Firefox Mac Os X

1. Firefox Mac Os X Download
2. Mozilla Firefox For Mac Os X
3. Firefox Mac Os X 10.5

Mozilla's Firefox browser is known for its speed and a large collection of extensions that let you customize the experience to your heart's desire. But when Firefox is running slow, crashing, or not loading websites properly, it can be frustrating to figure out why. Follow our step-by-step guide to get your Firefox back to tip-top condition.

Download Firefox for Mac 71.0 DMG for Mac OS X 10.9 or later setup free. It is a complete offline setup of Firefox for Mac with a single click download link. The Firefox Web browsing experience is quick and free. Mozilla/5.0 is the general token that says the browser is Mozilla compatible, and is common to almost every browser today. Platform describes the native platform the browser is running on (e.g. Windows, Mac, Linux or Android), and whether or not it's a mobile phone. Firefox OS phones simply say ' Mobile '; the web is the platform. Hi, I've searched the internet but I can't find any solution! I'm using Mac OS X Version 10.7.5 13inch late 2008. I can't update to El Captain on the App Store and I'm worried that I can't browse the internet as all internet browsers I currently have (Safari, Chrome and Firefox) don't support my system anymore.

What are the most frequent problems with Firefox?

Overall, Firefox is a top-rated and highly reliable browser — good choice for both professional and everyday users. However, serving so many platforms on so many devices and screens, even the best of the best sometimes let us down. But worry not, in this how-to we've combined the most frequently occurring Firefox problems and written specific instructions on how to fix them.

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Why is Firefox so slow, hangs or keeps freezing?

Slow Firefox browsing experience is truthfully beyond annoying. It seems like it's almost working, but you can't get anything done.

Here we've listed some suggestions that should get your Firefox run faster.

1. Close inactive tabs

See how many tabs you have opened. More than a few? Active tabs mean active processes that take up your laptop's RAM and drastically slow down its capabilities. Just close the tabs you're not actively using. If they are important to remember, save them to bookmarks or stash them in a special 'Read Later' list in a to-do application such as 2Do.

2. Clear Firefox cookies and cache

All the websites you visit leave behind cached image files, which are supposed to speed up load times, and cookies, which can save you from having to log in over and over. Those are big conveniences if they work the way they're supposed to, but sometimes cache and cookies can cause glitches and slowdowns.

If Firefox is acting up, you can clear cookies and cache by doing the following:

• Click the Library button
• Choose History > Clear Recent History
• Change the time range to Everything
• Click the arrow next to the word Details
• Select Cache and Cookies
• Then click the Clear Now button

Alternatively, you can do this easier and safer with CleanMyMac. Just click Privacy in the sidebar and then choose Firefox from the list. Change the time range to Everything, and you can clear all of the cookies, browsing history, downloads history, tabs, saved passwords, and even autofill values.

3. Update Firefox and macOS

If closing tabs and clearing the cache didn't work, it's a good idea to update Firefox and macOS to its latest versions. When Firefox is active, just click on Firefox in the menu and select About Firefox. The latest available update should start downloading automatically. When it's ready, click Restart to Update Firefox and you are ready to go.

Updating macOS is easy too. Just launch the App Store on your Mac. Go to the Updates tab and wait till it shows you all the new software versions available. If you see new updates for macOS, click Update and follow the restart instructions.

4. See what consumes hardware resources

If the problem persists, check for high hardware resource usage. For basic information, you can use Mac's native Activity Monitor. However, to see the whole picture, get a pro-level app, such as iStat Menus. If you see Firefox using too much memory or CPU, you need to take some action.

Keep your Mac controlled with iStat Menus

Download a Mac app that cleverly monitors your CPU resources, battery, and anything that affects performance. Fix problems before they arise.

5. Troubleshoot plugins and extensions

When Firefox stops responding to your clicks it's very likely that one of your installed plugins is the culprit. To check for that, click the Menu button, and then choose Add-ons. In the Add-ons Manager's Plugins panel, you can select Never Activate for each plugin, then restart Firefox and see if the problem is still happening.

If the problem is gone, turn the plugins back on one by one, just changing that Never Activate option back to Always Activate. Restart Firefox each time and then try to recreate the error. Once the problem reappears, you'll know it was likely caused by the last plugin you re-enabled.

