Why does Firefox 4 (4.0.1 specifically) leak memory?

'''Answer:''' I figured it out.
History lesson first. Ever since the 4.0.1 update, Firefox 4 has been crashing A LOT. It's gotten so bad that FF4.0.1 will eat memory with no end in sight and eventually Windows (Win 7 64-bit) forcefully close the program due to an out of memory error.
I have 8 GB of RAM installed. And, it would crash once it exceeds 1.5 GB of RAM used by Firefox 4. I've seen Firefox 4 go up to 1.85 GB of RAM in Task Manager. This is with 20 tabs open.
With the add-on Leak-Monitor, I've narrowed down the issue. Having only Leak-Monitor as the extension installed, all pop-ups point to how '''poorly Firefox 4 handles Javascript'''!
MSNBC Leak Monitor issue:
[http://www.octoberasian.com/tech/text/FF4-Leak-Monitor_MSNBC.txt Leak Monitor log from MSNBC.com]
I've gotten more pop-ups from even support.mozilla.com because of the Javascript on this website.
Firefox 4.0.1 is leaking memory from every Javascript on every website I load. It's leaking memory as we speak with only this page loaded (one tab).
FIX IT! Firefox 4 is poorly handling Javascript, especially when multiple tabs are opened.

octoberasian: I, too, am experiencing this phenomenon. I shut my system down, pulled the EIC cable, held down the power button - then replugged and rebooted. I closed down every unneeded application that I have set to auto-start. Finally, I opened a single Firefox 4.0.1 window and let it sit. It began with consuming 43 Mb of memory. By afternoon - about 5 hours later - it was up to 203 Mb. There is definitely something very wrong with this version. It does the same on all the machines we have, sans our server. We don't use the server for anything but being a server & it has some version of Firefox 3 on it anyway. No Java Scripts were running, nor were any Adobe ARM or any plugins. I noticed when plugins run - the memory leakage goes into overdrive. Hey, I'm just sayin'...

Similar Messages

  • Why does Firefox 9.01 use such excessive memory that my a/v program issues a warning? This problem is going to run Firefox users to another browser.

    It makes no sense for so much memory to be used. This has been my favorite browser, but this gives me second thoughts. I see that I'm not the only one. 600+MB just to view my home page? I must close browser to regain memory, but it is sucked right back out in minutes. This is a serious problem when you consider that it will cause people to shy away from Firefox. I would rather see you succeed rather than fall to IE or Chrome.

    600+ MB does sound like a lot, but that depends on what you are using as your homepage, and how much of that 600 is being used by the plugin container - Flash and other plugins. Also, using that amount might have to do with how much RAM you have installed - the more RAM installed and the more Firefox allows itself to use. If you have AVG 2012 installed and the AVG Advsior is giving you that message, see this: <br />
    http://blogs.avg.com/community/avg-feedback-update-week-44/
    See - 3. AVG Advisor = Disable AVG Advisor performance notifications
    or try using the "Change when these notifications appear" and set a higher threshhold

  • Why does Firefox always block any link I try to open going to a web page when I don't have pop up blocker on?

    Why does Firefox always block any link I try to open going to a web page when I don't have pop up blocker on? First off they are not even pop ups....your crap blocks everything and don't save user names &/or passwords when you have it checked. Also in your tutorials about solving this issue says it has the word "OPTION" .......no, it never says option to allow you to bypass it and etc. Only thing is says is "ALLOW" . That would be nice , but the problem is it will not allow it from then on. It only allows it right then and then you have to refresh...after that to open again it blocks it again.....HOW STUPID?!!!!!
    It always say that this is preventing this page from automatically redirecting to another page. THIS IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO...GO TO ANOTHER PAGE........I DON'T NEED YOUr BROWSERS PERMISSION TO DO THAT. THAT IS WHAT A *%#$&*(&*%$$%% BROWSER IS FOR TO GO TO OTHER PAGES......THEY ARE NOT POP UPS!!!!!
    YOU STUPID BROWSER ACTUALLY BLOCKS EVERYTHING AND THAT SUX!!!
    HELP!!

    Are you using "Clear history when Firefox closes"?
    In case you are using "Clear history when Firefox closes":
    *do not clear the Cookies
    *do not clear the Site Preferences
    *Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history": [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" > Settings
    *https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Clear+Recent+History
    Note that clearing "Site Preferences" clears all exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, software installation, and passwords.
    Clearing cookies will remove all specified (selected) cookies including cookies with an allow exception that you want to keep.
    Let all cookies expire when you close Firefox.
    *Firefox/Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: Keep until: I close Firefox
    You can choose to keep third-party cookies from visited sites if necessary.
    Create a cookie 'allow' exception for cookies that you want to keep.
    *Firefox/Tools > Options > Privacy > Cookies: Exceptions

  • Why does Firefox have to make it so difficult to get answers--I am not going to be able to check the website to see what anyone might reply to my question on crashing?

