New problem downloading files (Win10-64bit, Thunderbit 32-bit, Firefox 64-bit)
Starting within the last 2 weeks, I am having problems with the system hanging up when I try to download a file. It doesn't happen when I've first rebooted the computer, but after I've been using it for an hour or two. It also doesn't hang the entire computer (at least not at first); but just Firefox, Windows Explorer, and (if the download link was there) Thunderbird.
I'm using:
Win10 Pro(x64) v1909 (build 18363.1016) Firefox v80.0.1 (64-bit) Thunderbird v68.12.0 (32-bit)
On a Dell Optiplex 7010 factory-refurb desktop pc with:
3.40 gigahertz Intel Core i5-3570 processor 16gb ram
The problem starts at the point where I'm supposed to tell the system where to put the file I'm downloading. The system defaults to "This PC", and usually to "Downloads". If it's going to hang, it does so on my next mouse-click, trying to go to the proper directory.
When the glitch happens, closing Firefox (if I can) will not solve it. When I try to open it again, it says Firefox is already running, even though it doesn't appear to be. Sometimes (but not always) I can open the Task Manager. The one time I succeded in doing so, I must have started either that download or a previous download from a Thunderbird email. Several Firefox processes were running. I tried to shut them all down, but one would not respond. Looking thru the other tabs, I found one Firefox.exe instance in the Details tab, and tried (but failed) to shut that down. So I started closing whatever other applications I had open, on the way to rebooting the system. But when I closed Thunderbird, the Firefox process & "Detail" instance both closed, and the glitch disappeared.
However, I don't think it can always be blamed on Thunderbird, because I think the glitch has happened at other times when Thunderbird was not open. All I really know is that both Firefox and Windows have updated on my pc (and on my Win7 laptop) within the last two weeks, and that's when the problem started.
To me it appears that this is an update-induced bug. I hope that this note helps someone to find that bug and kill it.
Thanks.
Modified by tim@timdeaton.org
All Replies (6)
Update:
After writing the above, I left the computer up while I did other things. I came back a few minutes ago and tried to print a webpage to a pdf file. The same problem happened when the "Save" dialog came up: my first mouse-click to get to the proper directory locked it up. I tried to close the dialog box, but nothing happened.
I noticed I still had Thunderbird open from earlier in the day and closed it. (I had not tried to print anything from TB to pdf today, nor to download anything using any email links today.)
As soon as Thunderbird closed, Firefox also closed. When I re-opened Firefox, it happily let me print that webpage to pdf with no problems.
So it appears to me that the problem is some process that both Firefox and Thunderbird are using.
I hope this helps.
Update 2:
So maybe this is a Thunderbird issue?
This morning I was using Paint.Net to create a simple graphic. When I tried to save it, the same type of thing that I've been describing above happened. Firefox was not even open. (It had been earlier, but wasn't at that time.) HOWEVER, Thunderbird was open. So I closed Thunderbird, and within a few seconds the problem disappeared.
So how do I get this thread over to the Thunderbird folks?
Update 2:
So maybe this is a Thunderbird problem.
This morning I was using Paint.Net to create a simple graphic, and when I tried to save it, the same problem I've described above occurred. (Things freeze up on the first mouse-click after the 'Save' box opens.) But this time Firefox wasn't even open. It had been earlier, but had been closed (I think) before I opened Paint.Net.)
HOWEVER, Thunderbird WAS open. So I closed Thunderbird, and a few seconds later the freeze problem went away and let me save my graphic.
So how do I re-direct this thread to the Thunderbird folks? (And is there a 64-bit version of Thunderbird that I should switch to?).
Your posts included links and were held for moderation until a moderator could able to review and approve/deny your posts. The first 2 attempts should be visible now.
add: I'll move your thread to the Thunderbird forum.
Modified by Andrew
Run in Windows safe mode to test if startup apps such as antivirus are causing the problem. If TB runs properly in Windows safe mode, add the TB profile folder as an exclusion or exception in the AV settings.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Antivirus_software
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Thunderbird:Testing:Memory_Usage_Problems
