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The program freezes despite trying everything on the Help Center list of fixes

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I have tried EVERYTHING in the support database and the program still freezes. It is to the point where I cannot use Firefox any longer and have to use another program.


What can I do?

I have tried EVERYTHING in the support database and the program still freezes. It is to the point where I cannot use Firefox any longer and have to use another program. What can I do?

All Replies (17)

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As you did not tell us what you did, we may tell you to do it again.

At what point does Firefox freeze? What were you doing? Does it freeze a lot, sometimes, always?

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} While you are in safe mode; Press the <Alt> or <F10> key to bring up the tool bar. Followed by;

Windows; Tools > Options Linux; Edit > Preferences Mac; application name > Preferences

Then Advanced > General. Look for and turn off Use Hardware Acceleration.

Poke around safe web sites and see if there is still a problem. Then restart

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It could be the work of one of your add-ons, or even add / mal-ware. Look thru your add-ons list and make sure you know what each one is there for. Also, check the programs that are on your computer Windows > Start > Control Panel > Uninstall Programs. Mac: Open the "Applications" folder Go thru the list and use a web search to check any that you don't know what they are.

Troubleshoot Firefox Issues Caused By Malware {web link}

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Some problems occurs when your Internet security program was set to trust the previous version of Firefox, but no longer recognizes your updated version as trusted. Now how to fix the problem: To allow Firefox to connect to the Internet again;

  • Make sure your Internet security software is up-to-date (i.e. you are running the latest version)
  • Remove Firefox from your program's list of trusted or recognized programs, then add it back. For detailed instructions, see

Configure firewalls so that Firefox can access the Internet. {web link}

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Can you tell us what you have tried so far?

Does this include:

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I have done everything mentioned above-disabled all add-ons, hardware accelerator, booted my computer in Safe Mode, added and removed Mozilla from my virus protection software, run several malware scans, and created a test account. Mozilla still freezes.

It freezes at random times despite what I am doing on the web (reading and writing email, reading an online book, doing genealogy research, etc)

I do not play games or screen movies or videos on my computer.

Any other ideas?



Any other ideas?

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I did, as a last resort, reset Firefox. It froze within 20 minutes while I was reading.

I have had my computer checked out, I use McAfee virus software and MalWare software.

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Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} Does the program still lock up? Let it sit for a bit.

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Even in Safe mode it freezes no matter how long it sits.

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I think it's time to get dirty.

Run several or all of the listed malware scanners. Each works differently. If one program misses something, another may pick it up.

Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.

You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.

Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.

Did this fix your problems? Please report back to us!

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I have run each of the above listed malware programs twice. Hitman found 94 concerns and 6 problems that were removed. I have a paid subscription to McAfee that I use.

I have my fingers crossed this will work. I will advise.

Thanks for your help and advice.

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Unfortunately, Firefox still freezes after about one hour of use. ANy other ideas?

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What you could do is open the Task Manager, and keep it open. Every now and then, look at the CPU usage and watch for over usage. Other then that, that is all I can do for you.

Did you check all of the programs you have on the computer? Find any problem or software you can't identify?

This is my final answer;

Start the Computer in safe mode with network. See if the problem comes back.

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While you are troubleshooting this, it might be helpful, to avoid unnecessary pain on sites where Flash is not actually essential, try setting Flash to Click-to-Play ("Ask to Activate"). This will delay Flash from starting on a page until you approve it.

To set "Ask to Activate", open the Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Plugins. Look for "Shockwave Flash" and change "Always Activate" to "Ask to Activate".

When you visit a site that wants to use the Flash, you should see a notification icon in the address bar and one of the following: a link in a black rectangle in the page or an infobar sliding down between the toolbar area and the page.

Unless you need Flash, just ignore the bar and most likely you're just missing out on some advertising or tracking data.

Hopefully will help a bit.

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Have you tried looking at the Windows task manger. How are you doing for memory and CPU use ?

I note you say problems are seen after about one hour. Do you only see problems in certain situations, like playing Video or Games, or with hundreds of tabs open ?

How does Firefox compare with Internet explorer ? Once Firefox is running slow does IE also run slow ?

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I don't play videos or games and I only have 3-5 tabs open at any time Physical memory is 38%, CPU is 6% and memory is 1%.

IE runs fine and doesn't freeze. Firefox does not run slow it just freezes despite everything.

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I will try it and see.