    I have no way of checking to see if anyone answers this. Why does Firefox have to make it so difficult?
    What does this means: DLL C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\MOZCRT19.dll is not a valid Windows image. Please check this against your installation diskette.
    Suddenly all my tabs closed. Then Windows told me I had a gazillion infections. Then a tiny strip appeared saying it was Firefox and these little blocks started to fill up the little strip as if it were downloading something--there was no way to cancel this so I cut the power. Now when I try to use the Firefox icon, I get the message above.
    Am I supposed to remove the old Firefox stuff and start from scratch? I am stuck using Internet Explorer.
    I went to the Firefox website and tried to download it again, but McAffee jumped in and said there is something wrong with Firefox and I should register with them that I am downloading Firefox (I do not have McAffee). Then I got a security warning saying Firefox is not safe.
    I am completely at a loss as to what to do next, since I don't understand any of this mumbojumbo.

    Here's the story on one of your infections, namely JS:Redirector-EH[Trj]: http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?Name=Trojan%3aJS%2fRedirector.H
    The main problem with malware is that it uses the installation to proliferate by contacting hostile servers to download more of the same rogue code.
    Firefox doesn't have the option to "Run" a file. You can only "Save File" or "Cancel". If you downloaded it with IE8, then yes, you can run it, but that's not what I wanted you to do.
    What you should do now is to disable System Restore. You can open System Properties by hitting the Windows logo key and Pause/Break key together. Then click the "System Restore" tab. Then checkmark the box which says "''Turn off System Restore on all drives''". Reboot to clear its contents. System Restore unfortunately makes a backup of all executables which includes viruses so that when you reboot without deleting them first, System Restore reinstates them again.
    After you complete that step, run Avast and Malwarebytes again to make sure the system is clean.
    Then go to the Windows Update site (link on your start menu) and install the missing patches which enabled your machine to become infected in the first place.
    Once the system is clean, repeat step one to download Firefox again, but please do not run the file. If you don't see the option to "Save File", cancel the download, but it should be there. You can use this direct download link to download FF4.0.1 [http://www.mozilla.com/products/download.html?product=firefox-4.0.1&os=win&lang=en-US Download Firefox 4.0.1]
    Run the file after you download it to the desktop.

  • Why does firefox show up as a plugin on volume mixer?

    Why does firefox show up as a plugin on volume mixer? After updating a flash plugin into firefox (when it had requested me to update it), it no longer shows up as firefox in volume mixer. It now shows up as some plugin icon. I really don't understand this, and wish it to be the firefox icon again. What is going on and what happened? It names itself "Plugin Container For Firefox" What does that mean? It has been this way ever since, and nothing I have done has fixed this. Restarting, refreshing, reinstalling, clearing cache, etc. Can anyone think of something please? :(
    == This happened ==
    Every time Firefox opened
    == This happened just a couple days ago (june 25, 2010 exactly)

    I have this, but my volume on firefox doesnt work at all

  • Why does FireFox change layout/settings during upgrades without asking ?

    Just upgraded to Firefox 18 (windows 7 desktop). Why does Firefox change layouts/settings without asking the user if he wants it or not???
    I am getting sick of those changes. I want to have at the google main page the options (as before) to search in all languages, or pages from a certain language or pages in a certain language (of course depening of the google address; f.i. at google.de for german languages, google.fr for french languages etc).
    In the latest Firefox 17 it was working as I wanted and described before: when I visited www.google.de/firefox of www.google.fr/firefox. Now those 3 options (under the search bar) are gone and I do not want to operate by clicking on the advanced search button. Those things should be visible under the search bar again.
    Also my STARTPAGE was GONE/DELETED after the update !!! Grrrrr.... Updating is OK but mozilla should not change user configured items !!!!!!!
    The above described problem has nothing to do with the google website.

    By the way, do Firefox and IE use the same proxy settings? You can view Firefox's here:
    orange Firefox button (or Tools menu) > Options > Advanced > "Network" mini-tab > "Settings" button
    The default is "Use system proxy settings".

  • Why does FireFox open as a very small box in the top l/h corner and i have to resize it every time

    Why does FireFox open as a very small box in the top l/h corner and i have to resize it every time this only occurs on the initial opening up of F/Fx after boot-up

    Open the system menu via Alt+Space and see if you can resize that window.<br />
    If that works then close Firefox (File > Exit/Quit) to save that setting.
    See also:
    * http://kb.mozillazine.org/Resizing_oversize_window
    If the above didn't help then see:
    * http://kb.mozillazine.org/Corrupt_localstore.rdf

  • Why does firefox hang when opening and takes several minutes to come up?

    Why does Firefox hang for several minutes before coming up?

