How to Specify Your Memory Cache Usage in Firefox

Many popular Internet browsers allow you to specify your memory cache usage according to your preferences. The memory cache can store as much memory as you like, as long as your computer has the capacity.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access

Instructions

Specify Your Memory Cache Usage in Firefox

1. Open the Firefox browser and type 'about:config' into the address bar. Hit Enter on your keyboard, and a long list of preferences will display in the browser window.

2. Scroll down the page to locate the preference 'browser.cache.memory.capacity.' The preferences are organized in alphabetical order and can also be sorted through using the Filter box at the top of the page. For example, type in 'cache' and all preferences with cache in the name will quickly display.

3. Click on the aforementioned preference to highlight it and then double-click anywhere on the preference. A box will drop down, allowing you to fill in the memory cache usage you'd like to expend.

4. Understand that this number is measured in kilobytes. You can enter 0 for none or -1 for the computer to figure out the memory cache amount dynamically.

5. Consider turning off the memory cache entirely. To do this, highlight the preference 'browser.cache.memory.enable' and double-click it to automatically switch the value to false.

Tips & Warnings

• Find Firefox's latest version by visiting the download page (see Resources below) of the Mozilla Web site.

• Take the steps to learn more about the Firefox browser and all of the features bundled in with the software. Visit the support page (see Resources below) of the Mozilla Web site, dedicated to tips and general information about using Firefox.

• The Firefox browser comes with many different security features to ensure your browsing experience is as safe as possible. Firefox has the ability to warn you about pages that might not be safe for browsing.

• Ensure that your Windows, Mac or Linux based computer has the minimum system requirements before downloading Firefox. Mac users need to have Mac OS X 10.2 or higher, a 233 Mhz processor, 64 MB of RAM and 50 MB of free disk space. Windows 98 or higher, 50 MB of free disk space, a 233 Mhz processor and 64 MB of RAM are necessary for Windows systems. Linux kernel 2.2.14, a 233 Mhz processor, 64 MB of RAM and 50 MB of free disk space are minimum requirements for Linux based systems.

• Check the current version you're running on your computer to ensure it is the same version these steps are based on. If you're not running Firefox version 2.0.0.2, some or all of the following steps might not work.