Plugin-container.exe loading in Gmail, what if I shut it down?

Whenever I open my Gmail (Google mail), plugin-container.exe loads into memory. What happens if I shut down plugin-container.exe via task manager while the Gmail tab is still open? Will that crash my browser? (what happens to the Gmail tab in that case?) would that be safe?
Thanks

Firefox will probably crash. For disabling plugin-container.exe, see my suggestion in this post:
https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/712353?
Read the warning at the bottom of my answer in that post.
'''''Other Issues''''': ~~red:You have installed plug-ins with known security issues. You should update them immediately.~~
'''Install/Update Adobe Flash Player for Firefox (aka Shockwave Flash)''': your ver. 10.0 r42; current ver. 10.1 r53 ('''important security update 2010-06-10''')
~~red:Check your version here~~: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
See: '''[http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Managing+the+Flash+plugin#Updating_Flash Updating Flash]'''
-'''use Firefox to download''' and '''SAVE to your hard drive''' (save to Desktop for easy access)
-exit Firefox (File > Exit)
-check to see that Firefox is completely closed (''Ctrl+Alt+Del, choose Task Manager, click Processes tab, if "firefox.exe" is on the list, right-click "firefox.exe" and choose End process, close the Task Manager window'')
-double-click on the Adobe Flash installer you just downloaded to install/update Adobe Flash
-when the Flash installation is complete, start Firefox, and test the Flash installation here: http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_15507&sliceId=1
*'''NOTE: On Vista and Windows 7''' you may need to run the plugin installer as Administrator by starting the installer via the right-click context menu if you do not get an UAC prompt to ask for permission to continue (i.e nothing seems to happen). See this: http://vistasupport.mvps.org/run_as_administrator.htm
*'''NOTE for IE:''' Firefox and most other browsers use a Plugin. IE uses an ActiveX version of Flash. To install/update the IE ActiveX Adobe Flash Player, same instructions as above, except use IE to download the ActiveX Flash installer.
*Also see: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Flash ~~red:'''''AND'''''~~ [[How do I edit options to add Adobe to the list of allowed sites]]
'''You''' ~~red:'''MAY'''~~ '''need to Update Adobe Reader for Firefox''': your ver. N/A; current ver. 9.3.2
~~red:Check your version here~~: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
See: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+Adobe+Reader+plugin+with+Firefox#Installing_and_updating_Adobe_Reader
''You may be able to update from the Adobe Reader installed on your system'' instead of going to the Adobe site and downloading. Start > Program Files, find and click Adobe Reader to open, click Help, click Check for Updates.
''If you go to the Adobe site to download the current Adobe Reader:''
-'''use Firefox to download''' and '''SAVE to your hard drive''' (save to Desktop for easy access)
~~red:-See the images at the bottom left of this post to see the steps to take on the Adobe site~~
-exit Firefox (File > Exit)
-check to see that Firefox is completely closed (''Ctrl+Alt+Del, choose Task Manager, click Processes tab, if "firefox.exe" is on the list, right-click "firefox.exe" and choose End process, close the Task Manager window'')
-double-click on the Adobe Reader installer you just downloaded to install/update Adobe Reader
*'''NOTE: On Vista and Windows 7''' you may need to run the plugin installer as Administrator by starting the installer via the right-click context menu if you do not get an UAC prompt to ask for permission to continue (i.e nothing seems to happen). See this: http://vistasupport.mvps.org/run_as_administrator.htm
*'''NOTE for IE:''' Firefox and most other browsers use a Plugin. IE uses an ActiveX version. To install/update the IE ActiveX version, same instructions as above, except use IE to download the ActiveX installer.
*Also see: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Adobe_Reader ~~red:'''''AND'''''~~ [[How do I edit options to add Adobe to the list of allowed sites]]

Similar Messages

I looked on my C:\ for plugin-container.exe and deleted the file as it kept slowing down my computor, however now when I load firefox it crashes, how can I re-install this plugin to disable it properly?

My computor had been overly slow which was not normal when looking at processes running in task manager I found plugin-container.exe to be using alot of memory. I looked online and found that this was an update of firefox which was not essential, I then looked on my C:\ drive for the application and deleted it hoping this would solve the problem as I could not find it when looking at my firefox plugins. However now when I open firefox it quickly crashes, how can I reinstall this? Do I need to reinstall firefox completely or is there a more simple solution? I have done the firefox plugin check and it can find no problems.

