100 % CPU usage makes Firefox unusable :-(

zero_ant · Post by **zero_ant** » November 1st, 2006, 2:13 pm

I got 100% too sometimes. It happened since firefox 1. But it got worsen in 2.0.

With firefox 2 in clean install and clean profile, it goes 100% when I load a page with java applet (in an inactive tab at that time). Firefox goes like poster #5 said, plus: circular loading icon stopped animating, cannot select other tabs using mouse.

I forcefully exit firefox. Then I tried opening the site with java again. This time I open one tab only to solely test whether it will go 100% again or not. Well, it goes 100% but it reduced to normal after a couple of secs. The java loaded well this time. Okay. But in another try it goes 100% and stalled again. :(

Same thing goes after I add shockwave and flash plugins. When I load a page with flash in it (again: in a background tab, I don't know whether it's relevant or not), I got 100% and firefox stalled. I forcefully exit and load the page again in success. It seems firefox stall when it load a plugin for the first time (in my case anyway).

I also got this kind of experience with firefox 1/.5 when loading a page with java, mov, and wmv object in it.

So, to play safe, I now disabled all plugins in firefox except for shockwave and flash. Sometimes firefox goes 80% when loading flash page (for the first time during its session) but it's bearable. I can't view video files directly in a web page anymore but with my connection speed... it's for the best :) I usually just download the video file if I want to watch rather than waiting the video streamed in my sluggish connection. And for java.... too bad, but I don't visit sites with java applets anyway.

On a different note, firefox usually goes 100% cpu load when I'm saving a page, but only if the page have a crap load of content. I can wait the 100% because it will cool down after a couple of seconds and because I _know_ that I-am-the-one-who-cause-it-to-happen by requesting to save a page.

mozilla fan · Post by **mozilla fan** » November 1st, 2006, 2:23 pm

I suspect you might have an alien in the guise of a virus or something similar.

Have you run Ad Alert from www.lavasoft.de? Its a free download and it does find lots of nasties unsuspecting users never knew lurked on their machines.

Paul.

Scarlettrunner20 · November 2nd, 2006, 12:42 am

VanillaMozilla wrote:Ah, yes. High humidity and salt. If you don't already, you might set it to shut down your hard drive and idle in low power mode. It shouldn't take much heat to protect it. I have had a couple of hard drive failures on computers that stayed on all the time.

I've not used hibernation and after reading this thread, I'm not eager to see the 100% CPU usage on coming out as I have set Fx to trim on minimize. I don't allow Flash plugin though (and use JVM for Java so only have it on IE) so I wouldn't have a lot of Flash or any Java applet trying to load. My seven and one- half year old Dell still has the original hard drive but that doesn't mean that the XP computer's hard drive will last as long when the computer is never turned off. I will consider it more though. My APC UPS software would like it if I used hibernation.

VanillaMozilla · Post by **VanillaMozilla** » November 2nd, 2006, 6:49 am

In principle, trim_on_minimize shouldn't have anything to do with hibernation. Also, if you don't like the time lag, why don't you disable trim_on_minimize. It doesn't really make any difference in memory use, you know. Either way the memory is still allocated, but if you don't trim automatically, the OS decides when to send it to swap file. Instead of swapping always, you just swap when necessary. Try it. The OS really does this just fine, and you shouldn't have any degradation in performance by other programs.

Post by **trolly** » November 2nd, 2006, 9:20 am

If you encounter problems with sites do not just complain that FF is not working but post the site address here for other people to check. No one doubts that you have problems but to decide if it is a FF problem or something with your system we must be able to check these sites.

andyfellwalker · Post by **andyfellwalker** » November 3rd, 2006, 4:52 am

Two years on, page 13. I haven't read every post put it seems that the problem still exists?

I am looking at Task Manager showing firefox.exe using 99% CPU time.

Using 2.0 now is worse than 1.5

Is it just the nature of Firefox? Will somebody else come along in two years time and wonder why there is still no explanation/solution?

I refuse to use IE7 unless I can't avoid it but it is difficult to justify Firefox when it behaves like this.

schapel · Post by **schapel** » November 3rd, 2006, 5:07 am

andyfellwalker wrote:Is it just the nature of Firefox? Will somebody else come along in two years time and wonder why there is still no explanation/solution?

I refuse to use IE7 unless I can't avoid it but it is difficult to justify Firefox when it behaves like this.

No, the vast majority of us never see a problem like you're describing. If Firefox were acting like that for me, I wouldn't use it either. However, there's probably some problem with your system that you can fix that will solve the problem; search the Knowledge Base for some clues. If it really is a bug in Firefox, others will need to be able to see the problem before it can be fixed.

andyfellwalker · Post by **andyfellwalker** » November 3rd, 2006, 5:17 am

Just done some testing.

As I open more Tabs, Firefox uses more memory and as it gets to around 64MB it starts to use more CPU time, once it gets to 70MB it is using more or less 100%.

I can open as many individual new windows as I like. I opened 11 windows and Firefox barely uses any CPU as it ticks over in the background.

Looks like it is its best feature that causes it the most trouble, if you never have more than 2 or 3 tabs open I guess you'll never see the problem.

malliz · Post by **malliz** » November 3rd, 2006, 5:24 am

2 or 3? try 10 - 20 and more sometimes with no problems for me on a very low end machine, something is badly wrong with your setup somewhere.

andyfellwalker · Post by **andyfellwalker** » November 3rd, 2006, 5:33 am

OK, isn't this where it all started?

Does anybody have any suggestions about what the problem with my setup might be?

malliz · Post by **malliz** » November 3rd, 2006, 5:40 am

Have you done the basics? Safe mode and /or a new profile? Some AV products are just crap and causing all sorts of problems.

Fwill · Post by **Fwill** » November 3rd, 2006, 2:57 pm

Mac OSX 10.4.8 2 GB RAM Macbook with intel precessor. FF 2.0
On the New York Times main page today, usage goes up to near 100%. It drops immediately when I click on one of their other pages, or another site. Usage goes up as soon as I am back on the NYT main page. The only add ons I have is stealther.

I have repeated this all day and find it very consistent.

VanillaMozilla · Post by **VanillaMozilla** » November 3rd, 2006, 3:08 pm

Turn off JavaScript. They've probably got some banner ads or something just sitting there burning CPU time. Or it could be Flash. Those are common issues with some sites. That's my best guess, anyway.

apjjr · Post by **apjjr** » November 3rd, 2006, 4:39 pm

I installed FF2.0 on Nov 2. As I write this it is it is using 0 to 99% CPU according to the Windows Task Manager. FF1.5 had no sign of this type of CPU usage. I've had to kill it several times today. There is definitely something wrong with it. When it jumps to 99% CPU the computer is unusable.
Alex

Fwill · Post by **Fwill** » November 4th, 2006, 5:40 am

Yesterday, as I stated above, the NYT main page was causing near 100% cpu usage. Today it' s normal, causing no problem. Maybe it is Javascript or flash code that was corrupt. But I wonder if all browsers would have experienced the same problem or if FF 2 is more susceptible?

100 % CPU usage makes Firefox unusable :-(

95-100 % CPU usage with New York Times main page

NYTimes page no problem today