Firefox using 100% CPU - no apparent reason

[dude1234]

hi All, I use Firefox browser with W2k and have this problem often. I start browsing the web and after a while Firefox is using 100% of my CPU. So, I shut all my open pages down until my browser page is blank (my home page). Still the darn thing is using 100% CPU. so I wait an hour or two and come back and still it is at 100%. I know how to clear it up - just shut the browser and start it again.

But why is it doing this? What is it trying to do? I've checked my Zonealarm and there is no internet traffic going either download or upload. So it's like having a car in the shed with the engine running on red-line but going nowhere, just sitting there.

[Azzaboi]

Try...

1. Install FlashBlock plugin: http://flashblock.mozdev.org/ (this will fix issues if it's your flash content)
Flashblock is an extension for the Mozilla, Firefox, and Netscape browsers that takes a pessimistic approach to dealing with Macromedia Flash content on a webpage and blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content.

2. Disable Java (Java slows webpage load, it's terrible, javascript doesn't)
In Preferences->Content menu uncheck Enable Java checkbox. If you need Java, update it, removing the old version.

3. Restart Firefox (to take effect)

4. If still hanging, disable SearchStatus extension if used.
http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/beware-of-searchstatus-firefox-extension/

5. Ensure your firewall allows Firefox and it's not getting blocked.

6. Check no extra add-on have been added to Firefox.

[Allan]

1) Does this happen with other browsers?
2) Does this happen only on specific pages or sites?
3) Scan your system with both your anti virus utility AND with malwarebytes

[Saurabhdua]

I told this thing to many Guys of this forum that:::


Saurabhdua
Intermediate

Posts: 218

Thanked: 3
OS: Windows XP
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Re: Which Browser is the Best?
« Reply #45 on: March 30, 2010, 05:41:44 AM »   
Come on Guys!

We have to admit that FF is becoming 'Bloated' day by day. FF used to be a 'Perfect' choice for many till Google Chrome came to light!

Google Chrome is a 'Skiddy' browser & launches in a blink of an eye.Surfing is smooth!

With FF, it seems that a 'SUMO' wishes to eat (your system resources) a little more till it gets up to do the fight!

No  match against Google's bet.

[BC_Programmer]

I told this thing to many Guys of this forum that:::

Come on Guys!

We have to admit that FF is becoming 'Bloated' day by day. FF used to be a 'Perfect' choice for many till Google Chrome came to light!

Google Chrome is a 'Skiddy' browser & launches in a blink of an eye.Surfing is smooth!

With FF, it seems that a 'SUMO' wishes to eat (your system resources) a little more till it gets up to do the fight!

No  match against Google's bet.

You have no idea what you are talking about. go away, and stop trolling.

[dude1234]

I've implemented changes as described above and had mixed results. I've noticed that buttons on some web pages (WikiAnswers) don't work unless Java is allowed. But when I activated Java I revert to one of my original problems - where a variety of web pages never complete their download.

Can I get an add-on which will allow me to active Java short-term when I need it and then turn it off again? It wastes my time if I have to go to the tools/options menu and restart Firefox to do this.

[rthompson80819]

What version of FF are you using?

[dude1234]

Version 3.6.3

[rthompson80819]

That happened to me occasionally on earlier versions of FF.  But since 3.6 came out it hasn't been a problem for me, and I'm on the same beta version as you are now.

Do you have many open tabs that do live updates?

[dude1234]

"Do you have many open tabs that do live updates?"
I'm not sure I fully understand your question. I have experienced the problem when using Google News. I use GN to open several tabs, each having a news story that interests me. These news stories are provided by sites which are festooned with advertising. I have also observed that the new site seems to want a constant internet feed. Perhaps the advertisement tries to update itself several times while I read the text. Or, perhaps the text is asking for the update. I just did it now and this is an example [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/17/2875589.htm?section=justin]. It was hanging and I hit the "X" on my menu bar and the page appeared. Sometimes, if I leave it a while it will start up again, although this site has not done it yet. One site was so bad I used Zone Alarm to firewall my PC just to stop it wasting my download quota while I read the article. I'd like a toolbar down the right side of my screen showing which ports and which programs are passing data - something to allow me to firewall the stuff I don't want and accept the stuff I want.

[dude1234]

Today I've been trialling the Opera browser. Whatever the reason, it seems to be much faster than Firefox. It'd be a good idea for the Mozilla people to investigate this and let users know what sort of features can be disabled in order to re-gain the speed expected.

[dude1234]

Another bit of information.

If I do a Google search using Firefox, each of the search results gets scanned by AVG Free and there is a little certification box beside each link.

If I do a Google search using Opera, it just does the search.

There doesn't seem to be a difference on the time taken to do the above searches. So, I conclude this is not the problem.

[Azzaboi]

I bet it's not an issue with Firefox, but one or more of the plugins.
For example: Internet Explorer goes way slower with Java installed and can get stuck.
For your Firefox, disable the addons or run Safe Mode to check.
If it is re-enable one at a time to you find the problem child.

[rthompson80819]

Firefox just released their latest beta, version 3.6.4, with which one of goals was to reduce plugins crashing messing everything.

Of course, keep in mind it is a beta.

[dude1234]

I don't think Flashblock or Addblock plug-ins are causing this because I had the problem before I installed those. I thought they might fix the problem.

There's possibly a problem if you disable Java because, in my case, my banking website has drop down boxes and they don't work with Java disabled.

Other plug-ins on my version of Firefox, which I have not had much to do with, are as follows:-
-Adobe down load manager.
-AVG safe search.
-AVG security toolbar.
-Java console.
-Java quick starter.

The AVG safe search presumably only slows down actual searching but I would assume if you click on a link it would not intervene. However, I stress that this is my assumption. I have no idea what the Java console or quick starter are doing as I did not install them. I guess I could disable them and see what happens.