locked Firefox 3.5 slow to start troubleshooting & info

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It has been proven there is definitely something wrong with the startup of Firefox 3.5 as it is too slow. Bugs have been filed and a fix is in the works. I'm also trying to get a test build with the problem backed out to see if it loads fast for you guys again. So please no more threads about the issue and stay tuned to this thread for updates on the issue.

Currently, the workaround that helps a lot of people is to clear your Internet Explorer temporary internet files & Temp folder files. It may or not help you but its worth a shot.

XP/Vista Users:

Clearing Temporary internet files cache:
IE 6: Clearing cache

Internet Explorer 7: How to Clear Your Cache

IE 8
When you clear your settings in IE8 do the following:-
1. Select menu Tools->Internet Options
2. Click the "Delete Files..." button
3. Make sure you do NOT tick the first box - this is the bit we actually NEED to clear!

Thanks to James for this one!

To clear Temp folder:

Start button > Run... > put: %temp% > hit OK button. Erase what's in that folder.

Clear Recent Documents:

XP:
Right click Start button > Properties, choose to "Customize" Start Menu, click the "Advanced" tab and then click the "Clear List" button at the bottom of the Customize Start Menu box.

http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-clear-or-delete-my-recent-documents-in-windows/

Vista:
http://www.lancelhoff.com/clear-recent-items-list/

Vista Users:

Vista user's Disk Cleanup:
Delete files using Vista Disk Cleanup / Video for Vista Disk Cleanup

Double check files were erased:
On vista, using start search box:

Type:
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\

Extra info:
Before anyone with this problem erases their files, could they try to see how many files are in their IE cache & Temp folder & post the number here? Thanks!

Other areas to check:
Recycle Bin

XP:
%userprofile%\Local Settings\History
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
%userprofile%\My Recent Documents

Vista:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History

If slowdown returns:
Windows let's the user control the maximum amount of disk space used for the "Temporary Internet Files". The default setting is very big. Setting it down to say 100MB or 200MB should REALLY help reduce the number of files to be scanned.

To adjust that, go to Control Panel > Network & Internet Connections > Internet Options > General Tab. Also it's ok if you don't have Network & Internet Connections, continue to Internet Options.

Under the Temporary Internet Files heading, click the "Settings" button.

Change the number under "Amount of disk space to use" to 100 or 200.
Click OK.

Then, back in the Internet Options, General tab, under the
Temporary Internet Files heading, click the "Delete Files" button.
Put a check in the box that says "Delete all offline content". Click OK.
Click OK to dismiss the Internet Options panel.

Programs reported to make Firefox slow:
Comodo Internet Security suite
F-secure

If nothing works, email me for extra assistance:

mozsupport at gmail.com

Remember I'm a volunteer. I don't work for Mozilla or get paid by Mozilla.



This , very happily, worked for me. I only use IE when required, I would never quessed this solution. THANKS. It had taken 5 minutes to load.



Early on clearly IE8 seemed to work but only for a while.

Recently I looked more closely at clearly IE8. It's defaults for clearly at least in vista ie8, check off getting rid of cache, cookies etc. But the defaults also preserve the log on stuff that you'd want to have automated if you use ie8 sometimes (quick logon to netflix etc.) That stuff is not on the automatic clearing.

After ff slowed down againt I went back to again clear IE8 and since we don't use it at all, had it clear that last batch of stuff that it stores. That seemed to have bettered the situation.

Its amazing how much stuff is stored. The last cleaning eliminating stuff in the 'run' command from the start menu that must be stored by Ie8 someplace

Forums like this are wonderful so you know that it is the software and not you that is misbehaving. Thanks to all



Arrgh the horror, having to find this info using internet explorer !!!

Ok, so i tried this a few times and had no luck - then i noticed one huge glaring mistake in my process....

I've got IE8 installed - why? who only knows, i guess for times like this :(

Anyway, when you clear your settings in IE8 do the following:-
1. Select menu TOOLS->Internet Options
2. Click the "Delete Files..." button
3. Make sure you do NOT tick the first box - this is the bit we actually NEED to clear!
(As shown in my example!)

note: My firefox was not opening AT ALL - although firefox.exe WAS running and chewing up CPU & memory.

Also worth pointing out that although i was getting extremely annoyed at firefox - i still prefer it to the rubbish from the monopoly that is Microsoft!

Another thing worth mentioning - my PC has found a new lease of life thanks to doing the above - which is very strange, but nice non the less.

