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What is plugin-container.exe?

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  • 243 have this problem
  • 1071 views
  • Last reply by pickwicknt

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The extension plugin-container.exe wanted access to the internet. The file was located in my Mozzile folder, but I read somewhere that it is malware. Is this file supposed to be there, and is it normal for attempt to receive a connection? Is it safe?

This happened

Just once or twice

== After the most recent update just a few hours ago.

The extension plugin-container.exe wanted access to the internet. The file was located in my Mozzile folder, but I read somewhere that it is malware. Is this file supposed to be there, and is it normal for attempt to receive a connection? Is it safe? == This happened == Just once or twice == After the most recent update just a few hours ago.

Chosen solution

Go to the following link, click on "What's New in Firefox 3.6.4". The first 2 paragraphs is a brief explanation of what plugin-container.exe is designed to do. Right now, in Windows and Linux only, it isolates Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime or Microsoft Silverlight plugins from the main browser, so that if one of those plug-ins crashes, your whole browser does not crash. This was done due to the large number of crashes caused by plug-ins. Plans are to add more plug-ins in later updates to Firefox.

https://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.6.4/releasenotes/

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All Replies (20)

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Chosen Solution

Go to the following link, click on "What's New in Firefox 3.6.4". The first 2 paragraphs is a brief explanation of what plugin-container.exe is designed to do. Right now, in Windows and Linux only, it isolates Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime or Microsoft Silverlight plugins from the main browser, so that if one of those plug-ins crashes, your whole browser does not crash. This was done due to the large number of crashes caused by plug-ins. Plans are to add more plug-ins in later updates to Firefox.

https://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.6.4/releasenotes/

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I would like to add to it, that it takes up 99% of my CPU and I lag so bad and have to wait a long time to use any of my apps that use Adobe Flash, ie: Evony. What can I do to uninstall it or fix it so I don't have so much lag?

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Plugin Container is hanging on me. Ever since I upgraded FF to 3.6.4 and Flash to the latest, Flash apps are causing Firefox to hang. It just freezes. Can't do anything but kill it in Task Manager. Then I get an error 'Plugin Container not working, search online for solution/close/debug'.

It's irritating. I think I will downgrade to earlier version of FF.

tl;dr

Plugin Container is causing browser to hang.

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But why does it have to connect to the internet when Firefox starts up in order to do this? I don't see the necessity.

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Connect to internet when u r using one of the 3 plug-ins it handles: Silverlight, Adobe Flash, Quicktime. If ur homepage has one of those, then it will start at Firefox startup.

Possible way to disable in about:config

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1929497

Advise to backup prefs.js in your profile folder first, just in case.

If your browser crashes when a plug-in crashes, oh well, you caused it.

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This set of posts answered my question about plugin-container.exe. Also, I told my firewall to Block access to the internet; so, it did not cause a problem for me.

Thanks

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Hello everyone.

If you have a problem with the plugin-container, you may be having a problem with some Firefox add-on that is hindering your Firefox's normal behavior. Have you tried disabling all add-ons (just to check), to see if Firefox goes back to normal?

Whenever you have a problem with Firefox, whatever it is, you should make sure it's not coming from one of your installed add-ons, be it an extension, a theme or a plugin. To do that easily and cleanly, run Firefox in safe mode and select Disable all add-ons. If the problem disappears, you know it's from an add-on. Disable them all in normal mode, and enable them one at a time until you find the source of the problem. See this article for information about troubleshooting extensions and theme. You can troubleshoot plugins the same way.

If you want support for one of your add-ons, you'll need to contact its author.

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give me the link to the previous version this is a piece of garbage

edited by a moderator due to language used - eh https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Forum+and+chat+rules+and+guidelines
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it's messing up all my plug-ins and slowing everything down. seems like it's causing more harm than good really. glad i downloaded google chrome recently!

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The whole "firefox" browser thing is a gvernment+corporations malware, spyware and anyware.

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Hey, I just tested where it comes from - it comes from Paypal when you try to pay someone. It's seems very fishy, you better reinstall your windows and use IE browser or get a Mac.

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@ Jim -- You seriously need to get a grip and re-introduce yourself to Reality.

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plugin-container.exe is totally safe and is not malware or a virus. If you have doubts, you can check the source code yourself and confirm: download source code.

If you are having problems with it, please read and answer my post above. I hope it helps.

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I disabled the add-ons "Adobe DLM(powered by getPlus(R)) Restarted browser, and "plugin-container" was no longer in the task manager.

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That's because plugin-container is only activated for flash and a few other plugins.

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After this plugin-container.exe started showing on my computer suddenly my COMODO FIREWALL disappeared from my computer completely. COMODO folder under Program Files is now empty!

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Yes this is bloody ridiculous!!!!!!

Whenever I try to watch anything in either Youtube or other sites that use Adobe Flash my system grinds to a halt. Even after I shut everything down and let a video load up and then try to run it it still comes out in fits and starts, very jerky. Taskmanager tells me that "plugincontainer.exe" is consuming almost 95 % of my CPU. When I select "end process" it crashes the video and a little message comes up that says Adobe Flash Player has crashed. I then have to close out and restart.

What the hell is going on???????????????????

Can someone suggest a fix, should I uninstall Adobe? or should I just get rid of Firefox?

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I think you should uninstall Adobe. I also SOMETIMES get same crash notice once I shut the plugin-container.exe in Task Manager, but only sometimes... I believe it is related to Firefox, Paypal, Adobe and who knows what else... but who delted completely erased my Comodo Firewall that is a good question!

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@ Jim I use Comodo Firewall (coincidentally) I don't have any problems. It's extremely unlikely that Firefox would mess with Comodo. Check Comodo for support.

@ Anonymous See this previous post of mine.

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1. Uninstall Firefox 2. [www.google.com/chrome Install Chrome] 3. Enjoy having the slim trim browser that you used to have with Firefox and also enjoy having about 200 more megs of free RAM.

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