100 % CPU usage makes Firefox unusable :-(

[AnotherGuest.]

If you had read the previous posts, you would have seen that that did "not" help me at all, although I applied all suggestions in an attempt to "fix" this problem..............

I wanted to let everyone know that I'm having the same exact problems with firefox, and it's really frustrating me! Everytime I'm in my browser for a while, my CPU usage shoots up to 100%, especially if I right click anything to save it such as in my tube groups, then firefox stops responding at all! If I try to even close a window, it will give a message across the top that says (not responding)... I end up having to kill firefox, and lose all the tabs I had open, cause I cannot even open a tab to get the url... this really needs to be addressed by Mozilla! And it's not like we can just write customer support and have this looked into!!! I've read all the posts here, and I do not see a fix for this, so if I've overlooked it somehow, please let me know... the flashbloc doesn't fix it... I'm running windowsxp, 2GB Ram, and have no problems with "anything" else except for firefox. #Furious

Sorry if I missed something, but I have read all three of your posts and I don't a single word about what you did or did not try. So help us out here, OK? No one here is a mind reader.

However, I do see now that I already replied to you once. Sorry, I'll try not to repeat the reply again, although I do think it's valid. It's either an extension or maybe Flash or FlashBlock, or maybe specific sites.

Edit: Nah, it's an extension. Note that some of them cannot be updated, but must be uninstalled and reinstalled. Some of them CANNOT be uninstalled. Blame the extension writers, I guess. If in doubt, just make a clean start. Uninstall Fx using Add/Remove programs, reinstall <i>in a new directory,</i> and create a new profile. That gives you a completely fresh start, except that you will still probably have all your plugins.

[tnttrucker]

ok, ty, I had wrote above that it wasn't the flashb, or at least I thought I had written that... so sorry if I have not... but I did try everything he talked about... I will now try uninstalling extensions and see if that helps. thx again

[EricN1023]

I Have a list of extensions that I install with firefox. If I install them all at once I get the types of problems described in this thread.

The way you should install your extensions is one at a time.

Install extension

Restart firefox

Repeat

[AnotherGuest.]

And make sure it is working correctly before you add another extension. Also note, alas, that it is common for some extensions not to work correctly with a new version of Fx.

[tnttrucker]

And make sure it is working correctly before you add another extension. Also note, alas, that it is common for some extensions not to work correctly with a new version of Fx.

I did just that, uninstalled, reinstalled, one at a time, tested each one, and all seem to be working fine, but still the same probs w/FX... dang

[onichan]

okay, I'm having a similar problem, but ffx is running up to 90-100 percent CPU during complex page rendering--including when <i>this</i> page was rendered, so it ain't flash. It goes back down if I minimize ffx or when the page stops loading, but it seriously freaks out winamp (running in 2.x skin mode, and even if it's the only other app running) in the process, making the music choppy (makes it sound like a bad speaker connection, but it's a laptop) or nonexistent, and sometimes grinds the computer to a halt. opening dialogs (save, etc.) aggravates it, as does more tabs open. 850mhz duron ("neutered palomino"), 256 mb RAM, XP sp2, oh and this NEVER happened before installing 1.0.6, though I've been onboard since 0.7 was released. I also recently nuked my profile and installed just adblock and stumbleupon but it was happening before I reinstalled the latter.

[AnotherGuest.]

tnttrucker,
Apparently you missed something. You are not supposed to install any extension until you have thoroughly tested it and are absolutely certain it is working correctly. As long as you have a single extension installed, you cannot claim that there is a bug in Firefox. The bug is usually in the extension. In your case, it is also crucial to INSTALL IT IN A NEW DIRECTORY. This is crucial.

Onichan,
Same advice. As I recall, Adblock is sometimes a problem. StumbleUpon has caused a LOT of problems in preventing updating of extensions, and it alters your profile by <i>changing the version number</i> (unacceptable). So you either need to fix your profile or create a new one.

