I browse the internet normally and Firefox (seemingly randomly) freezes my whole computer, what is causing this and how can I stop it?
I have checked event logs, done virus scans, even reformatted the whole computer (not an action I took lightly), and the problem persists.
As best I can tell, as a page loads Firefox will freeze my whole computer and I will have to do a hard reset. This can be a fresh page, or new content as I scroll and this has happened on a variety of websites (cbc.ca, facebook, thechive, msn, theweathernetwork, Mozilla support pages, anything).
This is not a hang: the mouse stops, CTRL+ALT+DEL does nothing, and you can hear the computer work overtime.
I am running Firefox 41.0 on Windows Vista on an AMD Athalon 64 X2 with 3gb of RAM.
This problem was not noted previous to May, 2015. I was gone for the summer and noted it on my return at the end of August. Since then when I have tried to use my computer for the internet I have averaged two hard resets a day. This problem is still present after resetting my computer to factory new specs and installing a fresh copy of Firefox. This problem is seriously getting on my nerves.
Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope.
All Replies (6)
Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web Link} by holding down the <Shift>
(Mac Options) key, and then starting Firefox. Is the problem still there?
Start your Computer in safe mode with networking. Then start Firefox. Try Safe web sites. Is the problem still there?
Sorry for the delay, I needed time to run your suggestions.
It still freezes the whole computer running Firefox in safe mode, so no change there. Running FF in safe mode while Windows was in safe mode, FF still managed to freeze twice, only this time it didn't bring the rest of the computer with it. First time FF was drawing 500000-something K and plugin container another 386000 K, second time FF was drawing 808000K and plugin container only 3400 (and yet 50% of CPU usage). Current RAM in machine: 3gb.
As a test, disable your protection programs.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/update-firefox-latest-version 41.*
I have performed all possible solutions. The only thing that differs from the original poster's question/situation is that Firefox does NOT freeze my system in safe mode.
I could understand if it locked up under certain circumstances or while using certain websites, but even while completing this page/form, using this site, the computer locked and froze requiring a hard reset.
As a computer artist, I NEED my computer to be fully functional due to the coming holiday season....unfortunately the issue does NOT occur when using a 'soft' Internet connection or a 'shiny' one...I have been a LOYAL user and supporter of Mozilla's products for nearly 15 years and have NEVER seen/experienced such a drastic/obtuse problem... PLEAAASE look into a solution! I don't want to use anything else!
Thank you, Cat
ps...plz don't ask for a screen shot, error pop-up or anything like that because when the system randomly freezes and locks the system, there's no way to capture anything to send. Thanks
Firefox isn't able to freeze the entire computer. Only drivers and services that run at kernel level can make this happen. When you boot in Windows Safe Mode then such applications are disabled.
Modified by cor-el
Thank you Cor-el for your rapid response.
I understand what you are saying, but in my step-by-step process to determine the cause of the freezing, I: -tried to replicate the problem ... I can not since it occurs randomly even if I am only using email, it just freezes. -check for rootkits - used GMER and cleared all rootkit files (mainly old non-system files cluttering up the system). I have the AVAST grime fighter which has helped clean the system as well, but the problem still remains.
I even thought it was my screensaver, which I have disabled, and it still freezes.
When I uninstalled Firefox and used IE *ugh*, I did not experience ANY freezes (5 days of using it). I uninstalled IE, used system restore to go back to the day and time between the uninstall of Firefox and the install of IE (I made sure to create restore points at those times on purpose before doing any of that), ran GMER again, ran all of the AVAST deep scans, did what had to be done there (not much), and reinstalled Firefox on this past Wednesday. I purposely left it running all night, and no freezing - I thought my problem was solved. But on Thursday night as soon as I started using my computer, it froze. -_- I don't know what else to do.