# What's with this little white box popping up on websites in Firefox? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850 "2008-05-28T04:20:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/1 "2008-05-28T04:20:46Z")
So for the last little while, from time to time, a tiny white box with a shadow effect has been popping up in Firefox, then disappearing after a short time. I’ve noticed a decrease in speed so I thought it was some sort of spyware, but it persists even after I used AdAware. [Screenshot](http://www.metrodemontreal.com/screenshot.html) (arrow added) Any thoughts as to what it might be? ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/2 "2008-05-28T04:45:44Z")
I’m trying to look at your screenshot, and your server is 404ing on me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/3 "2008-05-28T05:14:09Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] Any thoughts as to what it might be? [/QUOTE] No idea. I looked at the site on my computer in Firefox, and even went to the same thread you were viewing, and didn’t see any white ox. Firefox 3 rc1 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/4 "2008-05-28T05:19:27Z")
It pops up in all different types of webpages, and in a different place on the screen each time. I seem to notice it about once every ten to twenty pages viewed. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/5 "2008-05-28T05:49:51Z")
Could be related to tooltips > **[Firefox Bug? Stinkin' White Box](https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/firefox-bug-stinkin-white-box.317769/)** > > :( > > Does this happen to you? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/6 "2008-05-28T06:54:49Z")
If what **Fubaya** posted doesn’t help, get [Hijack This](http://www.whatthetech.com/hijackthis/) and post your log here so we can see if you’ve got any browser hijackers going on. I looked at the source of that page you posted and there’s absolutely nothing weird going on…there’s nothing in the HTML in that space where the box is showing up. But, if what **Fubaya** ’s linked thread is right, it’s not an artifact from the page your on, rather some previous page or open item. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-this-little-white-box-popping-up-on-websites-in-firefox/450850/7 "2008-05-28T08:52:31Z")
Firefox normally has yellow tooltips, but white “alt” text. It may be an empty “alt” box for a link, but gone astray, perhaps caused by a faulty plug-in.