Firefox freezes all the time.

[baptistbusman]

I have used exclusively for over 20 years.  The last few months have been a nightmare.  It is constantly freezing, what have you done?   I am going to have to finally switch to chrome.   This issue happens on all of my computers as well as my work computers, so don't blame my computer please, this is on your end and you need to fix it or discontinue the browser.

[EnemyS]

Same here so annoying switchign to seomthing else i am done with that crap. Trying to be better ten chrome becoming chrome da hell? 

[dftf]

@EnemyS : try Menu -> Help and Report -> Troubleshoot Mode.

Do you get the same freezing issues with the same sites in that mode?

[dftf]

@EnemyS : are you still getting issues as of the latest 160.0 release?

[dftf]

@baptistbusman : try going to Menu -> Help and Report -> Troubleshoot Mode

If you don't get the freezing happening then, one of your extensions is causing this normally.
Go to Menu -> Extensions and Themes -> ⚙ icon -> Check for updates.
You can also try turning some off on that screen (disabling an extension won't lose settings for them).

If you still get the freezing issue even in "Troubleshoot Mode", are any specific sites causing it?

[Hansen-hansen]

I also get freezes. I don't have any extensions installed. Fx. it may happen when opening a new window, or by clicking on a bookmark folder. Firefox freezes for several seconds.

It began in recent history (a couple of months ago?)

Windows 10

[dftf]

@Hansen-hansen : try Menu -> Help and Report -> Troubleshoot Mode.

If you get no freezes in there, and don't use any extensions at-all, then either you've made a change in the about:config screen previously, or there is a corruption in your profile.

You can use Menu -> Settings -> Account and Sync. -> Turn on backup to backup your data
Then tap ALT to show the old menubar, and on the "Profiles" menu, tap "+ New Profile"
Once that's done, get your stuff back: Menu -> Settings -> Account and Sync -> Restore your data 

[azpunky]

I don't believe this is any sort of bad setting. Mozilla needs to fix on their side and push out refactored code. This is not a setting issue.

[Hansen-hansen]

I can add that is seems like the freezes have become longer. A recent freeze (opening a new window) lasted approx. 40 seconds. As the OP said, it gets tired real fast.

[dftf]

Are you still getting these freezes, as of the latest 160.0 release?

[baptistbusman]

After a few weeks of reply's from other users with the same issue, I am shocked at the actual replies from the Firefox Developer people that act like I changed settings on my browser or want me to go into debugging mode or whatever it is.   Ok this happened after one of YOUR updates a month or so ago.  I never had issues for 20 years!.   Now it will hang in the middle of an important task I am trying to do and even clicking the "X" wont close the program, I have to actually go into the task manager to get the hung up Firefox browser to close so I can continue working...not playing video games or some childish task.     YOUR UPDATE has caused an issue.  Don't dare say that your users have caused this by changing settings.....like i go in a change settings.   I must have clicked on the button "have browser freeze during high-pressure sessions."

[baptistbusman]

I can also say this happens on both of my work computers and I have not even logged into my profile on the browser, and I can't make any changes to any options due to me not being the administrator in my network.   Boom! 

[dftf]

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I can also say this happens on both of my work computers and I [...] can't make any changes to any options due to me not being the administrator in my network.

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Have you considered speaking to your IT Team where you work?  That's what those people are paid to do...

[dftf]

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... I am shocked at the actual replies from the Firefox Developer people

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If you mean me, I don't work for Mozilla, I'm just an ordinary user.  Firefox staff on here have the "M" logo before their username, or it'll say "EMPLOYEE" after their username.  No-one who has replied to you on this post so-far works for Mozilla.

But have you at-least tried going to the Firefox menu, then Help and Report, then Troubleshoot Mode and then trying sites you know have an issue to see if they work?  If they do, then an extension you use could be causing your lock-ups.  Menu -> Extensions and Themes -> Extensions to see which are installed.

But you mention this happens "on both of my work computers", so if this isn't a personal device, maybe reach-out to the IT Department at the company you work for?  Maybe their anti-virus solution hooks-into Firefox and is causing your issues?

[azpunky]

100% agree - this has been going on all summer - it's not related to any plug-ins or specific websites.
UNLESS the bad plug-in is Privacy Badger, it's the only one I've got installed. I've removed that, we'll see if the freezes keep happening but my confidence is low that this is the problem.

It seems to be related to cache management - crashes seem occur when I've been doing a lot of work on a single web site (i.e., less frequent with casual browsing).

I'm very disappointed that Mozilla hasn't solved this yet. It's an existential problem, as in Firefox will cease to exist on my computers and devices if this isn't corrected.

[dftf]

@azpunky If you reckon Firefox is causing your entire PC to freeze to the point where you have to hard-reboot, this sounds like more one of the following (1) a hardware issue; (2) the anti-virus solution you use on your PC causing the lock-up; or (3) a graphics-card driver issue.

Firefox alone should not be able to cause your entire system to lock-up, to the point where CONTROL + ALT + DELETE doesn't respond.

So I'd suggest trying the following:
•  try the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool (search for memory in the Start Menu and it should come up) and let it run on the next reboot.  It'll check the RAM in your PC for issues
•  if you are overclocking your CPU, remember this can sometimes cause lock-ups
•  if your PC has an Intel CPU, try running their Diagnostic Tool to check it's working okay:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/15951/intel-processor-diagnostic-tool.html 
•  might be your anti-virus app (obviously I have no idea which one you use, but on any PC that uses Microsoft's own built-in one, I've never once seen Firefox cause entire PC lock-ups)
•  try updating the drivers for the graphics cards in your system
•  you can tell Firefox not to use your GPU: Menu -> Settings -> Tabs and Browsing then un-tick "Use recommended performance settings" then un-tick "Use hardware acceleration when available".  This will make websites with videos or 3D graphics on them perform much slower, but if you get no lock-ups with the "use hardware acceleration" setting off, that would almost always point to a GPU issue (so try a driver update first)

Another option is to try re-installing Firefox.

You can backup your current data first (Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and Sync -> Turn on backup), then restore it later (same area of the settings, but click "Restore your data").

[azpunky]

To clarify - when Firefox freezes, the entire PC freezes (Windows 11 Home) and requires a hard reboot. The freeze is analogous to the "BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH", no warning, no option but to hard reboot.