Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Discussion of bugs in Mozilla Firefox
ibauer
Posts: 16
Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:23 pm

Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by ibauer »

Hi,

Every time I close running instance of Firefox 3 (tested with 3.0.0 and 3.0.1), there is firefox.exe process still running after the closure for an indeterminate amount of time. Sometimes it is ten seconds, sometimes a minute or two, sometimes I don't have enough patience and have to terminate the process manually from within Task Manager (running on Windows XP SP2).

This is something that really makes me nervous, because when trying to launch a new instance of Firefox, I get a message telling me that it is already running but not responding. Every time I close it! ](*,) Talk about a positive user experience. Don't get me wrong, I like Firefox, that's why I'm still using it, but such issues like this one and also somehow slow start-up time make me look for alternatives.

Do you know if the FF developers at least acknowledged that this is a bug in FF3? FF2 does not suffer from this issue.

Ivo
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Euchre
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Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by Euchre »

This delay is probably a result of the new SQLite databases Firefox uses being dealt with at shutdown. This seems to take a fairly significant amount of time in terms of process time, and is more evident on slower systems - like the Windows XP Home SP3 system I have running Firefox 3, which is only 650 mhz with 384 mb of RAM. On this system, a 1.83 ghz Mac mini with 1 gb of RAM, it's fairly negligible of a delay even though in today's terms this is a fairly modest system.
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Jim too
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Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by Jim too »

Is it possible that some of the Firefox files in your profile are very large (e.g. places.sqlite) and that an anti-virus scan "on file close" is being run? It might prove of diagnostic benefit if we knew how big the places.sqlite, places.sqlite-journal & places.sqlite-stmtjrnl are just before you exit Firefox.
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KeeperOfTheGood
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Joined: December 10th, 2004, 11:15 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by KeeperOfTheGood »

I will check this as well. However, my ram hangs are not moments long, they can last days. I have closed FF on a Friday and still had it running in processes on the following Monday. I have not taken the time to sort it out, but I know it to be an extension issue for me (it doesn't happen on clean profiles and one of my profiles it stopped when I cleared out some older unused extensions, which one I am not sure as I deleted a dozen or so).

I will however check those files as well next time I used the remaining profile this happens on. I would list the extensions on that profile too but there are some 60 or more on it (I cluster load and then select what I like for the profile I use most often).
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the-edmeister
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Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by the-edmeister »

Try to figure out which extension or combination of extensions are causing Firefox to not close, and notify the authors of those extensions of your problem. The extension authors are gonna have to fix their product.

I run Firefox 3.0.1 on a PII 350MHz PC with 768Mb RAM on W2K, and I experienced extended closing time at various points throughout the Beta phase on the Nightly's as the developers worked on this issue, but since the release of 3.0 I don't think I have ever seen it happen where Firefox.exe didn't close within 10 seconds after closing the browser window on this ancient PC.

IMO, when it comes to un-installing a dozen extensions you are better off just creating a new Profile, instead of risking those un-installed extensions not cleanly deleting all the prefs that they created. Some extensions are worse than others, but overall Firefox works far better if you don't use your main Profile to test extensions that you might want to use - you're just asking for problems like you are having by installing and un-installing extensions willy-nilly.


Ed
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KeeperOfTheGood
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Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by KeeperOfTheGood »

LOL agree'd, I have 5 profiles at the moment, and the wife and kids each have their own as well. I have a clean profile to run extensionless, I also have some where I mix extensions to see if there are conflicts or to compare two or three similar featured extensions to see what serves me better, one that is just a bulk use profile as I trundle through whatever looks interesting. And several times a year I plain delete them all and restart from fresh too (and will periodically fully delete all Firefox and clean install), the only file being carried forward is my bookmarks (which, come to think of it, is how I started off with FF2.* hmm, I guess I was lazy this time).

The dozen or so were mostly ones that did not or will not be FF3.* compatible, there were only I think 2 or 3 that I took out that were still updated but I never did use them. It could have been the disabled extensions too, will have a see on that as well.

I will make a new profile and one-at-a-time add the extensions in until I find the point that FF fails to close.
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makaiguy
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Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by makaiguy »

Note that plugins (Flash, Java, etc.) can keep running in the background, thus not releasing Firefox to close properly. This is usually the result of badly written code on a visited page which requires the plugin to execute.
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kuswara
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Joined: July 23rd, 2008, 9:43 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by kuswara »

I agreed with the-edmeister that add-ons extension in FF3 need more memory usage and increase CPU Processing in Windows Task Manager it can be delay open FF program or Closing FF.

So i suggest choose your high priority favo extension only, upgrade your XP service pack become SP3.

More extensions = more memory usage = more increase CPU Process = more delay close and open program.
JayC783
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Joined: December 25th, 2005, 1:46 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by JayC783 »

ibauer wrote:Hi,

Every time I close running instance of Firefox 3 (tested with 3.0.0 and 3.0.1), there is firefox.exe process still running after the closure for an indeterminate amount of time. Sometimes it is ten seconds, sometimes a minute or two, sometimes I don't have enough patience and have to terminate the process manually from within Task Manager (running on Windows XP SP2).

