Firefox Slowing Down

[The Orange Zergling]

So, I've been noticing for the past week or two that Firefox has been slowing down, namely that whenever I open a tab, click on a link or access a site it pauses for a little bit during which time I can't do anything in Firefox (but I can do things in other programs normally), and if there's a video playing in another tab it makes it skip for a few seconds.

At first the pauses were just for a second or so but now they're up to 6-8 seconds each and it's starting to annoy me. My antivirus seems to think everything is fine, so I don't think it's a virus.

Anyone know what's wrong or could help me out? :smallsmile:

[Mercenary Pen]

Well, I've been having similar speed problems on my current Firefox 3.0 (I forget the rest of the string of digits) install... But, just to help us out, which version of Firefox are you running?

[The Orange Zergling]

The most recent version, I just updated the other day. Didn't seem to help the problem at all.

[Mercenary Pen]

But is it the most recent version of 3.0, 3.5 or some other discrete variant of Firefox?

[The Orange Zergling]

But is it the most recent version of 3.0, 3.5 or some other discrete variant of Firefox?

Okay, I just upgraded to 3.6. It seems to have... helped; I can navigate within the first tab just fine without any of the issues described above, but subsequent tabs still give me problems.

[Yarram]

Try deleting your history and cookies. That's been known to slow down web browsers. Otherwise, I have no idea.

[Bhu]

I have problems with it too, but I think Java Runtime Environment is whats causing mine.

[The Orange Zergling]

Try deleting your history and cookies. That's been known to slow down web browsers. Otherwise, I have no idea.

I delete my history regularly, including before the whole mess started. Clearing cookies didn't seem to help. :smallfrown:

[Starfols]

Switch to Opera :smallwink:.

From the sound of your post, it seems it only started being a problem when you got the new version. It might just be a bug.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Have you recently installed any add-ons?

[The Orange Zergling]

Switch to Opera :smallwink:.

No thanks. :smallwink:


From the sound of your post, it seems it only started being a problem when you got the new version. It might just be a bug.

Actually, it started before I updated; the problem is what prompted the update.


Have you recently installed any add-ons?

I believe so, but I later deleted them.

[valadil]

Firefox gets bloaty. Try making a new profile in it.

[Firestar27]

Sometimes that just happens with me and Firefox. I just switch to Chrome. Then when it happens to Chrome, I switch back to Firefox. I know it doesn't fix it permanently, but it's a useful temporary fix.
Or, it could be a bad add-on. For example, one time my Firefox was really slow, and it went away when I removed the Skype add-on for Firefox (weird and long name). (after trying many other fixes). :smalltongue:

[Jallorn]

Switch to Opera :smallwink:.

This. I like Opera. It hasn't failed me yet.

[lesser_minion]

What antivirus software do you use? The worst suites will actually rape your web browser.


No thanks.

I hate to do this, but why not?

It seems odd to dismiss Opera out of hand.

[The Orange Zergling]

So, a bit of an update; my father (who is more tech-savvy than I) tinkered around with our network switch and it seems to have mostly fixed the problem; the pause is only momentary now and isn't really annoying anymore. Thanks for your responses, though. :smallsmile:


What antivirus software do you use? The worst suites will actually rape your web browser.

BitDefender. I've had it for a while, waaay before the slow downs started.


I hate to do this, but why not?

It seems odd to dismiss Opera out of hand.

Well, I'm sure Opera is a good browser and everything, I just really like Firefox and would prefer to keep using it unless I absolutely have to switch. :smallwink:

[Shas aia Toriia]

Opera?
Why would you use that when Chrome is perfectly available to get? :smallconfused: :smalltongue:

[CollinPhillips]

Have you considered picking up IE6?

[lesser_minion]

Opera?
Why would you use that when Chrome is perfectly available to get? :smallconfused: :smalltongue:

Because Chrome is four times the size, significantly less secure, isn't noticeably faster, and restricts your choice of user interface. And uses a hideous font for most of the chrome itself. A small aesthetic screw-up in a beta is a small price to pay.


Have you considered picking up IE6?

:smallbiggrin: Yes, I've seen the SaveIE6 page. It's still not a good idea from a serious perspective.


Scarily, schools in the UK still teach people to use tables for laying out web pages.

[Haruki-kun]

Have you considered picking up IE6?

That's crazy! :smalleek:

:smallbiggrin:

[lesser_minion]

So, a bit of an update; my father (who is more tech-savvy than I) tinkered around with our network switch and it seems to have mostly fixed the problem; the pause is only momentary now and isn't really annoying anymore. Thanks for your responses, though. :smallsmile:

There is no 'magic bullet' for connection issues, unfortunately (there is Opera Turbo, but that means compressing most of the content of web pages).

By the way, Firefox has a habit of eating memory to store web pages you've visited recently in case you decide to go back to them. I think SweetRein posted some instructions on how to stop it. I'll search around and see what I can find on fixing it.


Finally, Asa Dotzler (http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2010/01/spring_cleaning_for.html) has a few suggestions on how to spring-clean Firefox.

[Mando Knight]

Have you considered picking up IE6?

...But... but... tabbed browsing!
And Personas (http://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/getting_started)!

[Eldan]

Just the obvious question, but: how many tabs do you have open at the same time?

[Mando Knight]

Just the obvious question, but: how many tabs do you have open at the same time?

Right now? 5. Occasionally I run up to 12 or more. And that's just with Playground threads.

[lesser_minion]

Just the obvious question, but: how many tabs do you have open at the same time?

Usually 3 - 15, although I can get well past 60 tabs sometimes.

The problem with Opera is that there's no slowdown to warn you when you have too many tabs open.

