A couple of possible causes: First check to see if an add-on is causing this, add-ons can cause problems with the location bar not updating. For details of how to check this see https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes The second possible cause is a problem with the file that stores details of bookmarks and browsing history. I don't think this will be the cause in your case, as if there is a problem with that file you will normally get multiple problems. For details on this see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locked_or_damaged_places.sqlite