Hope this helps someone else out

James.



Am confused.
First time I did not check the favorite website clear as mentioned in Marsh post. And problem re-occurred.
This time I checked it (as i don't use ie8 at all) and problem seems to be on hold, perhaps gone. And FF still opens all my favorite web sites.



I have also had the problem and clearing my temp folder with CCleaner helped. I believe it's an issue with TVersity as when I started TVersity after using CCleaner, its window position had been reset. It is also a very unreliable program AND attempts to imitate a web browser (not sure which one) in order to play Hulu videos.

Please anyone with TVersity installed: make a post and let it been known so that Mozilla can fix this problem



idiv makes an interesting point - I too have TVersity installed (and running).
Didn't think it used IE settings though (?!)

Following the IE clear out none of my TVersity setting have dissapeared all still seems to be working exactly as before.

Think it might be a red herring, but thought i'd post again to let you know i have it too - Just in case.



James thanks!! I was going to make sure the steps were right for IE8 but I couldn't imagine they'd change the dialog like that! Damn!

Updating steps. Thanks again!



Ok u guys.... i have some information and that might be helpful.... I used to have firefox 3 lates version before this one (Firefox 3.5) and it used to have a slow start up time..... I have a 64-bit Windows Vista/ Intel Core 2 Quad CPU @ 2.66 GHz, 4.00 Gb Of RAM/System Memory/ Home Premium....

Internet Explorer starts instantly, but firefox does not (that is the latest version before firefox 3.5) after that i completely removed firefox and restarted my computer, and then performed a clean install of firefox 3.5....

umm, it takes less than a second to start up but u can still notice the slowdown, it still starts slower than internet explorer 8 (which starts instantly) so firefox 3.5 was a definitely faster than the older firefox....

i did what this website says to do.... deleted everything, (by the way didnt check how many files were in there, sorry i forgot) but didnt notice anything different, as it still took longer to load, again this was firefox 3.5, and i was having the same problem with firefox latest version before 3.5....... but i know it is not the systems fault as my computer has alot of resources.... so there shouldnt be a slowdown, oh and the
system resources it consumes are more than double that of Internet Explorer 8, it is, for firefox 58,456 K and for IE8 it is 21,660 K....
WTH.... I thought it was supposed to consume less resources than IE8....
and less than firefox 3.....

WOW, I really like this Browser, it is like the best thing in the world, but this slowdown can get annoying sometimes.... Im on the side for speed, and sometimes it takes like 2 seconds for it to load, i already got used to it opening up instantly in firefox 2, and IE, so seeing it start up in like 1-2 secs drives me crazy... sorry.... >_< but still.....

anyways, i love mozilla and, i love firefox, the best thing in the world, and i hope i helped somehow....

_

P.S.

I will be providing A video on Youtube showing me doing the test....

so yeah... ill maybe do it tomorrow.... but it will be very soon, i really want to help in some way and i want it to be fixed... lol....

well hope i helped....



Ok u guys.... i have some information and that might be helpful.... I used to have firefox 3 latest version before Firefox 3.5 and it used to have a slow start up time..... I have a 64-bit Windows Vista/ Intel Core 2 Quad CPU @ 2.66 GHz, 4.00 Gb Of RAM\System Memory and it is a
Home Premium Version of Windows Vista....

Internet Explorer starts instantly, but firefox does not (that is the latest version before firefox 3.5) after that i completely removed firefox and restarted my computer, and then performed a clean install of firefox 3.5....

umm, it takes less than a second or so to start up but u can still notice the slowdown, it still starts slower than internet explorer 8 (which starts instantly) so firefox 3.5 was a definitely faster than the older firefox....

i did what this website says to do.... deleted everything, (by the way didnt check how many files were in there, sorry i forgot) but didnt notice anything different, as it still took longer to load, again this was firefox 3.5, and i was having the same problem with firefox latest version before 3.5....... but i know it is not the systems fault as my computer has alot of resources.... so there shouldnt be a slowdown, oh and the
system resources it consumes are more than double that of Internet Explorer 8, it is, for firefox 58,456 K and for IE8 it is 21,660 K....
WTH.... I thought it was supposed to consume less resources than IE8....
and less than firefox 3.....

