How to Reduce the RAM Usage of Firefox
Unnecessary RAM usage in Firefox can slow down its functionality and performance. For users who like Firefox to run smoothly, too much RAM usage can be an annoying problem. Use the following tips to reduce the RAM usage of Firefox and bring it back to the browser you love.
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Instructions
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Make sure you're running the latest version of Firefox. Using the most up-to-date Firefox browser significantly minimizes the amount of memory needed to run the application.
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Clear Firefox's download history. To permanently clear download history, shut down Firefox, find Firefox's "Profile" folder and delete "downloads.rdf" from it. Open the Firefox browser and, from the menu, select "Tools," "Options," Privacy," "Download History," "Remove Files From the Download Manager" and choose "Upon Successful Download" or uncheck "Remember What I've Downloaded." Save the changes by clicking "OK."
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Update your extensions, themes and plugins. New and improved versions may lead to a reduction of RAM usage. If no updates exist, consider removing existing versions and replacing them with alternatives that have the same functions but use less memory.
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Uninstall any unnecessary extensions, themes and plugins. Unused extensions, themes and plugins in Firefox can bog down the browser. You can also check if certain extensions, themes and plugins are hogging memory by running Firefox in Safe Mode.
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Reduce the memory usage of plugins known to require a high amount of memory. Adobe Reader, Flash, Java and Shockwave all contribute to the RAM usage problems. Check extension and program-specific configuration options to modify memory allocations.
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Restart your Firefox browser regularly. RAM memory usage increases the longer the browser remains open. Download and use a Session Manager so that the browser remembers your windows and tabs when you reopen it.
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Tips & Warnings
System extensions may also contribute to increased memory usage. Inspect your system extensions and make sure that your Firefox browser isn't connected to the extension to reduce the use of its memory. WindowBlinds may especially increase Firefox memory usage.
Consider modifying "max memory freed" options for "browser.cache.memory.capacity," "browser.cache.memory.enable" and "browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers" in about:config." This may also help RAM usage problems in Firefox. However, changing options for each of these may compromise Firefox's functionality and should only be attempted by advanced users who have read Mozilla Firefox's documentation and know the consequences of changing these options.