Probably the easiest way is to download Firefox again from http://www.mozilla.com and re-install it.
If you want to disable plugin-container, see the section on "Disabling crash protection" at http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins

FF15 hangs whenever plugin-container.exe is loaded in memory

I need help. Since at least in v14 and now v15, FF hangs becoming unresponsive whenever plugin-container.exe is loaded in memory, as monitored with Process Explorer of SysInternals. This happens in FF with all plugins manually disabled and with no extensions, loaded in either "normal" or safe mode, even after having reset it to default state in about:support. (The unresponsiveness is not absolute, since every some 90 seconds there is a brief refresh of the screen as indicated by an acknowledging screen change due to a prior click or mouse motion. (In this quasi-frozen condition, FF slowly ramps up its memory usage while plugin-container keeps alternating between two smaller vales in Process Explorer.) After some 15-20+ minutes, plugin-container unloads itself and FF starts responding again. If I then visit a page that triggers the loading of plugin-container, the described problem develops once more. Blocking the loading of plugin-container (e.g.,renaming or moving it out or blocking it with the firewall) hangs FF. The solution for FF 3.6.6 for dom.ipc in about:config does not work in these versions.
Ironically, the Mozilla support page about "Firefox crashes when loading certain pages" (http://goo.gl/i02Xz) is a page that loads automatically plugin-container and hangs my machine, so I had to enter the forums by selecting a different problem.
This occurs in a Windows-7 machine with sufficient memory (1025 MB physical, 1025 MB virtual) and a lean configuration (monitored and enforced with Autoruns and Process Explorer), which runs very well other browsers such as Chrome, Opera o IE9. I have been using FF since its v2 and would hate to switch permanently to a different browser. Any informed advice on how to fix the problem (or disable the plugin- container in a working manner) would be much appreciated. TIA.

Solved by blocking the loading of Plugin Container . . .
Searching in the bugzilla.mozilla.org site for text or attachments on bugs related to dom.ipc.plugins...., I encountered several references to a Windows environment variable MOZ_DISABLE_OOP_PLUGINS, for example in the patch at http://goo.gl/jYJKL. I then added this variable to the Windows 7 system environment of my machine setting it to 1. It works : FF15 no longer loads plugin container (and therefore does not hang) when visiting web pages that before froze the browser.NB : As I discovered shortly thereafter in googling this environment variable, this method of blocking the loading of plugin container was already reported 3 weeks ago by big_v in the Mozilla support forum, http://goo.gl/v7prA. Chapeau.

What is the plugin-container.exe file? How do I get rid of it?I keep getting a 70% usage message about this plugin. I tried to delete it but then Firefox won't work.

What is the plugin-container.exe file? It seems to be using 70% of usage of my computer's memory. How do I get rid of it?

Plugin-container is an "out-of-process plugins" crash protection, see for more info the link, and if you want to disable try the analytical info :
[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins Plugin-container and out-of-process plugins]
thank you
Please mark "Solved" the answer that really solve the problem, to help others with a similar problem.

What is, how to fix, stop, small popup window from 'plugin-container.exe' with 3 digit number that won't stop re-appearing???

I get very small windows popping up on the screen on top of anything else I'm doing regardless of what apps I'm running or not running. If I R-click on the icon in the task bar, it's identified as "plugin-container.exe"
The window doesn't say why it's there, but only displays a 3 digit number (for example the on on the screen now says 587) and allows only the usual X to close, or an 'OK' button to close. But a short time later it pops up again.
I'm running Windows 7 64bit MS Security Essentials and Firefox, though it will pop up even if I just booted and haven't started Firefox yet.
It's really (really really) annoying. How can I fix it or disable it or whatever it takes to make it STOP.
Perhaps if I had some idea what it was I could attack it that way, but I haven't a clue. BTW, I've cleaned the registry, and done full scan's for virus and turned up nada.
Thanks.
D.

As per the web site:
There will be no update to Waterfox 25.0 as a bug causes Adobe Flash to crash on 64-Bit Windows 7 systems. Bug here. Although Firefox 25.0.1 is now available and we could build it, there would be no point of releasing a new version of Waterfox for only two weeks.
I mostly only use Waterfox and had no problem in the past. I suspect a flash problem may be at the root of my problem however.
As stated, I've performed (full) virus scans with MS Security Essentials. Also with Housecall, and also with HiJackThis. No problems detected.
Screen shot of popup window attached.

Firefox locks up and runs plugin-container.exe -- I don't start it and can't stop it. What does it do and can I stop it?

On some irregular intervals, plugin-container.exe suddenly starts, and takes command. Task Manager suddenly goes to 100% CPU usage and I am blocked from continuing. i.e., dead in the water for a few minutes.
Questions:
What does it do?
Why does it start?
Can I remove it?
Can I stop it?

Plugin_container.exe is an integral part of Firefox and acts like a kind of sandbox to isolate plugins which have crashed. See [[What is plugin-container]]
You mentioned in your system details that you're running Windows XP SP2. I'd recommend you install Service Pack 3 since Microsoft addressed a large number of issues in that service pack. You'll also need to have it installed to obtain current patches and Windows Silverlight which is similar to Flash. You can get SP3 from the Microsoft Windows Update site, link on your Start menu.

