Posted on 11/21/2012 7:40:12 PM PST by One Name
Switched back to Mozilla Firefox before the election as IE was giving me fits. Everything was great for awhile but now FF fades every 20 keystrokes or so and I have to click to resume typing.
Old Dell computer on XP with DSL hookup
No tech I.
Get a Mac.
I'm not sure what you mean here.
> FF fades every 20 keystrokes or so and I have to click to
> resume typing.
I’m a tech, and I don’t understand what this means.
Firefox is my primary browser, but I also have Google Chrome.
I have never used Explorer.
There is no problem having Chrome as a secondary browser...Try it.
Make sure that you have the latest Firefox updates, or just reload it.
Which version of FF?
==
You might try re-installing it.
And, have you rebooted recently? If not, try rebooting.
Top bar fades from dark blue bar to light blue and I can no longer enter text until I click the mouse again.
Was the latest will try again.
Goes out of text entry mode. Top bar fades to light blue. Thks
Firefox has been suffering from feature creep for years, causing it to become as slow and bloated as IE.
I recommend trying Chrome. It performers much faster and is more stable.
Of course there is that whole Google thing. Do you trust a product made by Google? If you can get over that issue, it’s worth a try.
Not a tech, but...
I am running the same setup you are XP (sp3) on an old Dell 4550, cable modem, and Firefox.
I have had very few problems with Firefox. The ones I did have were:
* A compatibility issue with some AVG plug-ins
* A compatibility issue with Google Chrome when I tried installing Chrome.
My Explorer doesnt work (tried updates, reloading, etc - nothing. But that’s okay b/c I prefer Firefox anyway.
I don’t think your problem is with the browser, necessarily.
Go to Pull Down Menu, select Help and then select “Trouble Shooting”, then on right hand side, select button “Reset FF to its default state”. Close FF and relaunch. See if that works.
Check your extensions and plugins. Disable all that are suspect, If problem disappears, re-enable one at a time till you find the one not playing nice.
I ditched FF and IE Explorer a long time ago and run nothing but Chrome on all my machines, laptops and towers, all different makes and OS from XP to a new W8. Never had a problem except with one of the machines that was just plain old and under/at the min requirements. Chrome is what I recommend to everyone...don’t work with macs, but I hear it is equally good. If you are running AOL it can cause problems with your second browaer for sure...and it doesn’t seem to like RealPlayer. A lot of older systems run AOL; maybe even don’t kow it’s still there, but you can scrap AOL unless you like HuffPo for some reason and keep your old screen name now, signing on thru chrome.
> Top bar fades from dark blue bar to light blue
I’m sorry, I don’t know what this means.
Questions:
1. What operating system?
2. What version of FireFox?
Reading through this, it sounds as if your system is losing the focus in the active window or tab that Firefox is in. What else is running? How many windows do you have open? Can you re-find the active window with the Alt/Tab key?
Thanks. Running Chrome on daughters laptop, had it on wife’s laptop for a while. This computer is just getting old, I fear.
Windows XP
Latest free version of FF on 10/29/2012. Thanks
Concerning “Chrome” ...
I don’t trust google. I use an anonymous search engine (ixquick).
Maybe I’m paranoid, but I suspect google products of being elaborate phishing expeditions.
Don’t trust Apple either. Believe it or not, I trust Microsoft more, though I trust Linux the most.
FireFox works for me. Gets along fine with all my other apps. Oh, and I don’t use anybody’s “tool bars”. If they’re not phishing expeditions, they’re bloatware. Total cruft. If I want something, I’ll ask for it, thank you, I don’t want anybody second-guessing my keystrokes.
TChad’s (reply 18 above) suggestion is a good one.
Run FF in safe mode.
Also, kill all your other apps, in case one of them is interfering by stealing focus.
Thank you FRiend- that appears to have done it.
Don’t know what I did but that’s all it took. THANKS!
Usually that means that firefox memory usage has gone very high, probably due to a memory leak from one of your addons/plugins and you should restart firefox fairly frequently to get around this. You could try using something like Memory Restart to inform you when memory usage has gone too high and restart firefox. I’ve turned off the automatic restart option, and just use it to inform me of the memory usage.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/memory-restart/?src=userprofile
Good luck!
Thank you all so much for responding- TChad got it in post 18.
You all are great!
Got it solved for tonight but need to update this box soon. Thanks! God Bless!
“I don’t trust google. I use an anonymous search engine (ixquick).”
I hear you. But when I stripped everything out, even the oldies ran much better, loaded faster and smoother performance all around.
I run it at home too...maybe I’m a little less cautious than I ought to be...
You're welcome. Did you find the add-on that caused the problem?
What do you mean when you say that it “fades”?
Ah, you mean for some reason the app that is open somehow is no longer the active one? (on top)
yes, that is strange
Top bar fades from dark blue to light blue and goes out of text entry mode.
TChad solved it in post 18- thanks for checkin’!
No, but I went a lot of places in the last 2 weeks or so and don’t remember consciously agreeing to anything.
Thanks again for your rapid response. God Bless you and your family this Thanksgiving!
Ya it was like a tranny jumping out of gear (out of text-entry mode) whenever it wanted to. Problem solved, though- Thanks FRiend!
Get a MAC...
Got an I-phone a year and a half ago- got a foot in both worlds.