You can also remove a plugin with CleanMyMac's Extensions tab, which is actually a lot easier than using Firefox. In Firefox itself, you have to type about:plugins, then find the file path for that plugin and navigate to it in the Finder. Mozilla then recommends you change the filename to add an X in front, which will remove the plugin. You can reinstall a fresh copy of the plugin (from official sources only!), or just see if you can live without it.

To check your extensions in Firefox, go to about:add-ons, then click Extensions in the sidebar. You can disable extensions here, and then turn them back on one by one, in the same way you just checked your plugins. If you want to remove all your extensions and start fresh, you can click the Remove button or use the Extensions tab in CleanMyMac, which manages extensions, add-ons, and plugins from one place.

6. Stop loading Flash content

Preventing Flash content from loading automatically deserves a separate explanation. Some websites use way too much Flash content, and loading and playing all of that uses up your computer's resources, especially if you keep a lot of tabs open. Luckily, you can tell Firefox to stop loading Flash content by default, until you ask for it.

1. Click the Menu button and select Add-ons, or select Tools > Add-ons from your Mac's menu bar. (Or press Command-Shift-A, or type about:add-ons into the URL bar. It all takes you to the same place.)
2. In the Add-ons Manager, click Plugins in the sidebar, and then look for Shockwave Flash.
3. Change the dropdown from Always Activate to Ask to Activate. After that, websites will display an Activate Adobe Flash button in place of Flash content, and all you have to do is click that to allow Flash to display it.

Following the tips above should eliminate 90% of your Firefox problems. But if you're still experiencing troubles, there is more you can do. Read on.

Avoid Firefox crashing

Get Setapp to fix Firefox crashing issues. No more freezing or showing errors while loading content.

Mozilla Firefox crashes unexpectedly or won't open

Whether Firefox shows you an error message every time you try to launch the app or right when you're in the middle of a working session, there is only one way to fix that — reinstall the application.

The easiest way to reinstall Firefox is to quit it, delete the Firefox file from your Applications folder, and download the new version from the official Mozilla website. That will uninstall the application but keep all your user data intact, and when you reinstall a new copy, you bookmarks and passwords will still be there.

But that's not the best way to do it, since Firefox leaves all kinds of data on your hard drive besides the main application file. A better way is to use an application that's able to delete all Firefox information completely or simply reset the app, such as CleanMyMac.

To reset the Firefox browser app on mac:

1. Launch CleanMyMac
2. Go to the Uninstaller tab
3. Choose Firefox from the list
4. Choose Application reset and click Uninstall round button

There are rare cases when the 'Firefox quit unexpectedly' message could be caused by the Mac security update. This happens when your Mac's firewall used to recognize previous versions of Firefox but no longer trusts the new one. Follow official Mozilla documentation to fix this issue.

Firefox shows errors loading websites

So your Firefox is fast and doesn't randomly quit, but still doesn't seem to load websites. There are a few things that might cause this, so let's zero in on the problem by gradually excluding various perpetrators.

1. Check your network connection

Turn your modem off and on (helps in nearly all cases). Check that your network connection is performing up to standards by using WiFi analyzers, such as NetSpot and WiFi Explorer. As soon as you launch NetSpot, make sure it's set to Discover mode, and it will scan all nearby WiFi networks automatically. WiFi Explorer is just as easy — launch the app and click the play button to analyze the network quality around you.

2. Launch websites in other browsers

If your WiFi network seems to be fine, it's good to check whether the connection works in other browsers, like Safari or Chrome, just to make sure that the problem in fact is with Firefox specifically. Then, check the settings in your firewall by following the steps outlined by Mozilla.

3. Fix the proxy server issue

If upon loading the website you get the 'Proxy server is refusing connections' message, there is an easy fix for that.

1. Open Firefox > Menu > Options
2. In the Options, click Advanced and then Network
3. Choose Settings and then 'No proxy' and click OK
4. Restart Firefox and the problem should be fixed

4. Validate the security certificate

In case Firefox shows you that it has troubles validating some website's security certificate, it might be related to improperly set date and time on your system. Just make sure your timezone settings in System Preferences > Data & Time are configured correctly and Firefox should go back to validating the website certificate normally.

5. Flush DNS cache

Another option you can try is flushing the DNS cache, which acts as a temporary database, storing all sorts of connectivity logs and website access attempts.

1. Open up the Terminal utility
2. Type sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder;say DNS cache has been flushed
3. Press Enter and type your admin password when prompted
4. An alert a few moments later will inform you that the process is complete

Combine flushing the DNS cache with clearing out cache and cookies from Firefox, and restarting your Mac to get the best result.

