Firefox Crashing Mac

| 02-05-2021
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As a Dutch proverb has it: “Old foxes want no tutors.” Unfortunately, this is not the case with Firefox, which could benefit from some mentoring. A browser that is constantly crashing cannot be considered a mainstay of excellent browsing experience despite its other redeeming features such as security, pop-ups blocking or the fact that it is issued free of charge. Those who use Firefox on Macs or MacBooks all the time are well familiar with annoying crashes and regular freezing. So what are the reasons for the browser getting paralyzed?

Although the causes may vary, they fall into the following categories:

Firefox keeps crashing (Mac) User Help for Mozilla Firefox. 12 posts. Page 1 of 1. Posted February 23rd, 2008, 4:28 pm. I have a macbook and in the. Firefox is slow to load due to viruses or malware affecting your computer. Some common symptoms of virus infection affecting the browser are: Slow response during startup. The browser becomes unresponsive in the middle of web surfing. Often freezing & crashing of software. New tabs open automatically. Since the release of OS X 11, Firefox has been crashing, locking up, and opening multiple copies of the software. Has anyone else experienced this? MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3), 2.0 Gb processor, 8 Gb RAM.

The user browses plugins-and animation-heavy websites, which have a lower than average loading speed, and put an additional burden on Firefox;

Poor browsing habits that are manifested in the excessively large number of opened tabs and windows;

Firefox keeps crashing at startup A crash is what happens when Firefox closes or quits unexpectedly and the Mozilla Crash Reporter appears. If Firefox keeps crashing when you open it, this article will show you how to get it working again. Other problems with crashing. This Tutorial helps to How to Fix Mozilla Firefox crashes constantlyThanks friends for watching this video,Kindly Subscribe & Support Our Channel.

Too many RAM intensive applications are running simultaneously, thereby slowing down the browser;

An old version of Firefox is used;

Unreasonably large size of the browser cache inhibits the optimal performance of Firefox;

A computer is slow in general.

What Can Be Done When Mozilla Firefox Not Responding on Mac?

After discovering why Firefox can be painfully slow, it is time to consider the avenues for improvement. Whenever the browser becomes totally unresponsive, it is a sure sign that one or several problems outlined in the previous section of the article have overwhelmed the once brawny and powerful fox.

The first recourse is to force quit the browser. To this end:

  1. In the Apple Menu, select the Force Quit option (you can also use the Command – Option – Esc combination);
  1. In the pop-up window, click on the Force Quit button to close Firefox.

If the entire system is frozen, it is necessary to make a hard reboot by holding the power button for a few seconds.

What needs to be done next is to open the browser and check its version. To do so:

  1. Click on the Firefox tab at the top of the browser’s window;
  2. In the window that opens, choose the About Firefox
  3. If you are using an outdated version of Firefox, it will automatically update itself.
  4. When the updates are downloaded, click on the Restart to Update Firefox button to initiate the installation of the latest version of the browser.

Ok, you have updated Firefox and try to use it to access your favorite website. However, after opening only a few tabs, it gets painfully slow and finally stops working altogether. Here’s a tested solution for this problem: try refreshing Firefox. The refreshing is used to restore the browser to its default settings, thereby improving its performance. To get rid of the drop in performance precipitated by misconfigured settings and the update, do the following:

  1. Click on the FirefoxMenu button and chose the Troubleshooting Information tab (alternatively, type about:support in the search bar);

After completing these steps, all add-ons and settings of the browser will be refreshed. It should also be mentioned that bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history will not be removed from Firefox.

If the browser can’t stand on its furry feet and crashes on startup, the problem might be rooted in outdated extensions. To check whether problematic add-ons are responsible for regular crashes, try launching it in the Safe Mode. To this end:

  1. Click on the Firefox Menu button;
  2. Select the Help tab;
  3. In the tab, choose the Restart with Add-ons Disabled option (another way to run the browser in the Safe Mode is to hold the Shift key during the launch).