[johnblox]

I've had this problem with firefox for what a year or so. I keep the task manager at hand and kill firefox when it does it. which it does most days, usually when a lot of tabs are open. I've not installed any extensions. It just did it again, which is why I googled and arrived here. I think XP_SP2 may be involved. At some point I will reinstall as a few other apps (nero) also do this 100% cpu bizniz, but that's windoze for ya its a piece of cr@p and we all know it!!!

[mdave13]

Having read all of the previous messages, here's my two cents.

Background:
Two Computers

1) Desktop=500mhz PIII cpu, 384 Ram, 32mb nvidia tnt2 graphics card, XP Home SP2.

2) Laptop=2.8mgz P4, 512mb ddr ram, 96mb shared mem ati rage graphics adapter, XP Home SP2.

3) Website=www.davereillysplace.com using embedded midi file, animated gifs(4), Looping Javascripts(1), Non-looping Javascript(1) and NO Flash content.

Laptop:
I have been using Firefox on the laptop with 10 extensions installed since version 0.7. Now using 1.07. Never had a problem with the cpu usage. After careful observation using task manager, usage peaks @ 60% and drops back to 15 to 20%. after loading above website.

Desktop:
Just installed brand new hard drive, clean install XP Home SP2, Clean install Firefox 1.07(no extensions). Above webpage exhibited the symptoms discussed with Firefox CPU usage climbing to 95-100%, leading to very poor performance, and remaining there even after long periods of inactivity. Tried some of the fixes previously offered and nothing seemed to help.

Since I own the above web site, I began experimenting with its elements to try and pin down the problem.

#1. Removed Midi files, Javascript and Animated Gifs.
Result: Firefox CPU usage peaked at 17% and quickly dropped to Zero.
No performance problems.

#2 Added Back Animated Gifs.
Result: Firefox Cpu Usage Peaked At 26% and quickly dropped to 7-8%
No performance problems.

#3 Added back Animated Gifs and Looping and Non-looping Javascripts.
Result: Firefox Cpu Usage Peaked At 54% and dropped to 35% after Non-looping Javascript finished.
Slight performance problems while Non-looping Javascript was running(jerky motion of javascript), no performance problems after.

#4 Removed Gifs, Looping and Non-looping Javascripts, and Added back embedded Midi File.
Result: Firefox CPU usage climbing to 75-95%, leading to very poor performance, and remaining there even after long periods of inactivity.

#5 Added back Animated Gifs, Looping and Non-looping Javascripts, and embedded Midi File.
Installed "Media Player Connectivity" Extension (http://ftp.mozilla.org/pb/mozilla.org/e ... -fx+ns.xpi)
Configured Extension to Use Windows Media Player For Midi and set player to open when embedded object(Configuration tab 1).
Result: Firefox Cpu Usage Peaked At 26% and quickly dropped to 7-8%
No performance problems. Windows Media player opened and played the music flawlessly.


CONCLUSION.
In my humble opinion, Firefox does not handle embedded media very well when CPU speeds are LOW. The same may be true of Flash content and could be the reason why Flashblock helps. Not having any Flash content on my website makes this is difficult to confirm.
While not having CPu info on all of the posters makes it difficult to blame the Low CPU speed hypothesis difficult to blame for everyones problems, I feel a majority will benefit from this post.
My suggestion is to install both Flashblock and Media Player connectivity extensions and hope that improves most peoples situations as it has mine.

David Reilly

[purefusion]

Running a Sony VAIO Laptop with good specs. 2.8 GHz Pentium 4, and a whole 1GIG of ram. I have the most recent version 1.0.7 installed with 3 extensions, that I've reinstalled as well: WebDeveloper, Google PR Status, IE View, View Cookies, and recently added RiteofTongue, and MiniT (tab dragging). I'm a huge multi tasker, and it's normal for me to have up to 10 Firefox Windows open, with 1-20 tabs in each window. But I'll leave Firefox sit while using other programs, and suddenly it'll go to 99% CPU usage, and I'm not even using the program! It doesn't freeze Firefox, but when I have so many windows open, or for a long period of time it'll randomly max out cpu usage for about 30-60 seconds, then go back to normal. But it puts my fans to max speed (and max noise). It's definately an annoyance.