WOW, I really like this Browser, it is like the best thing in the world, but this slowdown can get annoying sometimes.... Im on the side for speed, and sometimes it takes like 2 seconds for it to load, i already got used to it opening up instantly in firefox 2, and IE, so seeing it start up in like 1-2 secs drives me crazy... sorry.... >_< but still.....

anyways, i love mozilla and, i love firefox, the best thing in the world, and i hope i helped somehow....

_

P.S.

I will be providing A video on Youtube showing me doing the test....

so yeah... ill maybe do it tomorrow.... but it will be very soon, i really want to help in some way and i want it to be fixed... lol....

well hope i helped....



pls make a hotfix or something, my FF hangs for minutes and i can't work with it in this way..so i forced to use IE8 and i hate it...



My firefox 3.5 takes atleast 3 long minutes to load. Task manager shows that it uses 50% CPU for the entire duration. I've reinstalled FF3.5 a number of times, deleted all my personal data saved in FF, emptied IE cache. Nothing works :-(
I have an HP laptop with Windows Vista Home Premium.
Please find a hotfix, as I am also forced to use IE 8, which I absolutely hate!!



I installed Firefox 3.5 on my Sony Vaio (running vista) on 6 July and kept getting the chrome registration message. I ran Firefox as administrator and that seemed to fix that problem. However, now Firefox won’t open at all. After numerous tries and restarting my computer Firefox briefly appeared in my task manager processes list but only long enough to ask me to file a crash report. Other than that one time it has not shown up in the task manager applications list, or the processes list.

I have cleaned up my disk space and cleared all my Internet Explorer temporary internet files & Temp folder files, although it wouldn’t let me delete the FXAPIDebugLogFile or the shadow versions of this.

I cannot uninstall Firefox 3.5 either.

Please help!



Firefox 3.5 Connection problems
The page back & forward, refresh and stop buttons are greyed out and doesn't respond. The address bar doesn't show any info.
My iMac Tiger 10.4.11 is also set to automatically connect to the internet when needed but has to be manually connected everytime.
Everything works slower than before even downloads using FF add ons.



I posted earlier that clearing temp files in my IE7 worked. This was VERY (minutes) temporary. I tried all suggestions per NOAH and some tricks of my own and windows suggestions. Nothing has worked, I am dependent upon FF, all my passwords, userids, stored there. FF3.5 for all intent and purposes does not work (too many problems to enumerate) on my XP. I hate IE, Can anyone tell me if it is possible to install ff3.011 in a manner to preserve passwords etc. And where I might find this software? I don't see it at mozilla.org. Thanks for your help.



Michael Kelly

I have no idea what happens if you re-install older version but here is the site http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-older.html

I cleared out the old site specific stuff stored on ie8, after clearing out the cache cookies etc. didn't work by itself. So far so good but who knows



Hello,

I was the one who started this thread (couldn't get Firefox to launch at all, process would just sit and seemingly idle in Task Manager) and I am happy to say that after I cleared out my %Temp% folder as suggested, I am now able to start Firefox 3.5 without any trouble (over 60 GB in there... yikes).



After none of the above worked, I tried a clean install - uninstalling the existing version (still saving personal info), cleaning up using ccleaner, reboot, then reinstalling (run as administrator). Works like a speed champ now - seems to start and load home page in a second. Running Vista Home Premium 32-bit OEM SP1, IE 8 installed, on ordinary Intel platform. Just maybe problem is with upgrading over 3.0.nn release.



Confirm. I have been running firefox since its first version and 3.5 has a huge problem. install the 3.5, try to start. processor runs at anywhere from 30-100% without firefox starting fpr pver 20 minutes. Hard disk runs like crazy Screenshot? no activity on the screen at all. This is a disaster for mozilla and firefox. I've been running and programming computers since 1968 and this is easily the worst software release since the original windows with its blue screen of death. Win XP with all service packs. 1 gb of RAM.



Eh, i found a way more easy way to get rid of 3.5 .. LOL

Just search on some site a previous version of mozilla (3.01 or something) and install it. Turn off your internet and go to options>advanced>Updated and uncheck all those boxes, and you shouldn't get bothered cause it is working slow 3.5..

regards :)



Quick update for you...
24 hours later and all is still working as expected.

All i can say is this is (probably) a blatent attempt by MS to undermine the amazing work the mozilla team do!
(What with the recent announcement that windows 7 in EUR cannot be shipped with IE!)

Long live the FF - but a fix for this is still urgently required as it's gonna have an impact on customer (what? its free!) loyalty.

p.s. NOAH - no worries on the info glad to help, just wish i didn't have to load IE !



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