'Mozilla Firefox Uses Too Much Memory' Issue

The 'Mozilla Firefox Uses Too Much Memory or CPU Resources' issue may or may not impact performance and is a typical symptom of a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP), such as browser hijackers, adware and unwanted extensions. Besides software-related issues, it also can be due to an out-of-date browser or inappropriate settings. Users should always resolve these memory issues as soon as possible for optimizing Firefox's performance and stability.

When All the Memory a Browser Wants is Too Much

For systems with restricted memory considerations, such as laptops and smartphones, particularly, a 'Mozilla Firefox Uses Too Much Memory or CPU Resources' issue can be a significant performance problem. Although too much RAM usage is a possible unwanted software symptom, it also might be a simple settings issue. Firefox users running into this problem repeatedly should run through easier to more complex troubleshooting solutions, as appropriate.

Always remain aware of the add-ons that a browser runs. Firefox includes a shortcut combination (Ctrl + Shift + A) that opens the add-ons menu. Extensions, themes, and plugins are available; users can disable potentially-memory-hogging add-ons one-by-one or uninstall them. Malware experts especially recommend against using 'search optimization' tools, add-ons that change the homepage and add-ons that promote advertisements heavily.

All users also should stay abreast of software updates for Firefox and other applications. The 'About Firefox' menu, inside of 'Help,' offers details on the version number and whether the installation is up-to-date. Generally, patches will improve security and performance and remove bugs with multiple adverse side effects.

Users also may benefit from using the Safe Mode feature for Windows, which restricts which programs can run. To load it, tap F8 while rebooting until the menu appears and choose Safe Mode, either with or without networking.

Other Ways of Squeezing the Memory Pipe Shut

Users still having a 'Mozilla Firefox Uses Too Much Memory or CPU Resources' issue can test changing various settings without any risk to their browsers. However, before making any extensive changes to Firefox, try disabling all add-ons and reverting to the default theme. Advanced themes may provide aesthetic features at the expense of performance.

Opening tabs is one of the easiest ways of causing Firefox to use more memory than is desirable. However, there is an alternative to closing tabs: changing the content process limit. This setting determines how many processes Firefox uses for handling multiple tabs. A lower number, such as one, reduces the browser's memory usage.

Not all of Firefox's settings are available in the user-friendly UI. Sometimes, experts connect the 'browser.tabs.remote.autostart' feature to memory overload. Users may disable it by entering the 'about:config' command into the Firefox address bar and changing the feature's value from 'true' to 'false.'

Although it's not the most common cause, a 'Mozilla Firefox Uses Too Much Memory or CPU Resources' issue also might be due to the features of corrupted browser-hijackers, banking Trojans and other threats. Users should consider scanning their systems with security software for any scenarios where Firefox's memory usage remains excessive or unpredictable.

Usually, a 'Mozilla Firefox Uses Too Much Memory or CPU Resources' issue is not a significant security concern, but users should resolve it as fast as possible and with appropriate security services when it is.