Good friend in the video-chopping industry (Rightchange.com)
left apple for good when it comes to puttin out the message...
Just be careful how you structure a sentence around the world “tranny”. lol.
You had to go there! LOL.
Trust me, the only gears I ever slipped in a tranny were purely metallic and not connected to my body!
lol
Several issues can make your computer run slow.
I have used this Dell Optiplex GX110 for years.
Factors affecting operational speed:
(1) CPU speed (this is 1000 Khz)
(2) Memory (this has 500 MB RAM, doubling it would help)
(3) Percentage of drive capacity used (this less than 50% full)
(4) Windows updating (turn off automatic updates, let it notify, but select updating when not using it for other tasks)
(5) Amount of unneeded Temporary Internet Files (keep purging these regularly)
(6) Malware (purge these files regularly with SpyBlaster, Spybot S&D, and Malware Bytes)
(7) Registry control (Run Easy Cleaner regularly)
(8) Disk fragmentation (Defragment regularly)
(9) Scanning by Antivirus (Limit this to off-use hours)
(10) Resident programs loaded at startup (minimize to acceptable level)
(11) Performance of graphics processor (get fast GPU card w/ enough RAM rather than onboard processor)
(12) Data transfer (ensure best quality of NIC card; esp if wireless, make sure card channel not the same as 2.4 GHz telephone channel)
(13) Open only one browser at a time, minimize other concurrently running applications)
(14) FF and Chrome (may be fast, but are not recommended for secure operation. IE always the most secure)
(15) OS (Ubuntu a good, much faster linkup than Windows, esp for older, slower computers. Runs FF and Chrome browsers; can have Windows and Linux on the same machine)
(16) If you have another user online with you, data rate will be divided between the, hence both slower.
(17) Hard disk RPM (old PATA 5400 RPM, esp in laptop is slower than 7200 RPM; SATA faster than PATA drives)
I use Chrome for Free Republic and other blogs that are not so sensitive to security. Although I have several computers online (desktop & laptops) I have been using this old computer for about 7 years, and it was second-hand and "slow" even then. It's slower, but rock-steady in performance under XP Pro. And Dell desktops have been very quiet in fan operation, less tiring for the regular operator.
Maintaining best speeds always involves regular file housekeeping of the system. Don't rely on "we'll do it for you" products that also slow you down if they are always resident and running. One of the biggest slowers are the antivirus programs, unfortunate but necessary.
Is your XP on your Dell a Dell-provided OEM version with Dell-provided hardware updates, or is it just a generic version? Dell's version might be a little better.
Actually, if you are maintaining it well, it should not be any slower now than it was when you bought it. The three biggest factors for a laptop are:
o More RAM
o Offload rarely or unneeded files to CD or DVD disks
o Replace hard drive with faster RPM/larger capacity drive
Ciao --
Try another browser (Chrome maybe). It sounds more like your computer is having problems - typing in a box in the browser is akin to typing in a Word Document on your computer.
“I don’t trust google.”
“Maybe I’m paranoid, but I suspect google products of being elaborate phishing expeditions.”
“Don’t trust Apple either. “
I understand where you are coming from. I finally decided it wasn’t worth the trouble of avoiding google since my ISP would turn over any information anyone wanted. So, I use gmail, blogger, google documents, and so on. They’re free, work well, and I ignore the adds.
I do try to foil apple and google as much as possible. I have an extension called “ghostery” that allows me to block tracking scripts. It is amazing how many sites have extensive tracking scripts running. If interested, install it and check out sites lick Drudge, CNN, ESPN. Some sites will have 20 tracking scripts running.
On my mac, I use “Little Snitch” to block a lot of outgoing traffic directed to apple.
Then there is the whole issue of the NSA. They probably capture everything that travels through the web.
I love Ghostery - have it running now - heard about it one one of these techie question threads. I’ve been on sites that have over 40 tracking scripts - that’s crazy!
(I ran Chrome on an older computer, that computer blew up and I’m using Chrome on the new one too - streamline, simple and the easy access task manager window for killing hung-up programs is great)
Wow, thanks for the tips.
Is there a way for these snoopy tools to prevent the spy scripts from gathering info?
We might have been able to protect our privacy in the past, but now it appears that, “Resistance is futile.”
Ghostery vs. Do Not Track Plus
http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/248582/how-kill-web-trackers-dead?page=0,0
“Is there a way for these snoopy tools to prevent the spy scripts from gathering info?”
Ghostery gives you the option to block the script.
Be warned that this may break some web sites that need cookies.
You can always allow the script while you need it and then reblock it as needed.
“Ghostery vs. Do Not Track Plus”
Pretty cool.
Good to have another tool in the arsenal.
> You can always allow the script while you need it and then
> reblock it as needed.
Very cool, indeed.
Thanks for the help!
Another cool plug-in/extension is called “Flash Block”.
Instead of loading flash player downloads, it puts a play symbol in their place. If you want to see the flash object/movie, push play, else, it is never downloaded.
This could help speed up load times on slow pc’s.
It sure as hell makes some annoying web sites more tolerable.
> Another cool plug-in/extension is called “Flash Block”.
Excellent suggestion!
I’m on DSL, so it’s a pain when I try to load a web site that has flash advertising. The commercial is bad enough, but that it slows the loading to a crawl is even worse.
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