Firefox memory leak...sort of

Started having an issue with Firefox just a couple of days ago.

Firefox will start fine. And it will run fine for a while. Then after 10 - 15 minutes, it will begin to eat up memory. A lot of memory. Once it hits 1.5 - 2 GB, Firefox will slow to a crawl. Do anything in Firefox now and you'll get the "program not responding" prompt. Waiting for it does nothing. Ending the program does work and I do gain all that memory back afterward...so not a true memory leak. If I try to recover the program from the prompt, it will recover after about 5 seconds, but then it continues to eat up memory in addition to what it already has. Oh, and my CPU usage jumps to 20% or more once it starts eating memory.

Remedies I've tried:

-uninstalling/clean installing Firefox, both current version, previous version, and waterfox.
-Firefox safe mode
-disable hardware acceleration both in Firefox and flash player
-disable antivirus
-Removed all add ons
-Reinstalled flash player, both current version and previous version
-deleted and crested a new profile

I am at a loss what could be causing this. It had only presented itself a few days ago and I hadn't installed or changed anything prior to this.

Abby suggestions?

(And if you say RAM management... I AM GOING TO HURT YOU!!!!! ​

 

Try Pale Moon instead...I've given up on FF quite some time ago, and I was using it for years upon years upon years...

Good luck.

 

Install MalwareBytes, (Free Version). The fact that the CPU is jumping says something is running in the background. Bring up Task Manager. Make sure you have Internet Explorer closed. See if the IE command or even a MSIE command is running. That is an indication that something is running. When you install MalwareBytes; uncheck the box that say "Enable Trial Version Pro)
Also, if you running Norton; disable it. I have seen Norton's executable file leak memory because it becomes unstable. Hoe this helps.

 

Every little bit help.

I ran Anti-malwarebytes last night. It didn't detect anything in real-time protection or during the scan. I don't use IE (EVER!), so I know it is not a factor, and I did check task manager. CPU and memory usage were always thru Firefox.

 

I guess they've messed-up something huge way, because I have the very same issues. It barely handles 24 hours without going at least once in not responding state I miss 3.16 - hundreds of tabs, weeks up-time and around 2GB RAM AT MOST! Now it gets there for around a day, and once it gets to 3.5GB it just crashes.

Thanks for the recommendation, ajkula66, I'll give it a go, especially since it has x64 version.

 

Very odd. I do not have that problem with latest version of FF.

Did you look here for some additional help?:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-uses-too-much-memory-ram

 

I did send my crash report to Firefox...they said it was an "anomalous issue", whatever that means.

But you know me. I don't stop. Push push push push push until I get the truth (or whatever else I want). I did find out what it was.

Freakin' Dolphin Connect.

The ONE thing I didn't want it to be! Once you link Dolphin Connect, it saves something in your Firefox profile. And even in safe mode with all add-ons disabled, it tries to sync with the Dolphin Connect servers. The issue is on Dolphin's end. Damn they'd better fix this real quick like.

But thank you AJ. I did end up installing Pale Moon - 64 bit. Seems to work a whole lot better than the standard Firefox. I will put it thru it's paces and see how well it can survive.

 

I have used FF for years and years also. But the only issue I have is that YouTube (and Flash in general), sucks. Constant skipping and pausing, but flawless in Chrome. Just I am so used to FF and how it operates it's hard to switch browsers. I hate IE even to this day. My biggest draw to FF actually is how well Ad-block Plus and Ghostery works with FF. Just not the same with Chrome, and a far cry with IE.

 

had the same issue for the last few weeks. at least once a day it will hang with not responding.
it seems to be mainly when ive gone onto facebook so it could well be one of their crafty profile changes without telling the end user.
ive not checked any usage in the background but will check it out tonight.
think its only started for me on FF 30 but that release was about the same time FB changed their profile/account/terms.
the only thing ive noticed a difference on FB is the auto play of loaded video's though.

 

Pale Moon so far has a C- grade. It tends to get bogged down when I have a lot of windows (I don't use tabs) open. And flash videos do stutter insufferably. But it's still relatively fast and unlike Firefox...it doesn't crash!!!

 

hmm...I have FF30 with various plugins but don't seem to have the problems other mentioned?? I would be also good background if reporting FF memory leaks they also list the Plugins/Addons they have installed as those might also be leading to the memory leaks as well. So don't always blame the Browser unless one can discount the leaks aren't coming from the plugins as well. And if it is a clean FF no Plugins/Addons and still leaks then the problem should be documented and report to FF programmers to fix the problem-Just talking on here doesn't really fix the FF memory leak if it is from FF but only informs users of FF on here but as to actual fix will have to come from FF developers themselves if the reports are documented and send to them to have a fix for.

 

I investigated and discovered is was my Dolphin Connect plugin. But I plan to keep Pale Moon for awhile anyway.

 

A bit more than 24 hours with 64bit Pale Moon. I've used their tool to completely copy my profile. Everything works as intended - addons, passwords, history and etc - my entire account is up and running. As for how the browser behaves - so far 1.9GB, smooth scrolling, no hiccups or what-so-ever. Pretty satisfied. For comparison FF30 would already have been WAY past the 2GB mark (for a day up-time that is) and the performance would've been terrible.

 

So what addons and plugs are you using then? I have FF30 running for a day with 11 tabs opened and never get close 500Meg of memory usage....obviously something is seriously flawed in your FF customization-I don't get anywhere close to your numbers.