If the browser runs normally in the Safe Mode, it is a sign that add-ons are responsible for the crashing. To disable or update the add-ons:

  1. Click on the Firefox Menu button;
  2. Select the Add-ons tab and proceed to the Extensions panel;
  3. Either disable or update each add-on;
  4. Restart Firefox.

To ensure that add-ons do not limit the functionality of the browser, keep them up to date by following the steps below:

  1. In the Firefox Menu, select the Add-ons tab and proceed to the Extensions;
  2. Click on the gear icon to change the update settings and select the Update Add-ons Automatically
“But what should I do if the browser doesn’t even start?”, you wonder. In such a case, it might be necessary to reinstall it. All that has to be done is to:
  1. Open the Finder and navigate to the Applications folder;
  2. Locate Firefox;
  3. Drag it to the Trash;
  4. Enter your username and password to confirm the deletion;
  5. Click on the OK button;
  6. Empty the Trash;
  7. Download the latest version of the browser here;
  8. Reinstall Firefox.
Firefox Crashing Mac An alternative approach to deleting Firefox is to use one out of many third-party cleaning utilities that are available in Apple App Store. It has to be kept in mind, however, that such utilities might remove bookmarks and passwords.

You are using Firefox when all of a sudden a tab closes, and you are presented with the Gah. Your tab just crashed window.

If the disheartening window is an all too familiar sight for you, consider clearing the cache file. To clear the cache:

  1. Click on the Firefox Menu button;
  2. Select the Options tab;
  3. In the Privacy & Security tab, find the Cached Web Content section and click on the Clear Now button;

It is recommended to prevent the expansion of the cache file, which makes Firefox sluggish, by changing the browser settings to cleaning it automatically upon each closing. This can be done in seven simple steps:

  1. Click on the FirefoxMenu button and chose the Options tab;
  2. From the Privacy & Security tab navigate to the History section;
  3. Choose the Use custom settings for history option;
  4. Check the box next to Clear history when Firefox closes;
  5. Click on the Settings button;
  6. Check the box next to Cache and click on the OK button;
  7. Now close the window and you’re done!

We understand how frustrating it is when Firefox crashes (closes or quits unexpectedly). When Firefox crashes, the Mozilla Crash Reporter will allow you to submit a crash to us so we can continue making improvements to Firefox. Here are also some things to try to get Firefox up and running optimally.

Before getting started:
  • If the page stops working because part of the page has crashed or stopped responding, try reloading the page to see if that fixes the problem.
  • If Firefox is open but won't respond to any of your actions, then this is a hang, not a crash. See Firefox hangs or is not responding - How to fix for solutions.
  • If Firefox crashes at startup:
    1. Check to see if the crash happens in Safe Mode (see below).
    2. Try a clean reinstall (see Firefox keeps crashing at startup).

Otherwise, follow the steps below in order.

Table of Contents

  • 1Update your software
  • 3Check to see if the crash happens in Safe Mode
  • 4Check your hardware
  • 5Get help fixing this crash

The crash you're experiencing may have already been fixed in a new version!

Update Firefox

Every Firefox release includes a number of fixes for crashes that people have reported. Making sure you have the latest version may fix your crash. See Update Firefox to the latest release for details.

Update Windows

Make sure you have all of the latest security and stability fixes.

Update macOS

Make sure your Mac has all of the latest security and stability fixes.

Update Linux

Make sure you have all of the latest security and stability fixes.

Update your drivers

Check if your graphics drivers are up-to-date. For more info, see Upgrade your graphics drivers to use hardware acceleration and WebGL.

Firefox Keeps Crashing Pc

If your crash happens while printing, check that your printer driver is up-to-date by going to your printer manufacturer's support website.

Update your Internet Security software

Make sure you have the latest version of your Internet security software (including firewalls, antivirus programs, anti-spyware programs, and more).

A number of different viruses and spyware are known to crash Firefox. For more information, see Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.