Also should add that this annoyance happens whether I'm using the computer and even if the computer is just sitting in idle mode.

I thought I'd chime in with my specs. I thought it could be because I use standby mode, and don't shut down but once per week. I have no idea though. But I won't use IE if I can avoid it. I do use Thunderbir (which is always open) and Dreamweaver, Photoshop quite often. Both programs are open about 90% of the time my computer is on.

[Gamma-Ryo]

Hm. I experience 99% CPU usage on newest (2005-10-06) trunk, when I open many, let's say five tabs. Is this bug known?

[badlands]

I am truly despairing about this because I hate using IE and yet I am annoyed with Firefox to the point where I need to abandon it.

Let me add one new observation to the thread. If I look at my performance tab in Task Manager, I see a perfect square wave. I am a EE by education, so this resonates with me! When the problem manifests itself (which occurs as soon as I start surfing even lightly with any version of Firefox from 0.9 through 1.5, tried them all), I see a square wave with an ON peried of 3 seconds at 100% CPU suck, and an OFF period of 15 seconds. This CPU suck performance prevails no matter what else I do on the machine. Of course, the CPU performance varies on top of the square wave as I bring new apps on and off. But if I do nothing, firefox produces this perfect wave pattern of CPU suck.

I would offer, therefore, that there is a TIME-based mechanism that is causing firefox to kick off some internal process on an 18 second period. I dearly hope that one of the firefox contributors can consider this angle and look for such a mechanism that may be causing this bug. Until then, it is, alas, farewell to Firefox.

My coordinates:
Win 2K Pro latest patches
512M RAM
Firefox 0.9 through 1.5 - no extensions, blocking popups

[Fawkes]

I'm having similar problems. I've P4 3GHz HT with 512 RAM, running WinXP Pro SP2 & Mandriva LE 2005. Firefox Version 1.5 beta2 in both OSes
I have similar freezes since version 1, but ONLY IN WINDOWS. Maybe because of the HT, the CPU usage goes to 50 instead of 100. I am posting some screenshots of the freezing 'process' so that you get to know all the details.




When i closed one of the two tabs, it became normal.



But still, the memory usage remains high....



Hope somebody helps...

[trolly]

A first try for me would be to disable Java and JavaScript. If the CPU usage goes down then - at least - a JavaScript is running.
If not i would check my open pages for Flash content and block it (Adblock plus or NoScript for example).
If still nothing changes I'll try SafeMode (menu item).
After that a new profile.
JavaScript is still a bit shaky in FF.

[badlands]

I read the two previous posts, and those symptoms don't match mine, so I think they are different underlying mechanisms than my problem (2 posts back). When I get "bitten" the symptoms persists until I shutdown Firefox, no matter whether I disable javascript nor change other settings.

However, I just made an observation which is a major breakthrough. I discovered that Firefox has been writing complete bookmarks files VERY frequently. Get this, I had 10,000 bookmark files over the last 3 months!!!!! About 1 GB worth! So I observed that Firefox writes a new bookmark file to my profile directory each time I open a new browser session - I do not know if that is normal or not.

The next piece of the puzzle, is that Firefox increments the name, so it goes bookmarks-1.html, then bookmarks-2.html, etc. Well, guess what? I had so many files that I reached bookmarks-9999.html !!! After that point, Firefox uses date names, like this: bookmarks-2005-12-10.html.

I hypothesized that Firefox has a more difficult time figuring out what to do after the 10000 file limit, and so I deleted all but the first and last bookmark files. Since then, it seems to have solved the problem! I perform my usual usage patterns, and I no longer experience the "CPU suck" every 18 seconds. I did some stress testing as well, with 30 tabs open, 10 sessions, and indiscriminate navigation, and nothing phases it!!!!! ':D'

Hopefully others may benefit from this observation, and perhaps mozilla.org can figure out why Firefox writes so many bookmark files!!!!