6. Disable DNS prefetching

Firefox Mac Os X Download

If you are still experiencing troubles loading websites, it could be that DNS prefetching is at play. Usually Firefox tries to speed up loading new websites by using DNS prefetching, but it can also cause loading errors with some system configurations. To disable DNS prefetching:

1. In the address bar, type about:config and press Return. The about:config 'This might void your warranty!' warning page may appear. Click 'I accept the risk!' to continue.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key while you click on the list of preferences. Select New and then select Boolean.
3. In the 'Enter the preference name' field, enternetwork.dns.disablePrefetch and click OK.
4. Select True when prompted to set the value and click OK.

7. Scan your Mac for malware

The last step to try to fix the website loading issue is to check your system for malware. If you remember Firefox being haunted by ad pop-ups, toolbars you didn't install yourself, or a new default home page, you might have picked up some malware that's hijacking your browser sessions.

A simple malware tool for Setapp users is CleanMyMac Malware Removal tool. It's a free download, with a pro license for more active, real-time protection. The free product will however scan your Mac and safely remove any malware at no cost to you.

Firefox doesn't work as it should

When your Firefox is just generally behaving incorrectly, a few more tips might come in handy. Start with restarting your Mac, and then clear the cache and troubleshoot your plugins as described above.

1. Restart Firefox in Safe Mode

When clearing the cached data doesn't help, try restarting the browser in Safe Mode. This will temporarily turn off your extensions, as well as any extra themes and toolbars, and hardware acceleration. The easiest way to do this is to quit Firefox and restart it holding down your Mac's Option key.

If the problem you were having magically goes away in Safe Mode, then you can proceed to check your extensions, themes, and anything else you've added to Firefox. If you're still having the problem in Safe Mode, that's a sign you might need to just trash your copy of Firefox and start over with a fresh install.

2. Refresh Firefox

There is another clever feature inside Firefox that clears out your extensions and themes, plus resets all the preferences to default, but keeps your personal information intact, including bookmarks, history, open tabs and windows, saved passwords, autofill info, and even cookies.

• Open Firefox, and type about:support in the URL bar, which takes you to the Troubleshooting Information page
• You'll find a lot of information about your browser installation, as well as a big friendly Refresh Firefox button at the top-right
• You can also get to Safe Mode this way, by clicking the button that says Restart with Add-ons Disabled

3. Create a new Firefox profile

For times, when neither options fixed the problem, try creating a fresh Firefox profile, which won't have any of your bookmarks, passwords, and user preferences, but might get rid of the problem.

• Open the Terminal utility
• Type in /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -P
• Press Enter and the Profile Manager window should open
• Click Create Profile… then Next and enter the name for the profile
• Press Done

4. Turn off hardware acceleration

In cases when Safe Mode seemed to fix the problem but checking plugins didn't bring any result, the problem may hide in hardware acceleration, which is off by default in Safe Mode. Here's how to turn it off in the regular mode too:

• Open Firefox > Preferences
• In the General panel, scroll down to the Performance section and uncheck the box labeled 'Use recommended performance settings'
• Uncheck another box named 'Use hardware acceleration when available'
• Then quit and restart Firefox

There you go. About a dozens of apparent and not-so-apparent tips should bring your Firefox to the best shape possible. And even if you don't experience many troubles with Firefox, following some tips above would help you optimize its speed and responsiveness. Best of all, you don't need a lot of third-party tool to perform a thorough checkup, and all the tools you need are easily available on Setapp.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Sign Up

Firefox continues to impress reviewers and experts, who point out the browsers' efficiency, attention to detail, and impressive privacy options. That said, Firefox, just like every other browser, can experience a range of issues, from slow browsing all the way to regular crashes and everything in between.

Today we want to highlight the most common Firefox problems and provide you with simple fixes that anyone can use to get Firefox back to its best.

Firefox Slow & Freezes

A fox should not be slow, and fire should not freeze. So when Firefox is lagging and hanging, frustration sets in pretty quickly. Force quit is the go-to move, but that is a temporary relief that won't solve an underlying Firefox issue.

Before we get to some specific solutions, make sure you've followed these basic principles:

Close unnecessary tabs and windows – Because each one, even if not being used, will take up system resources and slow your Mac down. Bookmark what you don't need to come back to later.

