla folder

It came w/ Norton, but I uninstalled it.

I uninstalled Kapersky

No AV now, but I'm trying to reinstall Kapersky.

Did you use the clean up tools though when uninstalling? They'll both leave dregs behind that will intefere with any other AV you install (or possibly on a re-install).

Can you keep opening and closing a program from desktop shortcut unless you open a browser (FF and/or IE??) when it changes to only once? Or is it only once anyway?