Apparently the problem is resolved if plugin container is disabled. The question being asked initially because Firefox was slow and locking up and had to be killed. The user had already tried and new profile and turning off hardware acceleration.
However surely it should be sufficient to merely disable the plugins and therefore remove the need for plugin container. It appears plugncontainer is starting up even with plugins disabled.
Is anyone able to help or offer more ideas in this thread please ?
* Is it possible to block plug-in container? [/questions/993137]
Apparently the problem is resolved if plugin container is disabled. The question being asked initially because Firefox was slow and locking up and had to be killed. The user had already tried and new profile and turning off hardware acceleration.
However surely it should be sufficient to merely disable the plugins and therefore remove the need for plugin container. It appears plugncontainer is starting up even with plugins disabled.
Since the user wants to try disabling plugin container, it seems to me that it can be done on Windows XP (but not Windows Vista or higher due to bug 769721) by toggling the preference dom.ipc.plugins.enabled from "true" to false in about:config as explained here:
I noticed this is a Windows XP user. If the problem began after updating to Firefox 27 then see:
*[/questions/985969?page=3#answer-546599] Firefox is unbearably slow after updating to version 27
*[/forums/contributors/710096?last=58614#post-58554]
Since the user wants to try disabling plugin container, it seems to me that it can be done on Windows XP (but not Windows Vista or higher due to [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=769721 bug 769721]) by toggling the preference '''dom.ipc.plugins.enabled''' from "true" to '''false''' in about:config as explained here:
*http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins#Windows_and_Linux
And thanks to cor-el with the explanation in the subject thread about plugin container needing to start up to clear the plugins LSO cookies.
Are you using "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear the cookies or other data?
If Firefox had failed to do clear specified data when you close Firefox then Firefox will try to do this on the next start (privacy.sanitize.didShutdownSanitize) and clearing cookies can cause plugin-container processes to get started.
A problem that did at one time cause problems as a regression caused it to stratup for all plugins including disabled plugins. Now it should just be for certain plugins including FlashPlayer bug633427
Thanks Alice.
And thanks to ''cor-el'' <br /> with the explanation in the subject thread about plugin container needing to start up to clear the plugins LSO cookies.
<blockquote>Are you using "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear the cookies or other data?
<br />
If Firefox had failed to do clear specified data when you close Firefox then Firefox will try to do this on the next start (privacy.sanitize.didShutdownSanitize) and clearing cookies can cause plugin-container processes to get started.</blockquote>
<br />
A problem that did at one time cause problems as a regression caused it to stratup for all plugins including disabled plugins. Now it should just be for certain plugins including FlashPlayer <sup>[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=633427#c76 bug633427]<sup>
And thanks to cor-el with the explanation in the subject thread about plugin container needing to start up to clear the plugins LSO cookies ... bug633427
Yep, forgot about that.
John, I see you used the test gif from bug 973149: ... however, you didn't ask the user to check for a CPU increase, as was reported in the bug description :
On my computer, loading the page below is enough to be sure whether the issue is here or not:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rotating_earth_%28large%29.gif
- Firefox 26: the CPU usage is at most 30%, Kernel usage is roughly half this value.
- Firefox 27: the CPU usage it at least 75%, and mostly for the Kernel.
You can ask her to recheck to see if CPU increases dramatically. If it does, then she could try Firefox 24 ESR to see if the problem goes away.
''John99 [[#post-58753|said]]''
<blockquote>
And thanks to ''cor-el'' <br /> with the explanation in the subject thread about plugin container needing to start up to clear the plugins LSO cookies ... <sup>[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=633427#c76 bug633427]<sup>
</blockquote>
Yep, forgot about that.
John, I see you used the test gif from [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=973149 bug 973149]: ... however, you didn't ask the user to check for a CPU increase, as was reported in the bug description :
-----
On my computer, loading the page below is enough to be sure whether the issue is here or not:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rotating_earth_%28large%29.gif
- Firefox 26: the CPU usage is at most 30%, Kernel usage is roughly half this value.
- Firefox 27: the CPU usage it at least 75%, and mostly for the Kernel.
-----
You can ask her to recheck to see if CPU increases dramatically. If it does, then she could try [http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all.html Firefox 24 ESR] to see if the problem goes away.
