Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read speed

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read speed

Post by bookmarkimport »

I'm using Firefox 57.0.3 (64-bit) on Windows 8.1.

Firefox takes 3-4 minutes to start up fully. During that, the active time in Task Manager is 99-100% but the read speed by Firefox is rarely more than 2-3 MB/s. (I know the drive is capable of more since CrystalDiskMark shows the drive reading at 100 MB/s.) Websites load slowly. Addons like uBlock and Group Speed Dial don't work during this time either (ads are not blocked and I get a blank page instead of dials).

So disable addons? Well, even in safe-mode with addons disabled, startup is still slow and websites load slowly too during the first few minutes. Is Firefox churning through some large file??

Even before Quantum, I experienced similar start up speed issues.

Any solutions, please? :cry: :cry: :cry:
User avatar
LIMPET235
Moderator
Posts: 39933
Joined: October 19th, 2007, 1:53 am
Location: The South Coast of N.S.W. Oz.

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hi,
Have you tried creating a new, blank Profile yet?
Do NOT add anything to it.
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_ne ... on_Windows
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
TheVisitor
Posts: 5469
Joined: May 13th, 2012, 10:43 am

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by TheVisitor »

How many hundreds of tabs are you trying to open ?
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

TheVisitor wrote:How many hundreds of tabs are you trying to open ?
I'm not opening any new tabs except the default Firefox homepage.
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127186
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by DanRaisch »

What security software is running on that Windows system?
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

LIMPET235 wrote:Hi,
Have you tried creating a new, blank Profile yet?
Do NOT add anything to it.
> http://kb.mozillazine.org/Creating_a_ne ... on_Windows
That works actually. How can I transfer my personal data... and wouldn't it just cause the same problems?
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

DanRaisch wrote:What security software is running on that Windows system?
It's the free version of Avast, 17.9.2322.
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127186
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by DanRaisch »

Have you tried shutting down the various "Shields" in Avast and then rebooting to see if that helps with the start up time?
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

DanRaisch wrote:Have you tried shutting down the various "Shields" in Avast and then rebooting to see if that helps with the start up time?
No because wouldn't that be dangerous? I do want virus/malware being scanned... Plus, it's only lagging for minutes with the current profile. Is there anything in profiles that are known to be clunky/too big, etc?
User avatar
DanRaisch
Moderator
Posts: 127186
Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
Location: Somewhere on the right coast

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by DanRaisch »

Is there anything in profiles that are known to be clunky/too big, etc?
I can't think of anything that would produce that lag at startup but not during regular browsing.
I do want virus/malware being scanned.
I wasn't suggesting shutting off the Shields permanently, only as way to test whether Avast is involved in the startup delay. Once that was tested you could turn them back on.
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

DanRaisch wrote:I wasn't suggesting shutting off the Shields permanently, only as way to test whether Avast is involved in the startup delay. Once that was tested you could turn them back on.
1. I turned off the router.
2. Restarted computer.
3. Disabled all the shields in Avast.
4. Same problem :-(
User avatar
LIMPET235
Moderator
Posts: 39933
Joined: October 19th, 2007, 1:53 am
Location: The South Coast of N.S.W. Oz.

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hi,
There's a link in the Profile article link I posted, on what to transfer.
Here. > http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_ ... _-_Firefox
Start with your Bookmarks & Passwords.
Don't go crazy & check the start-up again.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

LIMPET235 wrote:Hi,
There's a link in the Profile article link I posted, on what to transfer.
Here. > http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_ ... _-_Firefox
Start with your Bookmarks & Passwords.
Don't go crazy & check the start-up again.
I will try this tomorrow... do you have any idea of what in the profiles could be causing this so I know what to look for? I have about 1400 bookmarks, does not seem like much. With all the addons removed by Quantum, I have a grand total of 8 addons as well (although even in safemode without addons, it's slow)...
User avatar
LIMPET235
Moderator
Posts: 39933
Joined: October 19th, 2007, 1:53 am
Location: The South Coast of N.S.W. Oz.

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by LIMPET235 »

Hi,
Your Bookmarks should not/will not cause the error.

It's more likely to be an extension, theme, (all these are in the Profile), or your AV program.

Have you tried to "Repair" AVAST. through. Control Panel > "Programs & Features?"
Select AVAST & choose > Change > Repair.

What "Features/Optional stuff" do you have in AVAST?

After all, it's just an AV program....NOT a program "out-of-date" checker.
Way too much "un-necessary stuff" incorporated into AVAST.

You could always un-install AVAST, as a test.
Windows should take up the slack with it's built-in AV.
Go into Control Panel > Windows Defender & make sure it's turned ON.
[Ancient Amateur Astronomer.]
Win-10-H/64 bit/500G SSD/16 Gig Ram/450Watt PSU/350WattUPS/Firefox-115.0.2/T-bird-115.3.2./SnagIt-v10.0.1/MWP-7.12.125.

(Always choose the "Custom" Install.)
bookmarkimport
Posts: 51
Joined: February 3rd, 2014, 6:27 pm

Re: Firefox slow to startup: high active time, low read spee

Post by bookmarkimport »

LIMPET235 wrote:What "Features/Optional stuff" do you have in AVAST?
I did that and only re-installed the shields (not the extra bloat), same problems as usual. However...

I found the source of the issue! A bit of background on my hardware setup. My main C: drive is a fast SSD. My secondary drive E: is a normal 5400 rpm drive. Within E:, there's an encrypted volume mounted as drive Z: (TrueCrypt). It's on Z: that the default Firefox profile folder was located, obviously for security purposes. (Only by mounting the drive with a password does one have access to the profile folder with the history and passwords.)

So I copied the entire Firefox profile folder to C: and after a restart the start up was super fast. That's to be expected since it's an SSD. However, the same fast start up was observed on an UNENCRYPTED part of E:... so it's the encryption that's slowing doing the start up!

So... anyone have experience with a Firefox profile folder in a TrueCrypt volume? It's surprising because with Crystal Disk Mark, I don't see much of a difference in read/write speeds on the secondary drive's unencrypted/encrypted portions. And, the slowness is only the Firefox's start up... Once Firefox is fired up (3-4 mins), it's fast until the next restart.
Post Reply