Plugin-container.exe : what is it, why is it necessary, can I delete it

Continued from the "plugin-container.exe : what is it, why is it necessary, can I delete it" thread:
1) When people say Firefox uses up a lot of CPU/Memory, they are telling the truth. Tools like Task Manager and Process Explorer show you how much CPU/Memory Firefox is using up. Stop calling people liars when they say Firefox is using up X Memory. Stop making baseless accusations like "you're running other programmes that are causing your CPU to skyrocket and Firefox to freeze". Task Manager and Process Explorer don't lie. Take yourself off the thread because you're not helping anyone, you're creating anger and hatred, you're basically trolling. If you have no valid advice to offer, keep your mouth shut and stay away instead of launching into the "you're a liar" nonsense.
2) Stop typing in caps
3) Refrain from using profanity and ad hominem attacks
4) If you claim you're abandoning Firefox for another browser, fine: now get off the board and go away instead of posting inflammatory hatred against Mozilla since you're no longer using Mozilla
5) Stop attacking and/or ignoring the advice of Mozilla representatives like Morbus
6) Morbus: the Firefox Safe-Mode advice you frequently dispense is the most rejected advice because most people do not want to mess with their browsers, especially people who are not not knowledgeable about safe-mode, add-ons, disabling, etc. I fully agree that people must learn how to diagnose the problems on their own and find solutions on their own, but not all people are capable of learning how to do that. Computers are easy for many people, but not all people. The Safe-Mode solution appeals to a '''minority '''of people who are comfortable with picking apart their browser and picking apart other things to find solutions, not the majority, who fear making things worse.
== This happened ==
Every time Firefox opened
== Today 6/22/2010

7) Stop telling people to remove add-ons and plug-ins and scripts. Firefox was made specifically to enable to build their own browsers. Firefox was made for the purpose of allowing people use all the add-ons and plug-ins and scripts they wanted. No other browser offers that range of add-on/plug-in/script support. Removing the add-ons and plug-ins and scripts eliminates the purpose of Firefox. If Mozilla representatives want to insist that removing add-ons and plug-ins and scripts are the solution, then Mozilla is telling us that its browser is no different from IE or Chrome, in which case Mozilla has given us a reason to stop using Mozilla.

When i try to attach files in hotmail, i get a message that silverlight plugin has crashed and error report indicates error about plugin-container.exe ; ihave the latest silverlight plugin. what to do?

* I work on windows XP
I have latest fire fox and silver light plugin
* "silver light plugin has crashed" is what i get when i try to attach files in hotmail
* error report indicates about plugin-container.exe.
* where to find plugin-container.exe. to install and try

Hi,
Please also try to '''Disable''' the Silverlight add-on in '''Tools '''('''Alt '''+ '''T''') > '''Add-on''' > '''Plugins''' before opening Hotmail. You may still be able to attach files.

What causes multiple "plugin-container.exe" to run simultaneously?

I sometimes have up to four "plugin-containers" running simultaneously. What causes that AND what are the possible ramifications of that?

plugins like flash & java etc that are currently running on sites are outsourced into the plugin-container.exe-process that you've discovered for performance and stability reasons - you can have a look at your currently installed plugins in tools > addons > plugins & disable those you don't need.
in one of the upcoming releases firefox will ship with a feature that allows you to enable plugins on vistited sites on a per-demand basis, [https://wiki.mozilla.org/Opt-in_activation_for_plugins]
''edit - also see [[What is plugin-container]]''

May i know what is plugin-container.exe and why it need internet access , noticed that it started only when i visit any website has Flash containt ? is it adobe flash player plugin ? is it safe to use ?

May i know what is Plugin-container,exe and why it need internet access ? noticed that it starts only when visit any website has flash containt on webpage . is this adobe flash player plugin ? is it safe to use ?

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins

What is plugin-container.exe?

The extension plugin-container.exe wanted access to the internet. The file was located in my Mozzile folder, but I read somewhere that it is malware. Is this file supposed to be there, and is it normal for attempt to receive a connection? Is it safe?
== This happened ==
Just once or twice
== After the most recent update just a few hours ago.

Hello everyone.
If you have a problem with the plugin-container, you may be having a problem with some Firefox add-on that is hindering your Firefox's normal behavior. Have you tried disabling all add-ons (just to check), to see if Firefox goes back to normal?
Whenever you have a problem with Firefox, whatever it is, you should make sure it's not coming from one of your installed add-ons, be it an extension, a theme or a plugin. To do that easily and cleanly, run Firefox in [http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Safe+Mode safe mode] and select ''Disable all add-ons''. If the problem disappears, you know it's from an add-on. Disable them all in normal mode, and enable them one at a time until you find the source of the problem. See [http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes this article] for information about troubleshooting extensions and theme. You can troubleshoot plugins the same way.
If you want support for one of your add-ons, you'll need to contact its author.

