# Is Firefox Opening Really Slowly For You, Or Is It My Computer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 11, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979 "2009-05-11T00:20:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/1 "2009-05-11T00:20:46Z")
Firefox used to open with a bang…now it seems to take 3-4 minutes and sometimes longer. I have tried using Chrome (takes just a few seconds) and even IE opens in just a few seconds - so it isn’t my Internet provider. BTW, to answer the obvious question of why don’t I use one of the others, I just don’t really like Chrome or IE - that’s why I want to stick with Firefox, but not if it is going to take forever to load as is the case currently. Anyone else finding Firefox unbearably slow to load lately? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/2 "2009-05-11T00:22:29Z")
It’s opening slow for me too. Back in the day - the reason I avoided FF was the time it took to load. I only bagan to use it when it had loading times similar to or better than IE. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/3 "2009-05-11T00:29:19Z")
What is your homepage set to? I have mine to iGoogle and it takes FOREVER if I’m logged in. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/4 "2009-05-11T00:34:38Z")
Mine is set to ordinary google ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/5 "2009-05-11T00:55:45Z")
I thought of that, and even went back to ordinary Google (doesn’t get much more basic than that) and it still takes forever to load up. Just wondering if the “new improved” version of Firefox that appeared awhile back isn’t exactly so improved? ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/6 "2009-05-11T01:03:16Z")
My home page is about:blank, and Firefox has opened very slowly for the last few weeks. It’s getting worse. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/7 "2009-05-11T01:06:12Z")
How many “Gadgets” do you have included with the browser? They have to load also. Firefox (3.0.10) loads OK for me. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/8 "2009-05-11T01:13:28Z")
3.0.10 loads fine for me, too. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/9 "2009-05-11T01:20:27Z")
It checks for add-on updates each time it opens, so I cut it some slack. You can turn that option off, though not specifically at startup. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/10 "2009-05-11T02:58:12Z")
Mine opens to about:blank, and it’s been loading slow for awhile. I’ve only got 3 addons (AdBlocker, Java Quick Start, and Move Media Player). Maybe I should get the next version. I was a bit pissed when I found out that Firefox has been adding zone info crap so that my downloads are blocked. I haven’t had any luck in finding a way to mass unblock them. I wonder if that “feature” has been removed in the update. ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/11 "2009-05-11T06:42:08Z")
Firefox is turning into a really slow browser. I’ve started using IE again for almost everything except sites with lots of ads and other nasties, since it is always faster. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo\_Pin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mojo\_Pin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo_Pin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/12 "2009-05-11T06:57:16Z")
Yea I noticed FF slowing down, and I’ve switched back to Opera, which is the other browser with mouse gestures available that I know of. It’s a faster browser imo, especially when using the back/forward/fastforward alot, but there are some annoying things like not being able to drag selected text and me not knowing how to convert greasemonkey to the javascript that opera uses ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/13 "2009-05-11T07:49:32Z")
I’m baffled by this. Firefox opens almost instantaneously for me - seriously, like 1/10th of a second. Same as it always has. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/14 "2009-05-11T08:12:40Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > I’m baffled by this. Firefox opens almost instantaneously for me - seriously, like 1/10th of a second. Same as it always has. Which version? Ever since Firefox 3, my hard drive grinds for 30-45 seconds whenever I launch the browser, which greatly slows down my system even though the program itself loads fairly quickly. I’ve gotten used to it by now, but I do find it rather annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/15 "2009-05-11T08:19:44Z")
It may be your computer. I had the same problem on my old computer; Firefox would take a minute or so to open. On my new , much more powerful computer, Firefox opens in a second or two. It’s not just the computer though; Opera used to open much faster than Firefox even on my old computer. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/16 "2009-05-11T09:56:35Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Ever since Firefox 3, my hard drive grinds for 30-45 seconds whenever I launch the browser, which greatly slows down my system even though the program itself loads fairly quickly. I’ve gotten used to it by now, but I do find it rather annoying. When was the last time you defragged that hard drive? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/17 "2009-05-11T12:38:58Z")
The thing that drives me bananas is that, say I close the browser and then want to re-open it (I forgot to look something up, or whatever) – for about three or four minutes after I close the browser, it says, “There is another instance of Firefox running on your computer” and refuses to open Firefox. I either have to wait or ctrl-alt-del to bring it up and shut it down myself. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/18 "2009-05-11T12:44:39Z")
**sobs gratefully** I thought it was just me – or my old, funky machine. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/19 "2009-05-11T16:26:25Z")
I downloaded the latest update, and FF seems to be loading faster. Also: > [@Mojo\_Pin](#): > > … being able to drag selected text … Holy crap, you can do that?! You can do that! I’m going to be playing with this all day. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979/20 "2009-05-11T17:55:37Z")
I read somewhere that firefox takes longer to start up than the other browsers, but it runs fine once it’s up. I’ve noticed it takes a while longer to start on my slower computer (1.9 dual core). It starts really fast on my other computer (2.4 dual core). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-opening-really-slowly-for-you-or-is-it-my-computer/495979.md?page=2)