If updating software didn't work or if Firefox crashes on startup, use the steps below to test whether the crash happens in Firefox Safe Mode or not and then follow the instructions in the recommended articles.

Note: The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its default state while saving your essential information. Consider using it before going through a lengthy troubleshooting process.
  1. Click the menu button , click Help, select Troubleshoot Mode… and click in the Restart Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode? dialog.
    Note: You can also start Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode by holding down the shift key while starting Firefox.holding down the option key while starting Firefox.quitting Firefox and then going to your Terminal and running: firefox -safe-mode
    You may need to specify the Firefox installation path (e.g. /usr/lib/firefox)
    Click the menu button , click Help, select Restart With Add-ons Disabled… and click in the Restart With Add-ons Disabled dialog.
    Note: You can also start Firefox in Safe Mode by holding down the shift key while starting Firefox.holding down the option key while starting Firefox.quitting Firefox and then going to your Terminal and running: firefox -safe-mode
    You may need to specify the Firefox installation path (e.g. /usr/lib/firefox)
  2. When the Firefox Safe Mode window appears, press the button .

After Firefox starts in Safe Mode, test for your problem.

The crash still happens in Safe Mode

If your crash still happens in Safe Mode, it is not being caused by an extension, theme or hardware acceleration. Try to get help with your crash ID (see below).

Firefox Crashing Problems

The crash doesn't happen in Safe Mode

Crashing

If your crash doesn't happen in Safe Mode, it is most likely because an extension, theme or hardware acceleration is causing the crash.

  • Follow the steps in Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems to determine the cause.

Check your RAM for errors

If Firefox crashes repeatedly, check your RAM for errors using for instance the following tool, Memtest86+Rember.

Figuring out the cause of a crash can be difficult. If you've tried the steps above and can't get Firefox to stop crashing, the instructions below will show you how to get the crash Report IDs for your most recent submitted crash reports, so our volunteers can help you.

If you can open Firefox, at least in Safe Mode:

  1. In the Firefox address bar, type about:crashes and hit EnterReturn. A page listing submitted crash reports (and unsubmitted crash reports, if any) will appear.
    • If you have recent, unsubmitted crash reports: Click the button for each recent unsubmitted report and then reload the about:crashes page.Right-clickHold down the control key while you click on the latest unsubmitted crash report under Report ID, choose Open Link in New Tab so that the report can be processed, then go back to the about:crashes page.
  2. You should copy the Report IDs for submitted crash reports (they start with bp-) to your support question in the Community Support forum.
Note: If you can't open Firefox because it crashes at startup even in Safe Mode, use these alternative instructions to locate Report IDs:
  1. Click the Windows button and select Run…Press + R on the keyboard. Type in '%APPDATA%MozillaFirefoxCrash Reportssubmitted' (including the quotation marks) and click .Click the Finder icon in the dock. On the menu bar, click the Go menu, hold down the option or alt key and select Library. A window will open containing your Library folder. Then open the 'Application Support' folder, the 'Firefox' folder, the 'Crash Reports' folder and finally the 'submitted' folder.Go to ~/.mozilla/firefox/Crash Reports/submitted.
  2. In the resulting folder, there will be a text file for each crash report you have submitted. Using the View menu, arrange them by date to find out which is the newest file; and double-click on it to open it.

Ask for help in the Community Support forum

  1. Click this link to ask for help with your crash.
    Note: This link is only valid for getting help with Firefox crashes. To get help with other problems, see Get community support.
    • You may need to create an account or log in to your existing account during the 'ask a question' process.
  2. Fill out the Details section of the next page with as much information you have about the crash. Include any of the steps you completed above, like updating Firefox or testing for the crash in safe mode.
  3. Copy the long Report ID number you've got above for the latest crashes (bp-…) and paste it into the 'Details' section.
  4. Finally, click the button.
    We know that providing all this information is time consuming but it will make it much easier for our volunteers to help you.


Based on information from Firefox crashes (mozillaZine KB)