Firefox Firefox 
Last updated: 04/12/2021 
30% of users voted this helpful
What good is that super fast Internet connection when your browser is running at dial-up speed? This article will point you in the right direction to track down and fix the problem. Of course, if you need extra help with any of this, we have a community of volunteers standing by.
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.
Table of Contents
- 1 Update Firefox
- 2 Update your video drivers
- 3 High hardware resource usage
- 4 Firefox hangs or stops responding
- 5 I get a Warning Unresponsive script error
- 6 Firefox takes a long time to start up
- 7 Check if you have malware on your computer
- 8 Optimize Windows
- 9 Block unneeded content
- 10 This didn't solve my problem. What do I do now?
We're constantly improving Firefox. The latest version is faster than ever before and contains fixes for many problems that could slow down your Firefox. See Update Firefox to the latest release to learn how to update.
Having outdated drivers might slow down performance. See your manufacturer's instructions on how to update your video drivers.
If a monitoring tool shows you high hardware resource usage, try the suggestions in the Firefox uses too much memory or CPU resources - How to fix article.
If Firefox freezes and gives you the spinning wheel and turns whitegives you the spinning beach ballturns gray, try the Firefox hangs or is not responding - How to fix article.
“Unresponsive script error”? What does that even mean? We've got an article about that called, believe it or not, Warning Unresponsive script - What it means and how to fix it that will help clear things up.
Try the suggestions in the Firefox takes a long time to start up article.
To resolve slowness problems not specifically mentioned above, you should scan your computer for viruses, spyware, and other malware and read Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware.
Speed up Windows and make your computer work better. See Speed up your computer at microsoft.com. See Speed up your computer and Optimize Windows 7 for better performance at microsoft.com.See Tips to improve PC performance in Windows 10 at microsoft.com.
Content you don't need such as ads or tracking scripts can significantly slow down page loading. Firefox's built-in content-blocking feature can make the pages load faster by preventing third-party trackers from loading. See Enhanced Tracking Protection in Firefox for desktop for details.
There are also Firefox add-ons that can block content you don't need, such as:
- The Disconnect add-on blocks invisible webpage parts that track you online.
- The uBlock Origin add-on blocks ads, trackers and other unneeded content while using less memory and CPU resources than other adblockers.
- The NoScript add-on allows you to selectively enable and disable all scripts running on websites.
Please reach out to the add-on developer directly, if you need help with a specific add-on.
Sometimes tracking down the source of these kinds of problems is difficult. We have a community of volunteers ready to help you figure it out. See Get community support.
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