Are there browsers much better at stopping when told to, compared with Firefox and MSIE?

Factual Questions
1

One major peeve that I encounter sometimes using the above mentioned, most popular browsers:

When I open some URLs that, say, open a large gzipped text or a Java or Flash application that proceeds to download a huge amount of data, the ‘stop’ symbol does not seem to work in a timely manner. With the .txt.gz it seems the stop is deferred to when the file is finished being downloaded, and Flash and Java applications do not seem to be much impressed when the user wants to stop. Sometimes I need to kill the browser itself from Windows.

Is there a browser (available for Windows) that, when told to stop, stops loading and processing the current window/tab, immediately, no ifs and buts?

2

I’ve never had a problem with Opera, but I’m already hooked on FF/Flock

3

I second the recommendation for Opera.

4

Third for Opera. But you have to keep IE around as you will find more than a few sites that won’t work right with Opera.

5

I doubt it. What is going on in those scenarios is that the plugin is processing the java or flash. At that point the browser is out of the equation.

Also, Im not sure what youre doing with those compressed files. Firefox doesnt handle those files (well, other than gzip html but thats besides the point). If the file is already being processed by your default zip/gzip handler than, again, hitting stop in the browser cant be expected to do much as the plugin or an application outside of firefox’s control is in charge.

The sane thing to do here is to work smarter and stop blaming the software. Dont want flash applications running then use flashblock. Worried about large zip files then set your firefox to download them or ask, never to launch the default handler. Javascript can be controlled via NoScript. Working with large files? Do a right-click then save as or use FTP/SFTP.

Ive moved terabytes with firefox using hundreds of different types of files and have never had issues with the stopping of transfers when firefox is actually doing the transfering. I imagine you may have local computer issues (unstable OS, malware, messed up config, ambitious anti-malware like avg, bullshit things like reg cleaners or accelerators, old/unstable plugins, etc) that is probably the cause.

6

I can’t speak for it exactly, but it might be the case that Google Chrome would be able to do somethng in this situation. At the very least, you can kill unresponsive pages without affecting the other browser pages. It should be possible to kill a browser window while it’s processing, but I don’t know if it’s an available option.

7

HorseloverFat, I agree with your answer, but you seem too dismissive of the problem.

I’m with the OP in wishing that something could put a stop to certain operations. I don’t want to block every Flash app or website… but if I have to wait 15 seconds for something to load, I want to stop it and go somewhere else, not sit and wait until it finishes monopolizing my system.