AliceWyman - I am the user, thank you very much for helping me.
I did write only last night in my previous thread:
Someone else mentioned: "Firefox CPU usage hit 99% and stayed there. The browser was totally unusable." - I experience this too when the computer is locking up.
I do not experience any difficulty with the rotating earth image though. Firefox CPU stays mostly at 11. Not sure how to correctly report that, when you say at most do you mean the number it remains most at or the highest number it reaches?
john99 has already suggested that I install Firefox portable ESR. I have lots to do in the next few days, will report back when I can.
AliceWyman - I am the user, thank you very much for helping me.
I did write only last night in my previous thread:
Someone else mentioned: "Firefox CPU usage hit 99% and stayed there. The browser was totally unusable." - I experience this too when the computer is locking up.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/993137
I do not experience any difficulty with the rotating earth image though. Firefox CPU stays mostly at 11. Not sure how to correctly report that, when you say at most do you mean the number it remains most at or the highest number it reaches?
john99 has already suggested that I install Firefox portable ESR. I have lots to do in the next few days, will report back when I can.
Whatever the problem, if it is thought to be a regression in Firefox, then Installing ESR & comparing like for like with the Release version is a quick test to demonstrate an apparent regression.
The unoficial portable build is something I suggest as I consider some Firefox Windows users would not be comfortable attempt anything that starts to look complicated. The portable install is relatively simple. Manual install are not as easy. Some users have never attempted that sort of thing before. It is easy to forget things we take for granted for instance being able to manually find and edit a file is just a task too far for some.
Usually end users mainly look for a solution or workaround, not the cause of an issue. If however proper Steps To Reproduce are discovered there is a (sometimes temperamental) utility available that will pin the regression down precisely.
Whatever the problem, if it is thought to be a regression in Firefox, then Installing ESR & comparing like for like with the Release version is a quick test to demonstrate an apparent regression.
The unoficial portable build is something I suggest as I consider some Firefox Windows users would not be comfortable attempt anything that starts to look complicated. The portable install is relatively simple. Manual install are not as easy. Some users have never attempted that sort of thing before. It is easy to forget things we take for granted for instance being able to manually find and edit a file is just a task too far for some.
Usually end users mainly look for a solution or workaround, not the cause of an issue. If however proper Steps To Reproduce are discovered there is a (sometimes temperamental) utility available that will pin the regression down precisely.
* http://mozilla.github.io/mozregression/
I would suggest sticking with the original question, /questions/993137 to find the cause of the Firefox hangups and slowdowns rather than starting a new thread. You can always "Undo" the chosen solution, /questions/993137#answer-552434 and edit the question title to something like "Hangs, severe slowness and lock-ups running Firefox on Windows XP"
Janice, you're welcome.
I would suggest sticking with the original question, [/questions/993137] to find the cause of the Firefox hangups and slowdowns rather than starting a new thread. You can always "Undo" the chosen solution, [/questions/993137#answer-552434] and edit the question title to something like "Hangs, severe slowness and lock-ups running Firefox on Windows XP"
P.S. Here's another bug that could be involved. It was reported by a Windows XP user, probably related to outdated hardware:
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=973819 Bug 973819] - Firefox 27 high CPU usage
Been using Firefox ESR 24.0 for the last few days.
I have McAfee Site Advisor and Shockwave Flash enabled.
The problem has gone. No locking or sudden loss of memory usage...haven't had to shut Firefox down.
Such a relief.
But what do I do in future please? I assume Firefox ESR upgrades too?
Been using Firefox ESR 24.0 for the last few days.
I have McAfee Site Advisor and Shockwave Flash enabled.
The problem has gone. No locking or sudden loss of memory usage...haven't had to shut Firefox down.
Such a relief.
But what do I do in future please? I assume Firefox ESR upgrades too?
Janice, Please add the above information to your original question, [/questions/993137]
As for Firefox 24 ESR, if you got it from http://www.mozilla.org/firefox/organizations/all.html (which is the link I posted above) then it updates automatically.
So this will mean that when it reaches upgrade 27.0 / 28.0 the problem will begin again?
It is slightly different from that I will post in the original thread.
<blockquote>So this will mean that when it reaches upgrade 27.0 / 28.0 the problem will begin again? </blockquote>
It is slightly different from that I will post in the original thread.
