FireFox keeps crashing while working in WordPress

By • March 17, 2007 • 17 Comments

Does anyone else have this problem? Lately Firefox has been crashing very often when I am working on posts in the WYSIWYG editor. It tends to happen when I try to enter a link. This is obviously very frustrating. Anyone have any advice?

Author:

Bob Clary

It would help if you would file a bug and give us enough information to reproduce the problem. See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html and http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Bug_writing_guidelines about filing bugs.

What version of WordPress? What plugins do you have installed? What operating system do you use? What Firefox extensions do you have installed? Can you reproduce it in safemode? http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_mode

What version of Firefox? Have you tried the latest release candidate for Firefox 2.0.0.3?
Alpesh Nakar

Nope. What version are you using?

Cheers!
Alpesh
Miriam

Hi Bob and Alpesh,

Thanks for your interest in this problem. I’ll try to submit a bug as you suggested, Bob. I am using Firefox version 2.0.0.2 and Windows XP Home on a PC. This problem hasn’t happened for the past few days, so maybe the problem has gone away for some reason.
Farshid

I have had the problem when I installed the latest version of WP (2.1.2). I’m using Firefox 2.0.0.2. It keeps crashing and disappearing menus and tabs from screen.It’s too annoying. Will you please inform me if you should find the solution for it. Maybe thats another bug for WordPress or may be for Firefox.
Miriam

Farshid, glad to know I’m not along in this – you know, comfort in numbers. I’ll definitely let you know if I figure out the solution. In the mean time, when I’m working on a draft I just make sure to save it. A lot.
Bob Clary

I tried to reproduce using my WordPress 2.1.2 installation and a recent debug build of Firefox 2.0.0.x and could not. I expect this is an extension problem. For example, I know that NoScript (even when disabled) can cause problems when trying to save a post. Please try safe mode and see if you can reproduce a crash.

It would also help if you would submit any talkback incidents when requested so we can get a stack for these crashes and report the incident ids in the bug you file. See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Talkback

Reporting bugs in blogs doesn’t help you or Firefox. Please consider becoming part of the community and filing bugs when you have problems.
Miriam

Bob,
I’ll see if I can reproduce a crash in safemode. However, since I posted this issue, I can’t even recreate the problem in regular mode (or whatever you call it). As for reporting bugs and talkbacks, I’ll try my best.
Bob Clary

Miriam,

Thanks! It is very helpful when people not only use Firefox but also become members of the Mozilla community and help us to improve the quality of the software we produce.

I guess most people have gotten used to not being able to affect the quality of the software they use, but in the Mozilla Community everyone can contribute.

When you do file a bug on this or another issue please put my bugzilla email bclary at bclary dot com in the cc field. That way I will be certain to see the bugmail.

Bob
Mosey

I can’t say its a bug but I’ve found a few problems when using WordPress with Firefox – specifically 2.002 more than 1.5.0.11 as I use both. Firefox doesn’t necssarily crash but it becomes slow all of a sudden (can’t say when really) and sometimes even asks me if I want to download the php file – ie. the one I’m trying to load (eg. the options page)… not sure if this is some other factor though…
Miriam

Mosey,
Interesting to hear about other problems with Firefox. The problems I was experiencing have not gone away, and I find that sometimes when I press Enter while writing a post, Firefox crashes. Bob above says that if we have Firefox problems, we should submit a bug to the links he provides.
mel

Yes I too have started getting this crashing problem. i recently upgraded to wordpress 2.7, and I’m using firefox 2. The dashboard/backend is running incredibly slowly, and crashes often especially when trying to insert and image in a post (or do anything actually). It’s so bad i can’t bear to use it. I’m going to try using IE for a whle and see if it still happens. Then I guess i’ll know if it’s wordpress or a my theme or not..
GimliGlider

Whenever I use the WYSIWYG editor while editing a post in WordPress and click on the ‘Insert Image’ icon, Firefox crashes. This is extremely annoying and detrimental to my productivity. Something needs to be done about it ASAP
Sage

Disable Google Gears and the problem disappears.
Tim Lavelle

I get the same problem as described directly above me. When I attempt to insert an image, FF crashes immediately. I have submitted the Bug using FF internal crash detection utility, but am unsure of what causes it. I am using FF 3.0.10 and WordPress 2.7.1

Only FF addons I have is AIRoboForm and Google Gears, I did have FireBug installed last night, and today produced the error. I have since removed FireBug and the crash still happens

As for WordPress, the only new plugins I have installed since yesterday is the Wordbook and WP-Syntax. I have deactivated these two plugins and the crash still happens.

I really dont want to use IE, but this crash is very, very annoying, and is very new since yesterday. Only new items I have installed are the ones mentioned above…

Also, I am using this on a Acer D150 Netbook.

Hope this info helps.
Ryan

Those of you having troubles with Firefox crashing when using Google Gears may find the following forum topic over at WP Tavern useful … http://www.wptavern.com/forum/troubleshooting/532-google-gears-crashing-firefox.html
srikanth

Thank you for the suggestion of disablingGoogle Gears. It really worked.

cheers
Fabrizio Van Marciano

I’ve been experiencing some problems lately with crashing occuring every 10 to 15 minutes which is pretty frustrating at times. I don’t have a problem with it with IE7 however, I’ve now disable Google gears and hope that this will prevent it from happening again. Interesting and informative post thank for sharing.

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