this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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Firefox

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Hey there, I'm a long time firefox user and have never ever had any problems with firefox. But after the latest update, the browser will now just randomly freeze and it happens very often. It will freeze for over a minute at the time, making it impossible to use the browser. I've refreshed firefox as suggested on their websites, I've reinstalled but still all the same. Anyone got any suggestions to what I can try? Or anyone else experienced the same thing?

Edit: Using Garuda Linux

Solved: It's not firefox, it's Garuda issues. Thanks for the tips and tricks everyone gave ๐Ÿ™Œ

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[โ€“] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You could have system monitor open in order to check what happens with Firefox process when the browser freezes.
See if you can find a reproducible way to freeze the browser. That way you can start to narrow down the cause of the issue. You could stay on the older version of Firefox and only update once the next version is released.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Where can I fetch older versions?

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

You can find older versions on the site, but I recommend reading this first. (It also contains a link to the older versions)

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/install-older-version-firefox

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Iโ€™ve been using Firefox ESR since I switched to Debian and find it very stable, maybe something to look into.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Try to run your Firefox profile in troubleshoot mode to see if it's caused by an extension.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-and-diagnose-firefox-problems#w_3-restart-firefox-in-troubleshoot-mode

Alternatively create a fresh Firefox profile and see how it goes there.

firefox -ProfileManager

If it turns out it's really Firefox doing it you can downgrade to a previous version (but make a copy of your ~/.mozilla dir first, and don't go too far back with the versions). Garuda is Arch-based if I'm not mistaken so you can install and use the downgrade command line tool from AUR.

[โ€“] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have seen no problem with the latest version (118.0) so far on Linux.

Maybe you should add the OS you are using.

Have you tried a new profile to see if maybe one of your extensions might be involved?

https://profiler.firefox.com/ might be useful. about:profiling too. Maybe also about:logging about:processes and potentially others in about:about

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Good thing it's just my end at least. But, It's at a point where i can barely troubleshoot as it is just too unresponsive atm. I'll check out what you mentioned though!

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

it is definitely just 'your end'. corrupt profile, binaries, or addon. possibly a hardware issue. firefox gets abused here daily without issue.

run memtest and a smart diag on storage, too. if those are ok, export your bookmarks and saved passwords, zip up your profile directory as a backup, uninstall firefox. delete all remnants including cache/temp and profile directories. reinstall. don't add anything back right away and try it.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I'm experiencing this too. Particularly in outlook web (which I am forced to use for work). Frustrating!

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Test your ram, just in case.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There are of course a myriad of reasons for which you'll get a lot of ideas. Some have already suggested running memtest.

I'd suggest a full hardware "scrub". Open the case, clean out all dust with a blower (don't forget the PSU!!!), wiggle or remove-reinsert all electrical connections, especially CPU and RAM, but also GPU and expansion cards, storage (data and power), etc etc. Basically if you can plug it in, give it a wiggle to break any oxide layers or as I said remove-reinsert. Might not even hurt to double check your CPU and GPU thermal paste contact if it's old and might have dried out.

Then double check your overall air flow. Your CPU might be cool as a cucumber, but maybe your m/b is getting too hot from lack of air flow. Ironically its possible that a cool CPU = slower fan = less airflow around SB chips and power chips.

I was having escalating browser freezes from random weekly to random daily to random hourly or worse, on a system that was stable for years. I did the above and added another case fan for better MB flow. Now my CPU runs cooler, the CPU fan runs even slower, and I've been rock steady for 2 weeks without a single freeze-up.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm on laptop, I'll do as much I can do this oldie. but thanks ๐Ÿ˜Š

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

ACK, sorry if I missed that. Well, hmmm yeah depending on the laptop you can still do some of the things I said.

Then again, I see you edited now and is was Garuda issues so there's that :) Glad you figured it out.

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Solved it by distro hopping ๐Ÿ˜‚ But wanted to hop for a while anyways, trying out the world of Fedora for some months now ๐Ÿ™Œ

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Try using a different profile? (about:profile)

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If you've tried all other things, you can try to refresh Firefox. It's the nuclear option in that it will remove your customisations, but is likely to resolve issues potentially caused by them.

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

already tried sadly, still persists :|

[โ€“] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Got no plans on suing anyone ๐Ÿ˜

[โ€“] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here: "Firefox almost unsuable after..."

[โ€“] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Hahaha right I changed the title tho, as I assumed it was the update - but it does seem to just be my end so has to be something I've done.