    I am also having this problem. When trying to reboot, I get an endless cycle of the BIOS screen, then "MACHINE ERROR", then back. Running the same dmesg command as snoxu results in a similar error message. I am forced to shutdown by holding the power button. Upon rebooting, I get an error message that all extensions have been turned off (using Gnome Shell). Then I have to logout and login.
    Shutting down and then restarting works fine.
    Additional info:
    System76 Gazelle Professional laptop
    syslinux, systemd, GDM, Gnome Shell

  • Why does firefox autostart when I switch computer on

    why does firefox autostart when I switch computer on

    [[Firefox launches automatically when your computer starts]]
    If you have nothing Firefox related in your startup folder,
    Your issue may be caused by Malware. You can run and update the following '''free''' anti virus software:
    1. Malwarebytes (Free version) - http://www.malwarebytes.org
    2. Spybot Search & Destroy - http://www.safer-networking.org
    3.Spyware Terminator - http://www.spywareterminator.com
    In addition, there are a number of forums you can use to help get rid of your infection. These include:
    *[http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/ Bleeping Computer]
    *[http://forums.spybot.info/ Safer-Networking Forums]
    *[http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php Spyware Warrior Forums]
    *[http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php SpywareInfo Forums]

  • Why does Firefox sometimes ask me if I want to save my tabs when I close, and sometimes it does not? I usually want to save them, so this is a pain. I'm on a Mac, OS 10.5.8

    Why does Firefox sometimes ask me if I want to save my tabs when I close, and sometimes it does not? I usually want to save them, so this is a pain. I'm on a Mac, OS 10.5.8
    == This happened ==
    A few times a week
    == don't know...

    There can be various causes for this:
    [[Firefox does not ask to save tabs and windows on exit]]

  • Why does firefox time out so often? slows down my working

    Why does firefox time out so often. I can be in the middle of something and it just stops. did it as I am trying to write this note. very frustrating! It either times out or freezes. the former happens more often. I can be on the web or on yahoo mail.

    The default of the pref network.http.max-connections has been increased from 30 to 256 in Firefox 6+ versions.
    Try to decrease the value of the pref <b>network.http.max-connections</b> from 255 to a setting like 30 as used in Firefox 3 versions.
    *https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Firefox+never+finishes+loading+certain+websites
    See also:
    * http://blog.bonardo.net/2011/09/30/is-your-firefor-freezing-at-regular-intervals
    * Places Maintenance: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/

  • Why does Firefox for android spring open when I clear notifications or open files?

    Motorola Moto G
    Latest Firefox for android
    Android KitKat
    Why does Firefox spring open, even after I quit, because I have cleared notifications or opened a file I downloaded. I have double checked Firefox is NOT set to open images or videos automatically, es

    ES File Manager is my default player for almost all media. Firefox is not set to default.
    Here is a step by step.
    I see a picture I like so I download it. Firefox has now sent me a notification that the download is complete. After eventually closing the browser, I then clear notifications. Upon doing so, Firefox opens, regardless of whether it was running in the background or truly closed.
    Thanks

  • Why does Firefox impose Google as a search engine in it's home page?

    Why does Firefox impose Google as a search engine in it's home page?

    I've found Firefox to be very unstable when it comes to choosing a different home page & search engine, frequently ignoring my choices & reverting to the default settings between launches. This also applies to Google & the choice of language if it's different to that of the country the person's in, which is my main gripe with Google, it doesn't detect the language of the operating system but that of the geographical location, forcing one to alter the settings every time, which is extremely annoying! Please do something about all this if possible, thanks.

  • Want new tab to open to home page and why does firefox not have a simple check box in the options because I can't keep going through a long procedure each time

    I want new tab to open to home page and why does firefox not have a simple check box in the options because I can't keep going through the long tedious procedure each time I install firefox. It is something that should be in the options tab , and I want to know why it isn't. I am totally frustrated with firefox and getting ready to switch.

    You can use the SearchReset extension to reset some preferences to the default values.
    *https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/searchreset/
    Note that the SearchReset extension only runs once and then uninstalls automatically, so it won't show on the "Firefox > Add-ons" page (about:addons).
    If you do not keep changes after a restart or otherwise have problems with preferences, see:
    *http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved

  • Why does firefox switch back to bookmarks after I am on a web page ?

    This happens every time I go from selecting a bookmark to that page. It just annoying enough for me to yank my hair out, if i had any. Thanks, Max

    I have two antivirus programs on my computer. The default windows thing and MalwareBytes (which I perform a full scan with everyday) and I still have the problem.
    Hate to be a "problem child" but could anyone post an answer to this problem that isn't something that is obvious that should be done like resetting firefox or check for a virus or mess with the tabs options which I have tried every combination of the options that could be tried.
    I mean does anyone else anywhere have this same problem? What I don't understand is that I posted this question two days ago and it doesn't look like anyone else has asked for help with this same issue.
    What I really don't understand is why I can't find out anything doing an internet search using "why does Firefox keep returning to the webpage i am currently on when i open a new webpage" and so far no one has suggested something I have already tried.
    If Mozilla had some kind of phone number or email contact info then I could probably get this whole thing solved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe you are looking for