Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Firefox 5.0 is showing text over text on many websites apparently due to placing the end of a text line on top of the beginning of the next line down--this doesn't happen on Internet Explorer on the same websites, How do I/you fix this?

  • 5 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 14 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

The text over text issue happens all of the time with certain websites. In addition, when writing messages in facebook, the textbox does not expand beyond the initital 2 lines when I type more. I just can't see what I'm typing. Again, in IE the facebook textbox expands as I type more. I prefer to use Firefox but you're beginning to convince me that IE is a better product.

The text over text issue happens all of the time with certain websites. In addition, when writing messages in facebook, the textbox does not expand beyond the initital 2 lines when I type more. I just can't see what I'm typing. Again, in IE the facebook textbox expands as I type more. I prefer to use Firefox but you're beginning to convince me that IE is a better product.

All Replies (5)

more options

Did you set a minimum font size? If you set it to be too large, that can happen. Try removing the setting for minimum font size and see if that helps.

more options

Websites look wrong

https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Websites%20look%20wrong

Check and tell if its working.

more options

If you have increased the minimum font size then try the default setting "none" as a high value can cause issues like you described.

  • Tools > Options > Content : Fonts & Colors > Advanced > Minimum Font Size (none)
  • Tools > Options > Content : Fonts & Colors > Advanced > [X] "Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above"

You can use one of these extensions to set a default font size and page zoom on web pages:

more options

The font size is normal for the facebook page--same size as all the other comments and posts. The zoom setting is not zoomed, again normal setting. The text box simply does not expand as I type additional lines. Another possibly unrelated problem is that Firefox is narrowing the characters (spaces) per line so that the end of one line overwrites the beginning of the next line on some websites. When I use IE the font size is the same, the spaces per line is greater so that the line goes farther across the page. And there is plenty of space for Firefox to displace longer lines that would match those in IE.

Modified by danielblake07

more options

Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).


In Firefox 4 and later Safe mode disables extensions and disables hardware acceleration.

  • Tools > Options > Advanced > General > Browsing: "Use hardware acceleration when available"

If disabling hardware acceleration works then check if there is an update available for your graphics display driver.