Why Does Firefox Keep Hanging?
Mozilla Firefox is a free Web browser that was released in November of 2004. Many years and updated versions later, Firefox is one of the most widely used browsers on the Internet. Its frequent patches, updates and customization make it a typically stable browser; unlike some other browsers, problems with Firefox are often fixed rather quickly. However, a common problem with Firefox is hanging and freezing, something that can cause many problems as you browse.
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Clear Data & Restart
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If you leave your browser open for long periods of time, it can accumulate a lot of temporary data and eventually start to slow down. Clear your cache and cookies, then restart your browser to see if it speeds up at all. Note that you may need to log back in to some sites after you do this. By clearing data, you are giving your browser a bit of a fresh start, and it takes up less memory, so it may run smoother.
Run In Safe Mode
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Firefox's Safe Mode is a tool you can use to troubleshoot various issues to help pinpoint a problem. Hold the "Shift" key while opening Firefox to bring up the "Firefox Safe Mode" window. In this window, check "Disable all add-ons," then click "Continue in Safe Mode." Test out your browser for a few minutes to see if the hanging occurs. If it doesn't, then the source of the hanging is one of the add-ons you have installed. Disable them all, then enable them one by one to see which one is causing the problem. This could also be a good time to go through your add-ons and remove any you don't need.
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Run Updates
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It's important to make sure that everything is up to date to increase the chances that you'll have a version of the software that fixes any problems you might have. Update Firefox by clicking "Help," then "About Firefox." If there are any updates available, install them. Also make sure your Flash is up to date by visiting Adobe's Flash download site. Finally, update all your add-ons by clicking "Tools," then "Add-ons." Click the small gear icon in the upper right by the search bar, then click "Check for Updates."
Start Fresh
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If all else fails, you can try completely wiping and re-installing Firefox. Uninstall it as you would any other program: by using the Start button to access the Control Panel, clicking "Uninstall a program" and following the instructions onscreen. Then open your "C" drive, open the "Program Files" folder and delete the "Mozilla Firefox" folder completely. When it has been completely deleted, re-install Firefox to try again. Before doing this, back up your bookmarks and take note of what add-ons you have so you can find them again easily. However, install them one by one to see if any of them is causing the issue to repeat itself.
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