Update Firefox – Updates contain bug fixes and performance improvements.

Recognize your Mac is getting old – Have you had your Mac for several years? Is everything slow, not just Firefox? Sometimes you have to acknowledge when age has caught up with it.

Now it's time to go over some specific solutions to help Firefox problems on Mac. These will help even if your Mac is an old-timer.

Clean up Firefox (and your macOS)

If Firefox keeps freezing or is just generally sluggish, it could be the result of a browser that has too much history, cache, and other 'temporary' files clinging to the ankles of your once mighty Fox. Luckily, getting rid of this extra burden is simple. Even if it doesn't completely fix your browser speed, it will still be great for your system.

To manually clear your search history, Firefox caches and other unneeded browser files:

1. Navigate to History > Clear Recent History
2. Click on Details to reveal the full list
3. Check what you want to remove
4. Make sure 'Time range' is set to Everything
5. Click Clear Now

Another way to speed up Firefox along and your macOS, in general, is to use CleanMyMac X. In a couple of quick clicks the app will find and, with your approval, remove unneeded system files from all over your macOS - including your Firefox cache and browser history.

To clean up Firefox caches, and other browser junk the easy way:

1. Download CleanMyMac X for free and run it
2. Select System Junk tab
3. Click Scan
4. Click Clean

Firefox Crashing

Free game emulators for mac. Foxes are elegant and agile creatures, which is to say that when there is an obstacle, they should evade it smoothly, not crash into the thing.

When Firefox doesn't load or crashes, this makes us incredibly sad. Thankfully, we have some solutions to get Firefox back on its feet.

Identify problematic Firefox add-ons

In a terrible murder mystery, the cliché is that 'the butler did it.' Well, when Firefox is crashing regularly, it's tempting to say 'the add-on did it.'

Plugins and extensions add so much to our browser experience, but they are also a common cause of problems. To start with, make sure each extension and plugin is up-to-date. Firefox even has an official plugin checker.

If everything checks out but Firefox keeps crashing, we recommend running it in Safe Mode. This will load Firefox without any add-ons.

To start Firefox in Safe Mode:

1. Click the Firefox menu button
2. Click Help
3. Select Restart with Add-ons Disabled

You can also launch Firefox while holding the Shift key to start in Safe Mode.

If the crashes go away in Firefox Safe Mode, then you know the butler add-on did it.

So we know that an add-on is causing the crashes, now what?

You should disable all your ad-ons and turn them back on one at a time. This way you can methodically find the guilty add-on.

To manage your Firefox add-ons follow these steps:

1. Click the Firefox menu button
2. Select Add-ons > Extensions or Appearance
3. Disable or enable as you like
4. Restart Firefox

Firefox crashes on startup

Uh-oh. Firefox won't even start?

Don't worry; it may seem like 'the worst thing that could have ever happened to anyone' but the solution is often easier than you'd expect. Begin by holding the Shift key when launching Firefox to start in Safe Mode.

If this works then chances are you have a dodgy extension. Follow the steps from Identify problematic Firefox add-ons.

However, if Safe Mode isn't working either, you're going to have to uninstall and reinstall Firefox.

To manually reinstall Firefox:

1. Make sure the application is closed
2. Drag the application to your Trash
3. Empty your Trash
4. Download the latest version of Firefox for Mac
5. Install Firefox

This will repair Firefox will keeping your profile including bookmarks and settings.

An easier and safer option is to use CleanMyMac's Uninstaller to repair Firefox with a reset:

1. Launch CleanMyMac and click on Uninstaller
2. Click on Mozilla Firefox
3. Click on a small arrow next to Firefox icon
4. Click Application Reset

Firefox not loading pages

You had one job, Firefox!

When web pages don't open, it's more than a little annoying, considering that's the main task of a browser. But let's not jump to conclusions, maybe Firefox isn't to blame.

The first step is to open a new tab and try other sites. If they aren't loading either, the second step would be to try another browser like Safari and see if the web pages load there.

If they do then the problem is with Firefox.

Let's Firefix it!

Mozilla Firefox For Mac Os X

Proxy problems

If you're using a proxy server to browse the web, it could be the problem that's stopping Firefox from loading pages. It's easy to check, simply follow these steps:

1. Click on the Firefox menu
2. Navigate to Options > Advanced > Network
3. Click on Settings under Connection
4. Select No Proxy
5. Close options and reload web pages

Clear cookies and cache

In Clean up Firefox (and your MacOS) we covered how to clear your cache and once again it could be the solution to your Firefox problem. Also, this time we suggest also cleaning Cookies, whether using the manual methods or the easier CleanMyMac methods.

