I run Firefox 3.04 on a Dell Inspiron 1505 running XP SP3, AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile CPU, and 1.87 GB RAM. Normally, it runs just fine, from the startup to the shutdown.
But every so often, it doesn't. In particular, about a week or so ago, startup would occasionally take a long, long time -- on the order of 90 to 120 seconds (where the norm is about five seconds). Being the standard consumer, I figured that if I tried to start four more copies, this would make it load faster (which it of course did not). I could not figure it out, and I still can't. Looking at Task Manager during these interminable waits, it was apparent that Firefox itself was just sitting there, not using any CPU.
I did a search for Firefox Slow Startup, and one thing I found suggested that Firefox is sensitive to the number of add-ons you've installed. Apparently, if an add-on requires that something be done to make it functional, it'll effectively stop Firefox's load until that something is done, and then it'll continue. The suggestion was to try starting Firefox in safe mode (I hadn't even known Firefox had a Safe Mode) which brings it up without any add-ons at all. I did, and it came up like a bullet. I shut it down and started it normally, and it came up sluggishly.
So I started looking at add-ons, turning off everything that I didn't really want - things like Visualise.us, which I like but doesn't do anything personally for me. I found that with all four (Password Exporter, Reload Every, TrackMeNot, and Visualize.us) off, Firefox loaded pretty quickly. I'll likely turn TMN back on, but as for the others, I think I'll just run without them for a while.
3 comments:
I'm about ready to bin Firefox, myself. It's become this slow, unwieldy and difficult anachronism. The media players don't work as they should, and the entire thing is just too Windows and Linux-like.
I think I'll investigate some of the Mac-specific browsers. Once I find one, Firefox will be relegated to the "Applications" folder, and no longer inhabit the little launcher bar thingy. :-)
Carolyn Ann
PS There's nothing specifically wrong with Safari, I just like to have options... :-)
At last, somebody else who thinks firefox is a slug!
Like I told an IT guy (to his evident bewilderment) a few years ago, "It must be bad for me to go back to Internet Exploder!"
Now I know why.
Now if I can only figure out how to destroy Symantec....but the little tendrils are all through the dll files and to destroy Norton is to destroy the whole OS. I made the mistake of installing McCaffey before completely removing Norton....long story short...new OS install was required.
(Now 'puter in the new year....I am really tired of running Win 98. OTOH, I know all its tricks by now.)
I don't think its a slug... usually. But I didn't used to think it was a slug at all. Its as if there's...something.. that it needs, which is occasionally not there, but it will eventualy show up. Eventually.
I read somewhere that IE never completely unloads, so it comes up quickly.
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