Since the latest update, plugin-container.exe has been acting badly, using a lot of my CPU which hangs my pc for a while.

Am running WindowsXP

Plugin-container was designed to keep the entire Firefox browser from crashing when a plugin crashes. As designed, only the tab with the crashing plugin would be affected.

Some users (a small number compared to the hundreds of millions of Firefox users) have reported problems with plugin-container; crashing, high CPU and memory usage, etc. Sorry to hear that you are among those reporting problems. The volunteers (and the regular Firefox users) here are not the developers of Firefox, so be nice to them when asking for assistance or responding to their suggestions.

I have not experienced problems with plugin-container nor have I had any negative issues with Firefox 3.6.4 or 3.6.6 (the version 3.6.5 was used for another product, so there was a skip in Firefox desktop version numbers from 3.6.4 to 3.6.6.). My CPU and RAM usage have not changed due to the upgrade from 3.6.3 to 3.6.4 and 3.6.6. I do not load large numbers of Flash based tabs (games, movies, etc.) that some do, and I have had no problems with the latest version of Adobe Flash.

There are only 2 suggestions that I can make. There is a way to completely disable plugin-container in versions 3.6.4 and 3.6.6. Follow the instructions in the link below, restart Firefox, and you will see that plugin-container no longer shows on the Processes tab in Task Manager. I have tested disabling it on my computer and it works; I re-enabled it because I was having not problems, I just wanted to know whether or not the suggested disabling actually gets rid of plugin-container. If you continue to have issues after disabling plugin-container, try the suggestions under Firefox Safe Mode, below.

Disable plugin-container: https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/706123?#threadId706192

Firefox Safe Mode See: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode When starting Safe Mode, do not check any boxes, just click Proceed to Safe Mode. All extensions (not plugins) and some preferences will be unavailable during Safe Mode, but Flash should still be active. When you are done with Safe Mode, close Firefox, wait a 10-30 seconds and click on your desktop icon to restart Firefox in regular operating mode. Do not use the link on your recently used programs the first time you restart Firefox or it will start in Safe Mode. After restarting one time in regular mode you can resume using the recently used program link to start Firefox thereafter. Also see: Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems Troubleshoot issues with plugins like Flash or Java to fix common Firefox problems Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems Note: if you disable any add-ons for testing, you must restart Firefox after each and every change for the changes to take effect.

Good luck

Would like to add that I'm running a dual cpu 1.73ghz laptop with 1gb of ram, windows media xp, and I'm CONSTANTLY crashing from plugin container. It crashes ALL firefox windows, not just the ones media is running in. Sometimes I don't even HAVE media running, just my amazon windows (I'm an amazon seller with stores in multiple country zones). I'm running Firefox 3.6.6, and all the up to date patches. I'm moments away from uninstalling 3.6.6 and going back to before plugin container was added.

Yes, it is true that Firefox is using less memory, but now the plugin container is using even more memory than the Firefox application! Thus the plugin container slows down Firefox anyway and since the plugin container crashes, they crash together...so yeah...it's been crashing firefox and using up memory quicker than it used to which is quite annoying since it happens 2-3 times a day for me...*cries* Why??? Please fix this!!

this thing crashes the current window and hangs my computer please fix. i'm pulling my hair out trying to figure it out.

Thank you for your help AHappyFoxUser It worked. But i do have a question for you. Why was it running with me ever starting firefox in a session? That is what was upsetting me about the plugin-container.exe

doug I assume you are saying that the disabling of plugin-container worked for you. My only experience with it is that plugin-container will open and show in processes when you load a tab in Firefox that uses one of the 3 supported plugins (Adobe Flash, Silverlight, Quicktime) and will remain open until you close the Firefox browser.

After closing the Firefox browser, both firefox.exe and plugin-container.exe close in Processes tab in Task Manager, as they should, unless you have a hanging problem (usually caused by an Extension, another Plugin, or sometimes a Firewall/AV-AS app). I have not experienced the hanging problem, but on this forum, you will see users who have, and those who have responded to the suggestions made, have confirmed the hanging caused by one of the mentioned items.

The plugin-container.exe process has never opened, on my system, on its own; only when Firefox calls it to open. I have monitored Processes on a continuing basis and, on my system, I can assure you that plugin-container has never opened until I open a tab in Firefox with one of the 3 supported plugins being used. As stated above, once opened in Processes, plugin-container will remain open until you close the Firefox browser.

Actually it was starting on its own and i did not have any plugins running except flash and java everything else either gets disabled or uninstalled. That is why i was so upset. Plugin-container was starting with the computer and using the 3.5 gigs of memory and causing crashes on my computer. Why I don't know? I can tell you it was not a virus or spyware since my antivirus and spyware programs have not found anything and the problems went away when i installed an older version of firefox until you told me how to fix it.

the above it my post sorry i forgot my name on the page.

I have a correction after i installed 3.6.6 again and restarted my computer I started getting the crashes again. Evidently the crashes are caused by firefox 3.6.6. I remove it and went back to 3.5 and the crashes are gone.

Read what Alice Wyman has to say in the following and also look at cor-el's advice further down in that thread:

https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/713600?#threadId719044

Ever since I've upgraded to modizlla 3.6 a new extension has been installed. It's called plugin-container.exe. This is taking up a large amount of memory usage. Last I checked it was at 33,216K. This slows down my internet usage and if it is disabled or forced quit, firefox will say it has to restart or show me a sad picture stating the plug in didn't work and firefox needs to be restarted. can anyone tell me where I can go to the old firefox. This plugin-container.exe is very annoying.

Same problem. Please have the developers resolve this. 47m of memory is shot, and the whole system crawls. Going back to IE until its fixed.

Running 3.6.6

Firefox has seemed more bloated in the last year or so. I spotted the plugin-container.exe in my task manager and did a web search. The many negative comments convinced me to change to Chrome, with IE as backup. Will uninstall Firefox -- to bad after so many years of it being my first string browser.

Dale:

Written instructions for disabling plugin-container: https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/706123?#threadId706192

Also see https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/713600?#threadId719044

Uses TOOOO much of my CPU. If not fixed I'll change for a new browser...

Developers probably have dream machines (super-fast CPU's and 8-G of memory with terra-byes of high speed disk space), so they don't notice the problem. They need to alpha test releases on more real-world platforms: a Wal-Mart 1.2-G CPU with 512-M memory, that has Media Player, Excel and Outlook running at the same time.

The reason that most of us switched to Firefox years ago was because of its efficiency VS IE. Now its a different story.

Fix the problem, and we'll return. Until then its back to IE.

I think so too. I'd also rather like it to crash from time to time than use 100% of my CPU every time I'm on the flash based website or when using flash application...

Interesting forum thread at Adobe; 2 years CPU usage has been a recognized problem with Adobe Flash and some reasons. Read the whole thing: http://forums.adobe.com/thread/230334

Taking up 62% or more on mine. I have a new XPS Gaming computer. You would think my games would not freeze on me. Very irritating!!