This is something that really makes me nervous, because when trying to launch a new instance of Firefox, I get a message telling me that it is already running but not responding. Every time I close it! ](*,) Talk about a positive user experience. Don't get me wrong, I like Firefox, that's why I'm still using it, but such issues like this one and also somehow slow start-up time make me look for alternatives.

Do you know if the FF developers at least acknowledged that this is a bug in FF3? FF2 does not suffer from this issue.

Ivo


I am experiencing the same thing ever since installing FF3 (I now have 3.0.1). I never had this with FF2.0.0.14. I only have six add-ons (AdBlock Plus, DownloadHelper, DownThemAll, IE View Lite, PDF Download, and SmileyXtra). I have 1GB of RAM with Windows XP SP2. It can be frustrating if I want FF to restart or I close it and then some other program needs to open it. I've used FF since 1.0.7. I've removed my profile and created a new one, I have tried reinstalling FF (deleting the necessary files afterwards), and tested it with no add-ons whatsoever.
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Alice
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Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by Alice »

(For the record)

Firefox 3 has a delayed shutdown that causes the issue if you try to restart it to soon after it was last closed. Related bug reports:
Bug 399108 – Need an I'm-not-dead-yet message when minefield takes a while to close
Bug 407981 – Delayed shutdown makes it impossible to start Firefox immediately after exiting

For other causes and solutions see:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_hangs#Hang_at_exit
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ibauer
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Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:23 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by ibauer »

Euchre wrote:This delay is probably a result of the new SQLite databases Firefox uses being dealt with at shutdown. This seems to take a fairly significant amount of time in terms of process time, and is more evident on slower systems - like the Windows XP Home SP3 system I have running Firefox 3, which is only 650 mhz with 384 mb of RAM. On this system, a 1.83 ghz Mac mini with 1 gb of RAM, it's fairly negligible of a delay even though in today's terms this is a fairly modest system.


Well, my Windows XP SP2 runs on Athlon64 3500+ with 2 GB of RAM. With all respect, I don't consider it a "slower" system.
ibauer
Posts: 16
Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:23 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by ibauer »

Jim too wrote:Is it possible that some of the Firefox files in your profile are very large (e.g. places.sqlite) and that an anti-virus scan "on file close" is being run? It might prove of diagnostic benefit if we knew how big the places.sqlite, places.sqlite-journal & places.sqlite-stmtjrnl are just before you exit Firefox.


Regarding the antivirus scanning: Yes, I have AVG with resident shield turned on and configured to scan files upon both opening and closing. Unfortunately, disabling the resident shield does not make any difference.

Regarding the size of a files in my profile:

places.sqlite is 9˙150˙464 bytes long
places.sqlite-journal is 115˙424 bytes long
the 3rd file you mentioned is not present in my profile directory.
ibauer
Posts: 16
Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:23 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by ibauer »

the-edmeister wrote:Try to figure out which extension or combination of extensions are causing Firefox to not close, and notify the authors of those extensions of your problem. The extension authors are gonna have to fix their product.

I run Firefox 3.0.1 on a PII 350MHz PC with 768Mb RAM on W2K, and I experienced extended closing time at various points throughout the Beta phase on the Nightly's as the developers worked on this issue, but since the release of 3.0 I don't think I have ever seen it happen where Firefox.exe didn't close within 10 seconds after closing the browser window on this ancient PC.

IMO, when it comes to un-installing a dozen extensions you are better off just creating a new Profile, instead of risking those un-installed extensions not cleanly deleting all the prefs that they created. Some extensions are worse than others, but overall Firefox works far better if you don't use your main Profile to test extensions that you might want to use - you're just asking for problems like you are having by installing and un-installing extensions willy-nilly.
Ed


I have only two extensions installed: Google toolbar and the Czech dictionary for spell checking. Creating a new profile with absolutely no extensions does not make any difference in this timing issue. Even when Firefox is closed while there is a blank web page (about:blank) displayed, it takes at least 5 seconds for the firefox.exe to disappear from the task manager!
ibauer
Posts: 16
Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:23 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by ibauer »

makaiguy wrote:Note that plugins (Flash, Java, etc.) can keep running in the background, thus not releasing Firefox to close properly. This is usually the result of badly written code on a visited page which requires the plugin to execute.


I have my home page set to about:blank in FF 3.0.1. Even if start FF and don't visit any page (thus about:blank page is active) I can experience a 5 seconds shutdown. Therefore I doubt this issue is in any way related to plugins.
ibauer
Posts: 16
Joined: July 21st, 2008, 11:23 pm

Re: Firefox 3 process still running after program closure

Post by ibauer »

Syxx_Killer wrote:I am experiencing the same thing ever since installing FF3 (I now have 3.0.1). I never had this with FF2.0.0.14. I only have six add-ons (AdBlock Plus, DownloadHelper, DownThemAll, IE View Lite, PDF Download, and SmileyXtra). I have 1GB of RAM with Windows XP SP2. It can be frustrating if I want FF to restart or I close it and then some other program needs to open it. I've used FF since 1.0.7. I've removed my profile and created a new one, I have tried reinstalling FF (deleting the necessary files afterwards), and tested it with no add-ons whatsoever.


This pretty much sums up my point of view. You have restored my sanity as I'm no longer alone who is experiencing this issue!
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