Firefox setup tips

We wanted to share a few tips to help you get even more out of your Firefox experience.

Keep your privacy intact

Firefox Mac Os X 10.5

If you go to Preferences > Privacy > History you can use 'Custom settings for history' from the dropdown. Now you can personally decide exactly what Firefox remembers. How to convert avi files on mac.

Ask for permission

We've talked a lot about the problems with add-ons. A great tip is to navigate to Tools > Add-ons and from the dropdown next to each add-on, select 'ask to activate'. Some people won't like the extra step; others will love knowing exactly what their add-ons are up to.

Monitor Mozilla

If your Firefox performance is important, you could try turning on Enable Firefox Health Report by going to Option > Advanced > Data Choices. Now when you click Learn More you will see an overview of your browser's stability and performance.

Alternatively, you can do this easier and safer with CleanMyMac. Just click Privacy in the sidebar and then choose Firefox from the list. Change the time range to Everything, and you can clear all of the cookies, browsing history, downloads history, tabs, saved passwords, and even autofill values.

3. Update Firefox and macOS

If closing tabs and clearing the cache didn't work, it's a good idea to update Firefox and macOS to its latest versions. When Firefox is active, just click on Firefox in the menu and select About Firefox. The latest available update should start downloading automatically. When it's ready, click Restart to Update Firefox and you are ready to go.

Updating macOS is easy too. Just launch the App Store on your Mac. Go to the Updates tab and wait till it shows you all the new software versions available. If you see new updates for macOS, click Update and follow the restart instructions.

4. See what consumes hardware resources

If the problem persists, check for high hardware resource usage. For basic information, you can use Mac's native Activity Monitor. However, to see the whole picture, get a pro-level app, such as iStat Menus. If you see Firefox using too much memory or CPU, you need to take some action.

Keep your Mac controlled with iStat Menus

Download a Mac app that cleverly monitors your CPU resources, battery, and anything that affects performance. Fix problems before they arise.

5. Troubleshoot plugins and extensions

When Firefox stops responding to your clicks it's very likely that one of your installed plugins is the culprit. To check for that, click the Menu button, and then choose Add-ons. In the Add-ons Manager's Plugins panel, you can select Never Activate for each plugin, then restart Firefox and see if the problem is still happening.

If the problem is gone, turn the plugins back on one by one, just changing that Never Activate option back to Always Activate. Restart Firefox each time and then try to recreate the error. Once the problem reappears, you'll know it was likely caused by the last plugin you re-enabled.

You can also remove a plugin with CleanMyMac's Extensions tab, which is actually a lot easier than using Firefox. In Firefox itself, you have to type about:plugins, then find the file path for that plugin and navigate to it in the Finder. Mozilla then recommends you change the filename to add an X in front, which will remove the plugin. You can reinstall a fresh copy of the plugin (from official sources only!), or just see if you can live without it.

To check your extensions in Firefox, go to about:add-ons, then click Extensions in the sidebar. You can disable extensions here, and then turn them back on one by one, in the same way you just checked your plugins. If you want to remove all your extensions and start fresh, you can click the Remove button or use the Extensions tab in CleanMyMac, which manages extensions, add-ons, and plugins from one place.

6. Stop loading Flash content

Preventing Flash content from loading automatically deserves a separate explanation. Some websites use way too much Flash content, and loading and playing all of that uses up your computer's resources, especially if you keep a lot of tabs open. Luckily, you can tell Firefox to stop loading Flash content by default, until you ask for it.

1. Click the Menu button and select Add-ons, or select Tools > Add-ons from your Mac's menu bar. (Or press Command-Shift-A, or type about:add-ons into the URL bar. It all takes you to the same place.)
2. In the Add-ons Manager, click Plugins in the sidebar, and then look for Shockwave Flash.
3. Change the dropdown from Always Activate to Ask to Activate. After that, websites will display an Activate Adobe Flash button in place of Flash content, and all you have to do is click that to allow Flash to display it.

Following the tips above should eliminate 90% of your Firefox problems. But if you're still experiencing troubles, there is more you can do. Read on.

Avoid Firefox crashing

Get Setapp to fix Firefox crashing issues. No more freezing or showing errors while loading content.

