How To Solve 100% CPU Hogging by Firefox in 2 Steps
I am using a Core 2 Duo E6600 (2.4 GHZ x 2), one of the best processor (review) in market today, with 2GHZ of DDR 2 667 RAM (read about my dream computer setup), and yet Firefox manages to hog 97% of the CPU in no time at all. I admit that I open too many windows but its is still extreme, don't you think? So I set upon to find a solution to the CPU hogging problem and you will be surprised to know that it is really very simple.
First of all I made Flash optional by using the FlashBlock extension. It is a nice little extension which simply displays a play button instead of Flash ads. If you wish, you can play the Flash content by clicking on the play button. In the past I have faced Firefox slowdown issues in Windows which were related to too many Flash content being displayed. However it didn't help this time.
I then disabled Java. In Preferences->Content menu uncheck Enable Java checkbox. That's it.
I restarted Firefox. I still have same number of windows (30+) as before and with same content and yet Firefox CPU usage became negligible! I have solved the problem.
To summarize the steps to reclaim your CPU from Firefox:
1. Install FlashBlock plugin
2. Disable Java
Update: I found that even with low CPU utilization Firefox was still hanging. The solution was to disable SearchStatus extension.
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April 30th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
hi there,
flash : thanks for the tip. I have an old PC at home which will surely benefit from this.
java : don’t you use java on your browser ? applets/VPN, etc ? If java was not needed, how did enabling java make things slow ?
Thank you,
BR,
~A
May 3rd, 2007 at 11:35 am
Ahaha! Thanks man! It sucks when you’ve got tons of windows opened, some logged in, and that 100% crap happens.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:11 am
Anjan,
Normally I don’t need Java on my browser. However for some strange reason Firefox continues to hog cpu even when Java is not used; a bug perhaps.
Best,
Angsuman
June 2nd, 2007 at 11:20 pm
I *have* to have Java for certain websites, so I found this add-on to be just the ticket: http://noscript.net/features
June 7th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Yo Angsuman -
Thanks a million! (OK, I’ll just owe it to you . . .) I have posted on Mozilla Forums several times in past 6 months and nobody came up with a solution.
Currently, I have only installed FlashBlock and left Java as is, but Firefox has been very well behaved with just that one modification.
This is great.
Thanks again,
Fredo
August 1st, 2007 at 3:57 pm
I’m developing a web site using Java and Flash….
I think this information could be useful… but it isn’t…
Another ideas rather than disabling features on my firefox?
Something like limiting the amount of processor time?
October 6th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
I find Firefox uses 99%-100% of CPU time even when I only have two windows open: Firefox and the Downloads windows (downloading 4 files). I disabled Java but did nothing to alleviate my problem. Still looking to find a solution. It was never a problem when I used Flashget but for some reason I cant get it to work with Firefox anymore.
December 20th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
wow - thanks for the heads up. I’ll have to try this.
December 30th, 2007 at 7:48 am
It\’s not just flash and java. Firefox also has a problem with some JavaScript. See this bug (and please vote for it).
February 23rd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I am using adblock and noscript extensions, but I will not disable the flash, java and javascript content.
I am coding some htmls and I also play lots of flash games over the web, so the flash block is not a solution. The flash content is not the problem, the problem is the flash update or some coding of it.
From the Macromedia\’a takeover by the Adobe, all the flash content was screwed.
I didn\’t have the flash 100%cpu problem since last week, so it must be a wrong update from the flashplayer or firefox.
For a typewriter or work computer, the blocking of the annoying content is the solution, but for the everyday guy who is surfing and playing and coding something, this cannot be.
Another solution is required and I\’m looking every day for it.
February 24th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Another solution? Use Opera
March 9th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I had loads of issues with Firefox using up close to 100% CPU, and tried a few different things.
Anyway, I finally figured out - that for me at least - all I needed to do was to switch Gmail to use the “Older Version.” I always have Gmail open, and there’s a link in the top-right of the Gmail window which says “Newer Version” or “Older Version” (according to which one you’re using at the time). It’s not the non-JavaScript version, just a previous incarnation of the JavaScript version, and so it still has all the bells and whistles.
Anyway, hope that helps someone! It worked for me.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Yes thats it i did this before but forgot this is the solution. Thank you.
March 21st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Just disable or uninstall all add-ons.
March 25th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
dude i have an amd 64 X2 6400+ 2 Gigs of DDR22 800 and integrated video AMD 690G based on a Ati radeon 1250 on a gigabyte motherboard and i have not that kind of problem, you may have this problem when entering to sites like megaupload that have nearly 14 flash elements or more, the thing here is that AMD is better in that way because of 3dnow professional that is in every AMD processor, i love firefox and right now i am helping as a volunteer to test firefox 3 beta 4, i think is the best navigator ever done. i don´t try to bother you, intel have a lot of good things but in Graphics and Multimedia i think AMD is better.
Best regards
Jose Diaz
Everyone Please Help Firefox today, Try the Firefox 3 Beta 4!
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Try renaming the folder C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\mozila
to something else . then when you start firefox it will ask you to import the settings again. you can then copy the bookmarks etc from the renamed folder to the new folder that firefox created. That solved my problem. it runs perfectly now
June 13th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Gmail was the culprit for me. Who’d have thought it would be them that would crap out a browser. I haven’t installed anything fancy but just switched to the Older Version of GMail. Worked a treat.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Disable the DOM Inspector - I found that in complex website, it was going 100% cpu while not doing anything else, once i disabled that add-on, back to %2 :))
October 6th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
OR just nav to C:/Documents and Settings/Your Username/Local Settings/Application Data/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/dbrv58vc.ProfileName (whatever it is called)
Delete the two files in there beginning with an “x”. Restart firefox. Firefox will regenerate these files. I, like you all tried every solution under the sun for this for about 2-3 months! NOTHING worked. about 5-15 solutions I tried to no avail. This did the trick though this information was hard to find!
October 7th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
try to update both players:
Adobe Flash Player from here:
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
Adobe Shockwave Player from here:
http://get.adobe.com/shockwave/
this updates solved my 100% cpu usage problem.
please post a comment at here if this solve your problem too. thx -.-