Firefox - anyone else been having issues lately?

[Shawn]

For the past month or so, I've been having a lot of trouble with firefox and I'm wondering if it's just me. It tends to crash when getting a Google page of search results (either the browser just shuts down, or I get a general protection fault error and have to kill it via the task manager). Sometimes it just doesn't load the page, it appears to go to the site but the page is completely blank. Usually after 2 or 3 tries it will load.

Then starting yesterday, it's not keeping cookies any longer. Everytime I re-open the browser I have to log back into every site that I visit. I've checked the settings and nothing has been changed.

I've tried IE and don't have the same issues. I also ran a full virus sweep and came back with no issues.

Any ideas? Is it possessed?

[papsrus]

I was having an issue with it only when I visited CDUniverse, for some reason. It would close if I started clicking around the site. Other than that, no problems. I haven't updated in a while. I keep ignoring the prompts. Maybe I should update.

[Shawn]

I was having an issue with it only when I visited CDUniverse, for some reason. It would close if I started clicking around the site. Other than that, no problems. I haven't updated in a while. I keep ignoring the prompts. Maybe I should update.

I've been updating and the problems appear to be getting worse. There have been quite a few java updates recently, I wonder if that could be part of the problem.

[Peter Johnson]

I have been having major problems with it, to the point I'm convinced it, or it in combination with a website, fried (not physically, but file-structure-wise) my hard drive. It progressively froze up while loading normal sites, to the point where it crashed my system, and then my computer (mac) wouldn't start. I'd been updating it too. I will be very wary of using it again.

[Shawn]

Yeah, I'm considering either going back to IE or trying out Google Chrome or one of the other browsers.

Any recommendations?

[BERIGAN]

Funny, I just switched to Mozilla for Organissimo,2-3 days ago(Use mozilla most of the time anyway-pages just load faster for me) since half the time I tried to bring up IE, the page would never load.

I do get that megaclick error page a lot more with mozilla. And would paste original link into IE and the page would often show up....IF I.E. would bother to load.

[Serioza]

using Netscape 9, with few add ons like (Ad block and flash block) it works cool.

[Adam]

The main problem I have with Firefox is that after opening a page sometimes, I might enter text but it won't take the text. After a minute or two of waiting it works. But my computer is also running really slowly in general. But I have met someone else who has had the same problem.

[Chalupa]

Absolutely no problems with Firefox here*. I use it on 7 machines.

* = can't open links with .pdf files but that's a known issue.

[Chuck Nessa]

We use Firefox on 3 pcs and a Mac without any problems.

[Shawn]

I've been using Firefox for years with no issues, these problems are a fairly recent occurrence.

Edit - Seems many people have been having problems (checked the Mozilla message boards). The recommended fix is to download a full installer from their site, clear the cache, close Firefox, delete the Mozilla directory, then re-install. I did that, guess I'll see what happens.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Shawn

[Use3D]

lol Netscape. No, no problems with Firefox here. Use it exclusively. Perhaps empty your java cache and temp files, and possibly a defragment. Firefox is a memory hog, make sure another program isn't causing a memory leak.

[Noj]

I am also experiencing problems. It has frozen up and crashed on numerous occasions and right now it won't seem to load Gmail properly. I've also had it do the weird thing with the text. The strange thing is, it's only happening on one of my Macs and not the other one.

[papsrus]

Firefox is a memory hog, make sure another program isn't causing a memory leak.

I thought Firefox was supposed to be a lean, mean, no-frills, downloadin' machine. I thought that was the whole idea behind it?

[Shawn]

I've cleared the browser cache and java cache. It's still not keeping any cookies (despite having that option checked in Firefox). It's running a little faster since the re-install, but this is getting annoying.

[Use3D]

I thought Firefox was supposed to be a lean, mean, no-frills, downloadin' machine. I thought that was the whole idea behind it?

Sure, in a perfect world, but get a few measly tabs running and watch that bad boy climb the ladder. Chrome, despite it's claims of being even more efficient, is just as bad. Something I hope they've on worked since the version I was playing with.

[Shawn]

I'm done with Firefox. It froze up and crashed my entire machine today. Then when the computer booted back up it said the file system was unstable, after running some utilities (and rebooting countless times) I finally got it back to normal. Needless to say I was less than thrilled.

I then copied my favorites and un-installed it. Using IE until I can find a suitable replacement browser.

[Dan Gould]

I'm really astonished. I've never had any such problems except that, as Use mentioned, opening too many tabs can slow things down.

[Shawn]

I never had any problems until maybe a month or so ago, they've done a few updates in the interim. Maybe if I can find the installer for one of the older versions I might give it a shot. But, it's been nothing but constant headaches for weeks now. The firefox forums are burning up with people having issues similar as mine.

[Dave Garrett]

I never had any problems until maybe a month or so ago, they've done a few updates in the interim. Maybe if I can find the installer for one of the older versions I might give it a shot. But, it's been nothing but constant headaches for weeks now. The firefox forums are burning up with people having issues similar as mine.

Did you try creating a clean test profile to see if the same problems showed up? I've seen many complaints of Firefox problems that were ultimately traced back to profiles that had somehow gotten corrupted or an add-in that decided not to play nice with a new version of FF.

Creating a new Firefox profile on Windows

FWIW, I'm running FF 3.0.8 on a 7-year-old machine with Windows 2000, an AMD Athlon XP1700+ CPU, and 2GB RAM. I typically have between 50-100 tabs open, and have had no problems aside from having to restart FF every couple of days when the memory use starts to get a little on the high side (the machine, and FF, are running 24/7).

[Shawn]

I never had any problems until maybe a month or so ago, they've done a few updates in the interim. Maybe if I can find the installer for one of the older versions I might give it a shot. But, it's been nothing but constant headaches for weeks now. The firefox forums are burning up with people having issues similar as mine.

Did you try creating a clean test profile to see if the same problems showed up? I've seen many complaints of Firefox problems that were ultimately traced back to profiles that had somehow gotten corrupted or an add-in that decided not to play nice with a new version of FF.

Creating a new Firefox profile on Windows

I'll give that a shot. My weekend shifts at work were cancelled this week...so I don't have anything better to do anyway...

[alocispepraluger102]

try to steer clear of google chrome. it's crashes with flash are legendary. eventually it will take down your machine.

thanks to google chrome, i spent 8 hours thursday reinstalling everything windows.

i booted chrome and firefox and sadly returned to an earlier(6 or 7) version which is working beautifully, so far.

[mikeweil]

Why not use Opera? http://www.opera.com/discover/browser/

[Cliff Englewood]

Why not use Opera? http://www.opera.com/discover/browser/

Because we love JAZZ, not Opera, and I don't like her talk show either.

But seriously I have been having a few problems with Firefox myself recently, nothing major, but it does piss you off after a while.

[Shawn]

I created a test profile in Firefox and so far I've noticed that it's keeping cookies again, I'll keep playing around with it today...hopefully the problem will end up being the old profile was corrupt.

Thanks for the suggestion!