Mozilla Firefox crashes unexpectedly or won't open

Whether Firefox shows you an error message every time you try to launch the app or right when you're in the middle of a working session, there is only one way to fix that — reinstall the application.

The easiest way to reinstall Firefox is to quit it, delete the Firefox file from your Applications folder, and download the new version from the official Mozilla website. That will uninstall the application but keep all your user data intact, and when you reinstall a new copy, you bookmarks and passwords will still be there.

But that's not the best way to do it, since Firefox leaves all kinds of data on your hard drive besides the main application file. A better way is to use an application that's able to delete all Firefox information completely or simply reset the app, such as CleanMyMac.

To reset the Firefox browser app on mac:

1. Launch CleanMyMac
2. Go to the Uninstaller tab
3. Choose Firefox from the list
4. Choose Application reset and click Uninstall round button

There are rare cases when the 'Firefox quit unexpectedly' message could be caused by the Mac security update. This happens when your Mac's firewall used to recognize previous versions of Firefox but no longer trusts the new one. Follow official Mozilla documentation to fix this issue.

Firefox shows errors loading websites

So your Firefox is fast and doesn't randomly quit, but still doesn't seem to load websites. There are a few things that might cause this, so let's zero in on the problem by gradually excluding various perpetrators.

1. Check your network connection

Turn your modem off and on (helps in nearly all cases). Check that your network connection is performing up to standards by using WiFi analyzers, such as NetSpot and WiFi Explorer. As soon as you launch NetSpot, make sure it's set to Discover mode, and it will scan all nearby WiFi networks automatically. WiFi Explorer is just as easy — launch the app and click the play button to analyze the network quality around you.

2. Launch websites in other browsers

If your WiFi network seems to be fine, it's good to check whether the connection works in other browsers, like Safari or Chrome, just to make sure that the problem in fact is with Firefox specifically. Then, check the settings in your firewall by following the steps outlined by Mozilla.

3. Fix the proxy server issue

If upon loading the website you get the 'Proxy server is refusing connections' message, there is an easy fix for that.

1. Open Firefox > Menu > Options
2. In the Options, click Advanced and then Network
3. Choose Settings and then 'No proxy' and click OK
4. Restart Firefox and the problem should be fixed

4. Validate the security certificate

In case Firefox shows you that it has troubles validating some website's security certificate, it might be related to improperly set date and time on your system. Just make sure your timezone settings in System Preferences > Data & Time are configured correctly and Firefox should go back to validating the website certificate normally.

5. Flush DNS cache

Another option you can try is flushing the DNS cache, which acts as a temporary database, storing all sorts of connectivity logs and website access attempts.

1. Open up the Terminal utility
2. Type sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder;say DNS cache has been flushed
3. Press Enter and type your admin password when prompted
4. An alert a few moments later will inform you that the process is complete

Combine flushing the DNS cache with clearing out cache and cookies from Firefox, and restarting your Mac to get the best result.

6. Disable DNS prefetching

Firefox Mac Os X Download

If you are still experiencing troubles loading websites, it could be that DNS prefetching is at play. Usually Firefox tries to speed up loading new websites by using DNS prefetching, but it can also cause loading errors with some system configurations. To disable DNS prefetching:

1. In the address bar, type about:config and press Return. The about:config 'This might void your warranty!' warning page may appear. Click 'I accept the risk!' to continue.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key while you click on the list of preferences. Select New and then select Boolean.
3. In the 'Enter the preference name' field, enternetwork.dns.disablePrefetch and click OK.
4. Select True when prompted to set the value and click OK.

7. Scan your Mac for malware

The last step to try to fix the website loading issue is to check your system for malware. If you remember Firefox being haunted by ad pop-ups, toolbars you didn't install yourself, or a new default home page, you might have picked up some malware that's hijacking your browser sessions.

A simple malware tool for Setapp users is CleanMyMac Malware Removal tool. It's a free download, with a pro license for more active, real-time protection. The free product will however scan your Mac and safely remove any malware at no cost to you.

Firefox doesn't work as it should

When your Firefox is just generally behaving incorrectly, a few more tips might come in handy. Start with restarting your Mac, and then clear the cache and troubleshoot your plugins as described above.

1. Restart Firefox in Safe Mode

When clearing the cached data doesn't help, try restarting the browser in Safe Mode. This will temporarily turn off your extensions, as well as any extra themes and toolbars, and hardware acceleration. The easiest way to do this is to quit Firefox and restart it holding down your Mac's Option key.

