5 Ways to Fix Firefox Not Responding on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Force Close Firefox Processes

Sometimes, Firefox processes may become unresponsive on your PC due to temporary issues. In most cases, you can fix the problem by closing Firefox processes via theTask Manager on Windows.

Step 1:PressCtrl + Shift + Escon your keyboard to open the Task Manager.

Step 2:In theProcessestab, selectFirefoxand click theEnd taskbutton at the top.

Fix 2: Try Troubleshoot Mode in Firefox

If you rely on add-ons in Firefox to improve your productivity, they could be causing issues. To verify if this is the case, launch Firefox in Troubleshooting Mode, which disables all add-ons, themes, and custom settings.

To launch Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode, hold down theShiftkey and double-click the Firefox app shortcut. Then, clickOpen.

Now, use Firefox for a few minutes. If it works fine, the issue is likely due to one of the add-ons. To identify the culprit, try disabling all add-ons, then re-enable them one by one. Here’s how:

Step 1:Open Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode. Click themenu icon(three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner and selectAdd-ons and themesfrom the list.

Step 2:Use the switches next to the add-ons to turn them off.

Once disabled, close Firefox and try opening it again. After that, enable each add-on one by one to find the one causing the issue.

Fix 3: Disable Hardware Acceleration

By default, Firefox comes with hardware acceleration enabled. This feature uses your PC’s GPU instead of the CPU to speed up processes. However, depending on your PC’s graphics card, it can sometimes causeFirefox to freeze. To see if this resolves the issue, try disabling Hardware Acceleration in Firefox. Here’s how:

Step 1:Launch Firefox on your PC, click themenu iconin the upper right corner and selectSettings.

Step 2:Scroll down to go to thePerformancesection and uncheck the box that readsUse recommended performance settings.

Step 3:Uncheck theUse hardware acceleration when availableoption.

Fix 4: Clear Cache and Cookies

Browsers like Firefox use cache and cookies to enhance your browsing experience. However, over time, this old browsing data can accumulate and cause conflicts, leading to Firefox freezing or crashing. To address this, try clearing the cache and cookies from Firefox. Here’s how:

Step 1:Open settings on Firefox.

Step 2:Switch to thePrivacy & Securitytab on your left and scroll down toCookies and Site Data. Then, click theClear Databutton.

Step 3:In the Clear Data panel, mark the boxes that readCookies and Site DataandCached Web Content. Then, hitClear.

Fix 5: Refresh Firefox

If none of the previous solutions work, resetting Firefox might be your last option. Fortunately, it’s a straightforward process, as Firefox offers a refresh option. This option removes your add-ons and preferences while keeping your bookmarks, saved passwords, and open tabs intact. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1:Hold down theShiftkey and double-click on the Firefox app shortcut to open it in Troubleshoot Mode.

Step 2:Click theRefresh Firefoxbutton.

Step 3:SelectRefresh Firefoxto confirm your action.

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Last updated on 29 July, 2024

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