Firefox Hangs When Typing

If Firefox hangs when you type, you may have a problem with misconfigured settings, resource-hungry add-ons or a PC that is bogged down by unnecessary processes. If you do not understand how these errors can occur, you will not know how to test for each in isolation, nor will you be able to keep Firefox running smoothly over time.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode

You can use Firefox's Safe Mode to determine whether certain toolbars or settings are causing the program to hang. To enter Safe Mode, close Firefox, and then click "Start," type "Firefox" and then click "Firefox (Safe Mode)." Once Firefox loads in Safe Mode, you can use the browser as you normally do, checking to see if it still hangs when you type. If it does not, you may want to select the items below the "You can make some or all of these changes permanent" entry. This will set Firefox to its default settings, and should eliminate your problem. Note, however, that reverting to the default settings cannot be undone.

Check Add-Ons for Interference

Add-ons are small programs that you can download and install to Firefox to give the Web browser broader functionality. Sometimes, however, add-ons can conflict with one another, or they can use a lot of system memory. When this occurs, you may experience freezes, especially when you are entering data. To combat this situation, you can disable your add-ons one by one to determine if any of them are causing Firefox to hang. To do this, click the orange "Firefox" button and then click "Add-ons." Click the "Extensions" tab, select the first add-on and then click "Disable."

Optimize the Firefox Process

In Windows, you can give a process priority over others. When you do this with Firefox, your CPU will try to always process its data first. This can give Firefox a boost in speed, and may prevent hangs. To do this, right-click the Taskbar and then click "Start Task Manager." Click the "Processes" tab when Task Manager starts, and then right-click "Firefox.exe." Point the mouse cursor to "Set Priority" and then select "High." Click "Change Priority" to finalize the operation. Keep in mind, however, that having too many "High" priority processes on your computer can slow it down overall. An alternative solution is to simply close every non-essential process to save memory.

Update Firefox and Scan for Viruses

If you are running an older version of Firefox and it hangs frequently, it is possible that you have malware that is taking advantage of an old vulnerability in the software's code. Firefox should update automatically, but if you have not received a notice about it having updated in some time, you should force it to update manually. To do this, click the orange "Firefox" button, click "Help" and then click "About Firefox." Firefox will now check for updates. Click the "Apply Update" button if it appears. After you have updated Firefox, you should scan your computer with an antivirus program. If possible, perform a "boot-time scan." Most antivirus programs are capable of performing this type of scan, and it is the most thorough.

References

• Mozillazine: Firefox Hangs