If the problem you were having magically goes away in Safe Mode, then you can proceed to check your extensions, themes, and anything else you've added to Firefox. If you're still having the problem in Safe Mode, that's a sign you might need to just trash your copy of Firefox and start over with a fresh install.

2. Refresh Firefox

There is another clever feature inside Firefox that clears out your extensions and themes, plus resets all the preferences to default, but keeps your personal information intact, including bookmarks, history, open tabs and windows, saved passwords, autofill info, and even cookies.

• Open Firefox, and type about:support in the URL bar, which takes you to the Troubleshooting Information page
• You'll find a lot of information about your browser installation, as well as a big friendly Refresh Firefox button at the top-right
• You can also get to Safe Mode this way, by clicking the button that says Restart with Add-ons Disabled

3. Create a new Firefox profile

For times, when neither options fixed the problem, try creating a fresh Firefox profile, which won't have any of your bookmarks, passwords, and user preferences, but might get rid of the problem.

• Open the Terminal utility
• Type in /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -P
• Press Enter and the Profile Manager window should open
• Click Create Profile… then Next and enter the name for the profile
• Press Done

4. Turn off hardware acceleration

In cases when Safe Mode seemed to fix the problem but checking plugins didn't bring any result, the problem may hide in hardware acceleration, which is off by default in Safe Mode. Here's how to turn it off in the regular mode too:

• Open Firefox > Preferences
• In the General panel, scroll down to the Performance section and uncheck the box labeled 'Use recommended performance settings'
• Uncheck another box named 'Use hardware acceleration when available'
• Then quit and restart Firefox

There you go. About a dozens of apparent and not-so-apparent tips should bring your Firefox to the best shape possible. And even if you don't experience many troubles with Firefox, following some tips above would help you optimize its speed and responsiveness. Best of all, you don't need a lot of third-party tool to perform a thorough checkup, and all the tools you need are easily available on Setapp.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

Sign Up

Firefox continues to impress reviewers and experts, who point out the browsers' efficiency, attention to detail, and impressive privacy options. That said, Firefox, just like every other browser, can experience a range of issues, from slow browsing all the way to regular crashes and everything in between.

Today we want to highlight the most common Firefox problems and provide you with simple fixes that anyone can use to get Firefox back to its best.

Firefox Slow & Freezes

A fox should not be slow, and fire should not freeze. So when Firefox is lagging and hanging, frustration sets in pretty quickly. Force quit is the go-to move, but that is a temporary relief that won't solve an underlying Firefox issue.

Before we get to some specific solutions, make sure you've followed these basic principles:

Close unnecessary tabs and windows – Because each one, even if not being used, will take up system resources and slow your Mac down. Bookmark what you don't need to come back to later.

Update Firefox – Updates contain bug fixes and performance improvements.

Recognize your Mac is getting old – Have you had your Mac for several years? Is everything slow, not just Firefox? Sometimes you have to acknowledge when age has caught up with it.

Now it's time to go over some specific solutions to help Firefox problems on Mac. These will help even if your Mac is an old-timer.

Clean up Firefox (and your macOS)

If Firefox keeps freezing or is just generally sluggish, it could be the result of a browser that has too much history, cache, and other 'temporary' files clinging to the ankles of your once mighty Fox. Luckily, getting rid of this extra burden is simple. Even if it doesn't completely fix your browser speed, it will still be great for your system.

To manually clear your search history, Firefox caches and other unneeded browser files:

1. Navigate to History > Clear Recent History
2. Click on Details to reveal the full list
3. Check what you want to remove
4. Make sure 'Time range' is set to Everything
5. Click Clear Now

Another way to speed up Firefox along and your macOS, in general, is to use CleanMyMac X. In a couple of quick clicks the app will find and, with your approval, remove unneeded system files from all over your macOS - including your Firefox cache and browser history.

To clean up Firefox caches, and other browser junk the easy way:

1. Download CleanMyMac X for free and run it
2. Select System Junk tab
3. Click Scan
4. Click Clean

Firefox Crashing

Free game emulators for mac. Foxes are elegant and agile creatures, which is to say that when there is an obstacle, they should evade it smoothly, not crash into the thing.

When Firefox doesn't load or crashes, this makes us incredibly sad. Thankfully, we have some solutions to get Firefox back on its feet.

