Huge problems downloading - failed and "unknown time remaining - 0 bites (0 bites/sec)"

[Rational Db8]

Last night I started have major problems downloading from a few sites I normally have no problems with (e.g., openload.co and thevid.me).  The downloads would go partway, then either fail, and/or shift to an "unknown time remaining - 0 bites (0 bites/sec)" message... and once it did that, it would just stay at 0 bites forever.  If it failed, sometimes I could retry and it would start up again where it left off, but quickly fail again.  If I keep retrying, sometimes it immediately fails, less often it would get a little more of the video, but I wasn't able to get the complete video before it would go to that 0 bites message and once it does that, I can't seem to get any more of the video at all even if I cancel and retry. Sometimes it even goes the the "0 bites/sec" thing right off the bat.  

Is there some way to tell if it's a problem with the sites (seems unlikely that both sites would be affected the same way, however), or with download helper, or something with my system?  I haven't changed anything on my system, however, and haven't run into this problem before.  Thanks in advance for help with this!

[Rational Db8]

Same problem on moveshare.net - so it's got to either be videodownloadhelper having problems, or my system....

[Rational Db8]

I found the error log, and every single one said the exact same thing, right down to the numbers and line number shown: 

[mig]

There has not been any VDH update recently, nor Firefox's since 52 and no one else is complaining about that issue.
I'd start with creating a new Firefox user profile, install VDH on this profile (as the only extension) and see how it goes.

[Rational Db8]

Thanks so much for the reply & suggestion mig!  Fortunately I didn't have to go quite that far.  I freed up some space on the eternal drive I was downloading to, still had the problem, so I tried closing and re-opening firefox - and now it seems to be working fine.  Pretty sure I'd already tried closing and re-opening firefox several times before without it fixing the problem, so maybe it was a combination of the two or something.  Heck if I know, but just downloaded a couple without problems.  Regardless, I appreciate your reply and suggestion - and I would have done as you suggested next if this hadn't worked. 

[anuhea55 00]

Db8, seems like I've read in these blogs about logging of Firefox and back on again in-order to capture new/updated add-ons and extension.  I normally just use the X at the top right to close all FF windows.  There is also the "Exit" that appears under the "File" drop down, next to "View" on the top left of the FF window.  You need to "turn on the "Menu Bar" to see this.  Use the rt mouse in the gray area at the top of FF where I turn both menu bar and bookmarks toolbar on.  Finally, there is the "Exit" iron that appear when you select the 3 horiz bars of FF at the top right.  A circle with tick in the lower icon box next to the ?.  Maybe big time FF users can chime in to say which "Exit" is the best or if any of the 3 works better to capture updates.