Mozilla Browser - Very high CPU load with FF on particular site

Author

Very high CPU load with FF on particular site

DavidM

2006-11-25, 1:11 pm

When I access here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/
with FF 1.5.0.8, Windows Task Manager shows a VERY
high CPU usage compared to most other sites I visit. If I
access a number of the forums in tabs or multiple windows
my PC soon runs out of puff!

Anyone else noticed this, and can anyone explain what's
going on?

Thanks, David

Ed Mullen

2006-11-25, 1:11 pm

DavidM wrote:
> When I access here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/
> with FF 1.5.0.8, Windows Task Manager shows a VERY
> high CPU usage compared to most other sites I visit. If I
> access a number of the forums in tabs or multiple windows
> my PC soon runs out of puff!
>
> Anyone else noticed this, and can anyone explain what's
> going on?

Not happening here. I opened ever forum in its own tab. When opening a
new tab cpu usage kicked up to about 25%, then dropped to zero.

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
I just love the French. They taste just like chicken! - Hannibal Lecter

elaich

2006-11-25, 1:11 pm

Ed Mullen <ed@edmullen.net> wrote in news:scSdnZWF-
v7f7PXYnZ2dnUVZ_h6dnZ2d@comcast.com:

> Not happening here. I opened ever forum in its own tab. When opening a
> new tab cpu usage kicked up to about 25%, then dropped to zero.

Same here. The OP didn't say what OS he is running. Most people who report
high CPU usage problems are running XP. I'm running 2000. I also denied the
site to set a cookie.

Ed Mullen

2006-11-25, 7:11 pm

Leonidas Jones

2006-11-25, 7:11 pm

Ed Mullen wrote:
> elaich wrote:
>
> He said "... Windows Task Manager shows ..." so it's a fairly safe bet
> on Windows. ;-)
>

Yes indeed, but which version of Windows?

Lee

John Thompson

2006-11-25, 7:11 pm

On 2006-11-25, elaich <a@b.c> wrote:

> The OP didn't say what OS he is running. Most people who report
> high CPU usage problems are running XP. I'm running 2000. I also denied the
> site to set a cookie.

From the originl post:

Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869

Which, I believe, corresponds to a recent XP build of Outlook Express.

--

John (john@os2.dhs.org)

DavidM

2006-11-26, 7:12 am

"John Thompson" <john@vector.os2.dhs.org> wrote in message
news:slrnemhfir.14c.john@vector.os2.dhs.org...
> On 2006-11-25, elaich <a@b.c> wrote:
>
>
> From the originl post:
>
> Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869
>
> Which, I believe, corresponds to a recent XP build of Outlook Express.
>
> --
>
> John (john@os2.dhs.org)

Windows XP Home, SP2.
Funny thing is that this doesn't happen on my laptop with the same
build of Firefox (and OS).
Any suuggestions as to how I can investigate what's going on?
David

Ed Mullen

2006-11-26, 1:11 pm

elaich wrote:
> Ed Mullen <ed@edmullen.net> wrote in news:scSdnZWF-
> v7f7PXYnZ2dnUVZ_h6dnZ2d@comcast.com:
>
>
> Same here. The OP didn't say what OS he is running. Most people who report
> high CPU usage problems are running XP. I'm running 2000. I also denied the
> site to set a cookie.

Interesting. I run XP on all my systems and have /never/ had any of the
memory problems reported by others. On the other hand, the least memory
any of my PCs has is 1 Gb. And the slowest processor among them is 933
MHz. I am virtually always running multiple apps with lots of switching
between. I leave SeaMonkey (and sometimes Firefox) running all day, or
even overnight, without any freezes or other reported problems.

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
Erotic is using a feather. Kinky is using the whole chicken.