[The Orange Zergling]

There is no 'magic bullet' for connection issues, unfortunately (there is Opera Turbo, but that means compressing most of the content of web pages).

By the way, Firefox has a habit of eating memory to store web pages you've visited recently in case you decide to go back to them. I think SweetRein posted some instructions on how to stop it. I'll search around and see what I can find on fixing it.

Well, I clear my browsing history on a fairly regular basis, but it's likely that's not what you're talking about. But if so, then that shouldn't be a problem.


Finally, Asa Dotzler (http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2010/01/spring_cleaning_for.html) has a few suggestions on how to spring-clean Firefox.

Alright, thank you. :smallsmile:


Just the obvious question, but: how many tabs do you have open at the same time?

Generally only 2-3, but occasionally up to around 20 or so.

[lesser_minion]

Actually, just type 'trim_on_minimize' into your address bar and it will take you straight to the knowledge base article.

The setting for storing recently-visited pages seems hidden in the middle of nowhere, unfortunately.

[The Bushranger]

Any program, if it's been open for awhile, will use more and more RAM. And as I recall, Firefox is a RAM hog to start with. Does it get better if you just close the browser and reopen it?

[Don Julio Anejo]

I get along just fine without closing Firefox or restarting my laptop for like a month and having 10-20 windows (windows, not tabs, I hate tabs) open at any one time. Sometime Firefox does crash if you haven't restarted it or the computer for a while, but sometimes does mean sometimes - once a month of use as outlined above.

An important question though: what kind of lag is it?

Is it internet lag, such as web sites taking a long time to load, or links needing to be clicked a few times before they actually work, or just bad responsiveness in general..

OR - is the Firefox itself lagging? Such as slow opening of new windows/tabs, slow minimizing or restoring of windows, slow scrolling on a page that's already loaded?

The first one is internet related. The second one is RAM or bad add-on related. An overly protective antivirus could cause both, the first one by being overly protective of web traffic, and the second one indirectly, by eating up all of available resources on older computers.

[Yarram]

Ooh, ooh. This might be relevant. My father had the exact same problem as you, until all of the sudden the screen went black, and it said that Firefox was fixing the problem. Then it was fixed.
Otherwise... Can't help.

[lesser_minion]

Here's some more information from the Knowledge Base:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_hangs
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Config.trim_on_minimize
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser.cache.memory.capacity
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers

If you feel up to it, you can use the last three articles to cut down Firefox's memory usage a little.

[The Orange Zergling]

Actually, just type 'trim_on_minimize' into your address bar and it will take you straight to the knowledge base article.

The setting for storing recently-visited pages seems hidden in the middle of nowhere, unfortunately.

I, er, don't suppose that they tell you how to modify this anywhere, do they? :smalltongue:


Any program, if it's been open for awhile, will use more and more RAM. And as I recall, Firefox is a RAM hog to start with. Does it get better if you just close the browser and reopen it?

Not at all, no.


An important question though: what kind of lag is it?

Is it internet lag, such as web sites taking a long time to load, or links needing to be clicked a few times before they actually work, or just bad responsiveness in general..

OR - is the Firefox itself lagging? Such as slow opening of new windows/tabs, slow minimizing or restoring of windows, slow scrolling on a page that's already loaded?

What happens is that when I access a new page, click on a link or open a new tab Firefox pauses for a couple of seconds, during which time I cannot do anything with Firefox like look at a different tab, open the Tool menu or minimize. I'm also noticing websites are taking longer to load than they usually do.


The first one is internet related. The second one is RAM or bad add-on related. An overly protective antivirus could cause both, the first one by being overly protective of web traffic, and the second one indirectly, by eating up all of available resources on older computers.

Ah... I've never had problems with my antivirus program before, but it did update recently. Though I can't for the life of me remember whether it did that before or after the problems started.

[lesser_minion]

OK, modifying advanced Firefox settings:

Type 'about:config' into the address bar and hit enter Click through the screen warning that 'Here be dragons' To set config.trim_on_minimize, right-click on the page, and pick 'add new', type in the name and then pick 'boolean'. Then set it to 'true'. For browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers, you should be able to search for it. When you find it, change the number from '-1' (which lets Firefox decide) to something like 5 or 10.


The other two settings are probably not worth messing with.

[Don Julio Anejo]

What happens is that when I access a new page, click on a link or open a new tab Firefox pauses for a couple of seconds, during which time I cannot do anything with Firefox like look at a different tab, open the Tool menu or minimize. I'm also noticing websites are taking longer to load than they usually do.
This sounds like Firefox itself is lagging, not the internet. One possibility is you have way too much stuff open at the same time (can't tell you how much is too much, it depends not only on how much but also how good your computer is, how much else do you have open and what exactly is open - pdfs or avis slow it down much more than simple text pages).

Since it's probably not an add-on or antivirus, you _could_ reinstall Firefox (unless you have a few dozen add-ons that would be a pain to reinstall). This, while not guaranteed to work, would probably get rid of any baggage you might have that's slowing it down.

Another thing to try would be to open a new window whenever the old one starts lagging. It could just be too many tabs open in the same place.


Ah... I've never had problems with my antivirus program before, but it did update recently. Though I can't for the life of me remember whether it did that before or after the problems started.
I think you're fine unless it updated to a different version. If it's just a normal definition update, you're probably fine in this department.

[The Orange Zergling]

Okay; I just went through my add-on list again, after figuring out which ones I did and didn't need (as opposed to just guessing), disabled a couple and the issue seems to have been completely cured.

So thanks for your help, everyone! :smallbiggrin: