The internet plays a vital role in modern times. The data on the internet grows every second, and a browser is one of the ways to access the data. Mozilla Firefox is one of the browsers that support access to the internet.
These web browsers are used in nearly all devices capable of using the internet, like tablets, mobile phones, etc. The web browsers take the request from users, collect the data according to the request, and then display the data on the user’s device. The web browser takes the user input in the form of a U(uniform), R(resource) L(locator) and then sends the request to access the page to the server, and then the request is then reverted by the server and user can access the data, they required. Nearly all web browsers use cache to improve the loading time of the pages the user is revisiting. These caches store various data like images and even credentials you used when you visited it for the first time. These web browsers also malfunction sometimes and need troubleshooting. After a brief knowledge about the web browser, let us discuss Mozilla Firefox.
Mozilla Firefox
It is an open-source and free browser available in the late versions of windows, beginning from Windows 7, macOS, and Linux. But there are unofficial ways to access other operating systems not officially supported by the browser. Mozilla Firefox, in its prime, dominated Internet Explorer, which was then dominating among the web browsers. It was famous for its speed and security and the add-on feature that was then better than the same features of Internet Explorer. Currently, the stats state that Firefox happens to be the fourth most used browser after Google Chrome is on the most used, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
Fig. Link: https://gs.statcounter.com/download/ww-desktop-browser-apr-2016.png
You are given the privilege to customise your browser with the themes provided, or you may also download the same. It also has an add-on feature that allows users to add different applications to the website they are currently using. Suppose you said Grammarly is using this add-on feature. Then whatever you type on these websites will be assisted by Grammarly, and you will be notified of any grammatical or spelling mistakes even when the website itself does not have the feature. Something with so many features will also have its fair share of malfunctions. Let us now discuss some common malfunctions and ways to resolve them.
Malfunctions in Firefox
Firefox often starts crashing or putting high pressure on RAM, occupying a large amount of space. When the browser hits, the Mozilla Crash Reporter gets visible. This helps us report the issue to Mozilla, so they may help resolve it. There are ways mentioned in the dialogue box if you want to contact the company.
These technical details can help you if you want to add any additional information about the error that may be of any help. The more information you send, the less time it might take to resolve the issue. It is even better to let the company be aware of the page you were visiting, so the company can check if there is something on the page that might be the potential cause of the crash. Two options are provided to exit the dialogue box: restart and quit Firefox. If you choose the prior and the impact re-occurs, then one of the tabs that you had opened is the potential cause for the crash, then it is recommended to select the latter and start a new session, and the browser might stop crashing.
Use Safe Mode
You can re-launch the browser in safe mode if it stops working to check if any of the extensions you added are the reason for it. To launch the browser safely, you can press shift while opening or navigate to menu>>question mark >> disable Add-ons, then click on start in safe mode.
If the browser still crashes, it might not be the extension but any other setting or customisation you did. If you cannot pinpoint the issue, you can use your crash id to get some help. Locate the crash, open it in a new tab, wait for the process to end, and close the account. It should resolve your issue.
Fig. Link: https://www.top-password.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/firefox-menu-button.png
Reset Firefox
If the issue is not resolved even after you tried it all, resetting the browser can be very helpful. How can it be beneficial? The cache data is stored in a folder; sometimes, the issue can be in the folder. So, resetting the old folder would be replaced a fresh one, but you will still have all the history, bookmarks, and other vital saves. To reset the browser, navigate to the menu, select the question mark, and then click on the troubleshooting information option. Reinstall the previous extensions one at a time to check the faulty ones. If the browser crashes, you will know which extension is to blame. You can check all the themes in the same way.
Try the above-suggested ways to identify the issue responsible for crashes and try to resolve it. If this fails, the last solution you can resort to is reinstalling the browser.
