Firefox eating my CPU--your suggestions?

bongomania · #1 09-07-2010, 06:59 PM

Before anything else, I have to say Chrome and Iron will not run on my old computer--so they won't be good suggestions.

I already have a new computer running light and clean, but I'm still trying to get more mileage out of my old one, so I'd like for this browser/CPU thing that just cropped up to not be the death knell for it, if possible.

The old comp is a Mac laptop G4 PowerPC, probably five or six years old now. It's been my internet workhorse, having never gotten a single bug, crash, virus, or anything in all those years of ~~looking at porn~~ work-related internet usage.

I've been using Firefox for a few years, and never had any of the "memory leaks" that people complain of. But just in the last week or so the browser has been sucking up my whole CPU, such that words show up on the screen a few seconds after I type them, and I get a "spinning beach ball" for a few seconds about every other minute.

The exact same thing happens in Opera, but it does not seem to happen with IE or Safari.

Is there a "fix" for Firefox or Opera, on such an old machine? Or should I just resign myself to using IE and Safari? Any ideas what exactly is happening, or good suggestions for what to do about it?

Thanx!

MJ5150 · #2 09-07-2010, 07:05 PM

Uninstall FF and reinstall?

-Mike

machine gewehr · #3 09-07-2010, 07:22 PM

I have the same problem.I've been using FF as long as I remember but I have to post this on IE.

OOZMAN · #4 09-07-2010, 07:29 PM

Did you recently install any add-ons on FF? Things like themes and utilities from their website. I did, and boy did it slow it down!

tk421 · #5 09-08-2010, 04:14 AM

FF is a known memory whore. i am constantly just closing the window and re-opening out of habit. the only solution i have found so far - 4gb of ram.

and i still close and reopen a lot.

chicago_mike · #6 09-08-2010, 04:57 AM

Maybe I am the only one. But I have never, and I mean never, had any issues what so ever with....deep breath....IE.

Not one single crash. Used IE since...1995.

L-A · #7 09-08-2010, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicago_mike

Maybe I am the only one. But I have never, and I mean never, had any issues what so ever with....deep breath....IE.

Not one single crash. Used IE since...1995.

On a Mac, it's really not a good solution

FWIW, IE 8-9 aren't half bad. It's older versions that are frowned upon because they're vulnerable and don't respect web standards.

Kawai-chang · #8 09-08-2010, 06:54 AM

Do you have the "No script" add-on going? I did it and my FF is really quick.

rarisgod · #9 09-08-2010, 06:59 AM

http://www.opera.com/browser/download/

EDIT: Sorry, reread and saw Opera mentioned in the OP.
Well, I'd suggest Chrome for being lightweight, but you say it can't run. So now I'd say stick with IE, as much as I wouldn't do it myself. Or give Safari a shot, I'd use that primarily before I'd use IE. But, IE might run better since it's Windows.

rarisgod · #10 09-08-2010, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L-A

On a Mac, it's really not a good solution

FWIW, IE 8-9 aren't half bad. It's older versions that are frowned upon because they're vulnerable and don't respect web standards.

I could not STAND using IE 7. I used IE 6, then went to Opera. Then I tried using IE 7 and I absolutely hated it. There's something I don't like about the new way they've designed it. As for 8, I hated it less than 7 (though it looked much the same to me) but I still use Opera.

OOZMAN · #11 09-08-2010, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk421

FF is a known memory whore. i am constantly just closing the window and re-opening out of habit. the only solution i have found so far - 4gb of ram.

and i still close and reopen a lot.

+1000.
Thats why I changed to chrome. Any more than 4 tabs open in FF and it's as slow as a fender neck

I'm kidding about the neck thing, but my point remains. And I had 3gb of memory.

I've got 12+ tabs open now in chrome AND I'm on a crappy netbook but still no problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by L-A

On a Mac, it's really not a good solution

FWIW, IE 8-9 aren't half bad. It's older versions that are frowned upon because they're vulnerable and don't respect web standards.

Ehhhhhh I disagree. IE is slow as a$$, no matter what version IMO.

tk421 · #12 09-08-2010, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OOZMAN

+1000.
Thats why I changed to chrome. Any more than 4 tabs open in FF and it's as slow as a fender neck

I'm kidding about the neck thing, but my point remains. And I had 3gb of memory.

I've got 12+ tabs open now in chrome AND I'm on a crappy netbook but still no problem.

Ehhhhhh I disagree. IE is slow as a$$, no matter what version IMO.

i gave up on tabbed browsing. it was ok at first, but not really all that useful

bongomania · #13 09-08-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kawai-chang

Do you have the "No script" add-on going? I did it and my FF is really quick.

Yes I have that one, and in fact it was shortly after I added some of those supposedly clean-up-and-speed-up-your browser add-ons that the browser started sucking up my CPU (and sucking generally). I didn't think those were the problem at first because I had the exact same problem in Opera, with no add-ons at all.

But I removed a few of the FF add-ons, and it did help. Specifically the anti-Flash one, which was supposed to be the hugest improvement in browsing speed, was doing the most greedy damage itself. However, it's still not "all better", so I guess I will try uninstalling FF and all add-ons, and starting fresh.

Of course the problem with Opera is still a mystery... I wonder if something downloaded for a FF add-on was paralyzing Opera?

MakiSupaStar · #14 09-08-2010, 09:31 AM

What OS you running Bongo?

tk421 · #15 09-08-2010, 09:33 AM

all i use is AdBlock+ and xmarks ... seems to be all i really need

bongomania · #16 09-08-2010, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

What OS you running Bongo?

OSS 117 of course!

Oh wait, it's OSX 10.4.11, which is maybe not the latest latest version the machine could run, but it's as far as I feel like taking it.

Philbiker · #17 09-08-2010, 10:26 AM

Get a PC.

champbassist · #18 09-08-2010, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

Yes I have that one, and in fact it was shortly after I added some of those supposedly clean-up-and-speed-up-your browser add-ons that the browser started sucking up my CPU (and sucking generally).

+1.

I'm having to use Chrome because that memory glutton FF caused frequent overheating and system crashes (my less-than-glorious RAM isn't helping matters, either), but I don't like the "privacy issues" with Chrome. I really wish there was something similar to NoScript for Chrome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

having never gotten a single bug, crash, virus, or anything in all those years of ~~looking at porn~~ work-related internet usage.

Bongo's porn - sexy compressors and hot limiters

machine gewehr · #19 09-08-2010, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Get a PC.

Got the same problem with a PC here.

ehque · #20 09-08-2010, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L-A

FWIW, IE 8-9 aren't half bad. It's older versions that are frowned upon because they're vulnerable and don't respect web standards.

I was dabbling in web design and I hated IE for making me type special code just so that it would render my pages properly. It's truly a bane of web designers.