Identify problematic Firefox add-ons

In a terrible murder mystery, the cliché is that 'the butler did it.' Well, when Firefox is crashing regularly, it's tempting to say 'the add-on did it.'

Plugins and extensions add so much to our browser experience, but they are also a common cause of problems. To start with, make sure each extension and plugin is up-to-date. Firefox even has an official plugin checker.

If everything checks out but Firefox keeps crashing, we recommend running it in Safe Mode. This will load Firefox without any add-ons.

To start Firefox in Safe Mode:

1. Click the Firefox menu button
2. Click Help
3. Select Restart with Add-ons Disabled

You can also launch Firefox while holding the Shift key to start in Safe Mode.

If the crashes go away in Firefox Safe Mode, then you know the butler add-on did it.

So we know that an add-on is causing the crashes, now what?

You should disable all your ad-ons and turn them back on one at a time. This way you can methodically find the guilty add-on.

To manage your Firefox add-ons follow these steps:

1. Click the Firefox menu button
2. Select Add-ons > Extensions or Appearance
3. Disable or enable as you like
4. Restart Firefox

Firefox crashes on startup

Uh-oh. Firefox won't even start?

Don't worry; it may seem like 'the worst thing that could have ever happened to anyone' but the solution is often easier than you'd expect. Begin by holding the Shift key when launching Firefox to start in Safe Mode.

If this works then chances are you have a dodgy extension. Follow the steps from Identify problematic Firefox add-ons.

However, if Safe Mode isn't working either, you're going to have to uninstall and reinstall Firefox.

To manually reinstall Firefox:

1. Make sure the application is closed
2. Drag the application to your Trash
3. Empty your Trash
4. Download the latest version of Firefox for Mac
5. Install Firefox

This will repair Firefox will keeping your profile including bookmarks and settings.

An easier and safer option is to use CleanMyMac's Uninstaller to repair Firefox with a reset:

1. Launch CleanMyMac and click on Uninstaller
2. Click on Mozilla Firefox
3. Click on a small arrow next to Firefox icon
4. Click Application Reset

Firefox not loading pages

You had one job, Firefox!

When web pages don't open, it's more than a little annoying, considering that's the main task of a browser. But let's not jump to conclusions, maybe Firefox isn't to blame.

The first step is to open a new tab and try other sites. If they aren't loading either, the second step would be to try another browser like Safari and see if the web pages load there.

If they do then the problem is with Firefox.

Let's Firefix it!

Mozilla Firefox For Mac Os X

Proxy problems

If you're using a proxy server to browse the web, it could be the problem that's stopping Firefox from loading pages. It's easy to check, simply follow these steps:

1. Click on the Firefox menu
2. Navigate to Options > Advanced > Network
3. Click on Settings under Connection
4. Select No Proxy
5. Close options and reload web pages

Clear cookies and cache

In Clean up Firefox (and your MacOS) we covered how to clear your cache and once again it could be the solution to your Firefox problem. Also, this time we suggest also cleaning Cookies, whether using the manual methods or the easier CleanMyMac methods.

Firefox setup tips

We wanted to share a few tips to help you get even more out of your Firefox experience.

Keep your privacy intact

Firefox Mac Os X 10.5

If you go to Preferences > Privacy > History you can use 'Custom settings for history' from the dropdown. Now you can personally decide exactly what Firefox remembers. How to convert avi files on mac.

Ask for permission

We've talked a lot about the problems with add-ons. A great tip is to navigate to Tools > Add-ons and from the dropdown next to each add-on, select 'ask to activate'. Some people won't like the extra step; others will love knowing exactly what their add-ons are up to.

Monitor Mozilla

If your Firefox performance is important, you could try turning on Enable Firefox Health Report by going to Option > Advanced > Data Choices. Now when you click Learn More you will see an overview of your browser's stability and performance.

Find Text

All browsers have an option to find text on a web page but Firefox has a setting (Options > Advanced> Search for text when I start typing) that allows you to immediately type and find matching text.

Firefox Firefixed!

There you have it. Your Firefox should now be jumping, skipping, spinning…okay, I honestly have no idea what foxes do. But I do know that by using the manual solutions and quick fixes from CleanMyMac X, your Firefox browser should be stable and performing better than ever.

To keep it that way, bookmark this page for reference and be sure to follow best practices like clearing cache, closing unneeded tabs, and checking for updates.

Do all this, and your fox will remain on fire for a long time to come.

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