Unresponsive Script???

a;skdjfajf;ak · Post by **a;skdjfajf;ak** » December 4th, 2007, 8:01 pm

@Ray Bell

See if anything here helps you along to solving your issue:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Unresponsive_Script_Warning

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 4th, 2007, 8:08 pm

Where is this, please?

"To determine what script is running too long, open the Error Console (JavaScript Console prior to Firefox 2) and tell it to stop the script. The Error Console should identify the script causing the problem."

See what I mean, nothing is written in a fashion that enables people who understand and follow English closely to do anything with the information?

schapel · Post by **schapel** » December 5th, 2007, 5:22 am

Where is what?

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 5:49 am

Can't I ever get an answer?

Where is the error console?

I'm begging for help here, I really need to get these computers working so I can get some work done. Please let me know every step that's necessary to get this problem solved.

teoli2003 · Post by **teoli2003** » December 5th, 2007, 6:20 am

Ray Bell wrote:Where is the error console?

Tools -> Error console

TheMongKey · Post by **TheMongKey** » December 5th, 2007, 6:49 am

Read the links in Racer's post. They explain both how to start Firefox in Safe Mode and how to access about:config.

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 11:54 am

Let's be a bit more accurate here...

There is a suggestion to start in 'safe mode' and also to go to 'access:config'. And above, "See if anything here helps you along to solving your issue:"

Well, does it?

I have no idea... what does it all mean?

sheehan · Post by **sheehan** » December 5th, 2007, 12:28 pm

Slow down and try one of the suggestions at a time. Don't get frustrated, but do try the suggestions and answer the other user's queries. That is the only way to diagnose your problem without being at your computer.

Do you have any extensions? List them. Safe Mode, as the links provided to you shows, allows you to start Firefox without any customizations (like extensions or themes) to see whether the cause is something you added or Firefox itself.

For the Error Console: hit the Clear button in that window as the list has accumulated a huge number of regular errors (most of these won't result in "unresponsive script" messages). Then when you get the unresponsive script message you may be able to see which may have caused it.

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 12:58 pm

But I see little in the way of 'suggestions'... just an assumption that I know what to do when I see each magic word!

That instruction from Firefox says:

"To determine what script is running too long, open the Error Console (JavaScript Console prior to Firefox 2) and tell it to stop the script. The Error Console should identify the script causing the problem."

I hit the clear button and it cleared. So now it is accumulating further errors at a great rate as I type this. 18, in fact, so far... and counting!

So, if I need for it to be cleared when the warning arrived, I'll be doing nothing but clearing it all day.

As for 'extensions'... if I understand the meaning of this nice English word as it's distorted for this purpose, it seems that it might mean something like 'accessories' or 'optional extras'. If that's so, I believe the only one I have is the google toolbar. I believe that was added as a part of the original download of Firefox.

What else could there be?

sheehan · Post by **sheehan** » December 5th, 2007, 1:10 pm

Ray Bell wrote:As for 'extensions'... if I understand the meaning of this nice English word as it's distorted for this purpose, it seems that it might mean something like 'accessories' or 'optional extras'. If that's so, I believe the only one I have is the google toolbar. I believe that was added as a part of the original download of Firefox.

That's the one; that is what everyone was probing for. Some earlier versions of the Google Toolbar used an enormous amount of resources.
If I were you I would uninstall or disable the toolbar (or run Firefox in Safe Mode which you seem averse to learning how to do), though you may be able to update the toolbar to a more functional version

To do this go to Tools > Add-ons
Find Google Toolbar in the list of extensions
Click either the Disable or Uninstall Buttons
Restart Firefox
See if Firefox is still sluggish.

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 1:30 pm

Hmmm... 'Tools> Add-ons' you say?

That brings up this:

Yet the google toolbar is obviously a part of the Firefox frame there, isn't it?

What next?

sheehan · Post by **sheehan** » December 5th, 2007, 2:02 pm

So that didn't answer it. The usual cause is an add-on, but there are a few other causes that should be considered.

Can you narrow down which websites you are encountering the tie-ups? If you don't see a pattern, you may want to re-install the latest version of Firefox. Your screenshot of the error console shows some missing components in your install folder, so that just may be causing it. Re-installing will not affect your settings (like bookmarks, saved information like passwords, etc.)
You could also try clearing entries in your cache & downloads list. Are you familiar with how to do that?

By the way, that's not a Google Toolbar in your screenshot. You can use any search engine you wish by clicking the little triangle up there, Google just happens to be the default.

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 2:20 pm

Everything I touch with Firefox adds to the list... everything...

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 2:23 pm

The install is actually quite new, by the way. It's only two or three weeks since I changed the hard drive in this computer and reinstalled. And, of course, Firefox has taken over and done several updates since then.

Ray Bell · Post by **Ray Bell** » December 5th, 2007, 2:28 pm

No, maybe that's not correct... it's not in the downloads list so it must have copied across from the other hard drive.

But this computer is the minor one, the one I need to have going properly is the other one, where I did have the google toolbar and I just wiped it. It also has an 'extension' for Skype. That one I'm not wiping.

The problem was well and truly prevalent before I set up Skype, by the way.