What are the ff preferences associated with plugin-container.exe in the newest version of ff? Specifically I would like to edit them in about:config to disable plugin-container.exe

I've done this with a previous version of ff by editing the values of these preferences: dom.ipc.plugins.enabled true
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npctrl.dll false
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npqtplugin.dll false
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.npswf32.dll false
dom.ipc.plugins.enabled.nptest.dll true
dom.ipc.plugins.timeoutSecs 45
after I installed ff on my laptop today I cannot find the .dll preferences. And plugin-container.exe continues to plague me. For me this is the one issue with ff since updating from 7. It boggles me as to why you haven't gotten rid of this thing.

To disable crash protection, go to about:config and set to false all preferences starting with dom.ipc.plugins.enabled. '''(It is possible that your browser has only that preference entry without any addition.) '''This will prevent the "plugin-container" process from running and all plugins will run within the Firefox browser process. (from [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins#Disabling_crash_protection Disabling_crash_protection] )
thank you
Please mark "Solved" the answer that really solve the problem, to help others with a similar problem.

It seems that my firefox hangs/freeze when I'm playing youtube vids, unable to surf at all. When i check task manager it seems to be a plugin container.exe problem? Can someone help me pls..

My firefox sometimes totally hangs/freezes when i try to replay a youtube video. I click the play button but the whole firefox juz hangs. When i try to end task it, i noticed a firefox "plugin container.exe" process.. So i figure it might be a plugin problem? I hope someone can help me with this..
Its getting very irritating and i love using firefox for web surfing.
Thanks in advance for ur help

YouTube videos use the Flash plugin. You can test your Flash plugin and see what version is installed by going to [http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/ Adobe's Flash Player test page]. To update Flash to the latest version, see [[Managing the Flash plugin]].
Starting in Firefox 3.6.4, Flash is loaded in a separate plugin-container process. For the background, see the articles [[What is plugin-container]] and [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins Plugin-container and out-of-process plugins (MozillaZine KB)].
If Firefox hangs when playing Flash videos at YouTube, it could be a video driver issue, Try turning off hardware acceleration in your [http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/help01.html Flash Player display settings] (visit any page that uses Flash, such as [http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/ Adobe's test page], then right-click the Flash animation, select Settings, and uncheck "Enable hardware acceleration" on the Display panel). ...More information here:
*[[Cannot view full screen Flash videos]]
*[http://kb.mozillazine.org/Flash#Performance_or_display_issues_with_certain_Flash_videos Performance or display issues with certain Flash videos (MozillaZine KB)]

Would it be wise to download v3.6.3 and downgrade? (plugin-container.exe issue)

Due to Firefox loading plugin-container.exe and taking up to 40% more resources (in version 3.6.4), would it be wise to download v. 3.6.3 here: http://releases.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/3.6.3/win32/en-US/ and downgrade? if so, would i need to completely uninstall 3.6.4 first? thx
== Upgrading to version 3.6.4

Because 3.6.4 had some security fixes, and you won't want to skip further fixes, there is a better option.
You'll want to disable all Crash Protection as follows:
*In the [[Location bar autocomplete|Location bar]], type '''about:config''' and press Enter .
*The about:config ''"This might void your warranty!"'' warning page may appear.
*Click I'll be careful, I promise! , to continue to the about:config page.
*Type '''dom.ipc.plugins''' into the Filter textbox.
*Double click or right click and choose Toggle on all true/false options (other than dom.ipc.plugins.timeoutSecs) so that they are set to '''false'''.
*You might need to restart for changes to take effect.
plugin-container.exe shouldn't be used anymore with this change.
''If you do have this problem, it would be appreciated if you could post your Flash version (if the problem is triggered by Flash), AV software, and what sites(s) trigger the high CPU usage.''

When will you get rid of the resource hog, "Plugin-Container.exe"

Plugin-container-exe has a memory leak. When you go in and out of numerous web sites, it consumes more and more and more memory and turns my computer into a dog. Since the inclusion of the plugin-container, explorer is now a better browser.
== This happened ==
Every time Firefox opened
== The last update that included plugin-container.

Are you serious that this is your "solution"? I did as you suggested -- changed the flags to "false" -- and now I restared Firefox with a mere 10 tabs open (no videos; just a few text pages, gmail, yahoo finance, barrons.com) and Firefox is consuming 1.1 gb of RAM. What's the reason behind this? It looks like whatever resources were being swallowed by plugin-container.exe are now being swallowed by Firefox itself, so that doesn't solve the problem.
Is Firefox a good idea taken too far? When it began, the Firefox project was a fast, nimble browser. Is it now too bloated and convoluted to be of any use? Is it a victim of its success?

Plugin-container.exe loading in Gmail, what if I shut it down?

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