Ed Mullen

2006-11-26, 1:11 pm

DavidM wrote:
> "John Thompson" <john@vector.os2.dhs.org> wrote in message
> news:slrnemhfir.14c.john@vector.os2.dhs.org...
>
> Windows XP Home, SP2.
> Funny thing is that this doesn't happen on my laptop with the same
> build of Firefox (and OS).
> Any suuggestions as to how I can investigate what's going on?
> David

It's a tedious process, indeed. You've got to get each system
configured as-close-to-exactly the same as possible. That is, with the
exception of different device drivers necessitated by hardware differences.

List of possibilities:

1. Differences in extensions and/or plugins between the systems
2. Ditto on programs that load on boot
3. Ditto on installed RAM and CPU speed and type

Test:

Set up both systems in exactly the same state regarding boot-time
programs, transient running programs (e.g. Firefox), connected devices,
network connections, etc. I suggest temporarily disabling all
user-installed programs that run at boot.

Run duplicative tests with Firefox on each. See if you can reproduce
the issue on either or both systems.

Start adding back in disabled boot-time programs one-by-one; reboot each
time, test again.

And be aware that you may never be able to pin down the cause. Good luck!

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
Don't bother me. I'm living happily ever after.

keyes04@netscape.net

2006-11-27, 1:13 am

On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 16:31:33 GMT, "DavidM"
<davidm_uk_notme@hotmail.com> wrote:

>When I access here http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/
>with FF 1.5.0.8, Windows Task Manager shows a VERY
>high CPU usage ... .

When you looked at Task Manager, did you only look at the
"applications" tab, or did you also look at the "processes" tab? If
you didn't look specifically at which process was dominating the CPU,
it would be potentially VERY helpful to see what's actually using the
resources. If you're not familiar with the "Processes" tab, click it
and then click on the CPU tab within that. That should put the
highest usage processes at the top - it's just like sorting on one
column in a spreadsheet to move the highest or lowest numbers to the
top. Just click "CPU" 2 or 3 times if the first click doesn't do it.
Then you'll see what's using the CPU the most. That may give you a
good clue as to what's going on.

C.R.

DavidM

2006-11-27, 1:12 pm

<keyes04@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:dnfkm2l0qcdf1dra1vo66l9grddoq6thsk@
4ax.com...
> On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 16:31:33 GMT, "DavidM"
> <davidm_uk_notme@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> When you looked at Task Manager, did you only look at the
> "applications" tab, or did you also look at the "processes" tab? If
> you didn't look specifically at which process was dominating the CPU,
> it would be potentially VERY helpful to see what's actually using the
> resources. If you're not familiar with the "Processes" tab, click it
> and then click on the CPU tab within that. That should put the
> highest usage processes at the top - it's just like sorting on one
> column in a spreadsheet to move the highest or lowest numbers to the
> top. Just click "CPU" 2 or 3 times if the first click doesn't do it.
> Then you'll see what's using the CPU the most. That may give you a
> good clue as to what's going on.
>
> C.R.

I WAS looking at the process tab, and it's definately firefox.exe that's
eating the cpu. Nothing else (except system idle) was using anything
much at all. Apart from Task Manager and Firefox, no other
applications were running.

I have an 2.4 Intel cpu and 1Gb of ram, ram usage is quite low.

David.

pascal.chevrel@free.fr

2006-11-27, 1:12 pm

Le 27/11/2006 16:22, DavidM a ecrit :
> <keyes04@netscape.net> wrote in message
> news:dnfkm2l0qcdf1dra1vo66l9grddoq6thsk@
4ax.com...
>
> I WAS looking at the process tab, and it's definately firefox.exe that's
> eating the cpu. Nothing else (except system idle) was using anything
> much at all. Apart from Task Manager and Firefox, no other
> applications were running.
>
> I have an 2.4 Intel cpu and 1Gb of ram, ram usage is quite low.
>
> David.
>
>

I visited the page and could not replicate the high CPU usage on a much
more modest machine ;)

It could be that the site was displaying a ressource hungry animation in
a banner when you visited it and it has now removed it. Although plugins
such as flash, acrobat or Java are not part of Firefox, they are shown
as beklonging to the Firefox process.

pascal