You can try to modify multi-process settings to see if this has effect.

• set dom.ipc.processCount to 1 if it is currently set to a higher value (4)
• disable multi-process windows in Firefox

You can disable multi-process windows in Firefox by setting these prefs to false on the about:config page.

• browser.tabs.remote.autostart = false
• browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2 = false

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

• http://www.ghacks.net/2016/07/22/multi-process-firefox/

I re-installed 56.0

I looked at the 3 parms you noted, only autostart.2 was true so I changed it to false. ProcessCount is/was set to 1 in both versions.

Restarted FF 56.0 and the overall system base memory started 1G larger than with 55.0.3 Since then it has grown 2 gigs larger in 3 hours. CPU usage is slightly better than before now that autostart.2 is disabled.

Overall, I would say that with autostart.2 set false things are slightly better. Definitively not as good as 55.0.3

In about:support multiprocessor was/is disabled for both versions.

So I would still see 56.0 as a problem.

Update, 2 hours later.

Memory usage increased by another 2 gigs. FF 56.0 becoming unusable. Again sluggish and not good to use. CPU again running 15 - 20% even while idle.

Returning to 55.0.3

Might want to think about moving to the Extended Release Version https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/ which is 52.4.1

You could check your Manufacturers website for new hardware drivers and chipsets .... as well as increase your Swap File size if you have the Hard Drive room to do so and this will help with ram ussage.

Your running IBM Video Card Drivers from 2014, below is from Jan 2017 https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/81496/Intel-HD-Graphics-4600

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Hardware drivers and chipsets are up to date. Thanks for the intel update link as it was not done but is now. I increased my swap size however it did not seem to be an issue before.

I have loaded 52.4.1and have been running it for ~24 hrs. Memory usage seems to be controlled and OK however CPU usage for FF runs a consistent 15% with no web activity to speak of.

FF 52.4.1 is OK, but not as good as 55.0.3. So I will run it for another day and see what happens

I will then probably go back to 55.0.3 and see what its status is, then load 56.0 and see what happens.

I will report back in a couple of days.

Thanks for the assistance.

Get a Full Version Installer https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ if do so, not the Stub.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Well I spoke to soon on 52.4.1. It was good for about 36 hours before memory usage crept up about 2.5 gigs from its start of 1 gig.

CPU as earlier stated ran about 15%. At the 2.5 gig mark it became sluggish again. Restarting it makes it good for a while but it slowly creeps up in memory usage and CPU usage until it becomes sluggish.

So I have now downloaded 56.0.1 which has been released since I started this journey. So far 55.0.3 has outperformed all of others but I will now run 56.0.1 and see where it goes.

Well 56.0.1 is worse than 56.0 Memory started at almost 2G and was at 4G in less than 90 minutes.

CPU ran more than I think it should, started at 10% and crept up along with the memory increase to ~15%.

So in 1.5 hrs it became basically bad..

I've gone back to 55.0.3 for now. Memory startup at 1G with minimal CPU.

Open to any suggestions.

I have been running 55.0.3 now for 4 days and it performs well as compared to 56.n.n

CPU only momentarily peaks to ~15% under usage but then falls off to basically nothing after 2-3 cycles. Memory usage starts at about 800K and gradually grows. It seems to stay around ~2G and performs well.

I did restart it once after 3 days to see if performance changed between running at 2G vrs 800K startup and didn't see any appreciable difference.

I should say that I see the same issues on another machine running W7, I5, 10G's memory, fully patched, latest drivers, and plenty of fast swap. Almost no plugins running on that machine.

If anyone has any suggestions I'd appreciate them.. I guess I will stay on 55.0.3 and continue to try the 56 dot releases to see if they are any better as time goes by but somehow I don't think this is going to happen.

This should be followed to turn it off properly. As you say you left it at 2 well then it is still running multi-process I would think.

You can try to modify multi-process settings to see if this has effect.

   set dom.ipc.processCount to 1 if it is currently set to a higher value (4)
   disable multi-process windows in Firefox 

You can disable multi-process windows in Firefox by setting these prefs to false on the about:config page.

   browser.tabs.remote.autostart = false
   browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2 = false 

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I accept the risk!" to continue.

   http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config 

   http://www.ghacks.net/2016/07/22/multi-process-firefox/ 

Fyi : Firefox Version 57 Quantum release date Nov 14th https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/quantum/

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

I had never said I left it at two. "ProcessCount is/was set to 1 in both versions" was my statement from above. So again, it is at 1 and always has been.

These have been set to false from my second post. browser.tabs.remote.autostart = false browser.tabs.remote.autostart.2 = false

So any other ideas since these did not do anything?

You can create a new profile to test if your current profile is causing the problem.

See "Creating a profile":

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Profile_issues

If the new profile works then you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over problems.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

Downloaded 56.0 and created a new profile. The only data I transferred from my old profile was the places.sqlite.

I added no plugins or extensions.

Basically the same problem.. Firefox constantly uses CPU and memory usage grows quickly. Only took about 10 minutes to see it.

I did edit the about:config to insure multiprocessor stuff was turned off as it was on with the current 56.0 download.

But no difference. Still a CPU and Memory Hog.

I returned to FF 55.0.3 and all is well..

What is the file size of that places.sqlite file?

Note that places.sqlite is accessed extensively because it stores bookmarks and history and needs to be checked every time you visit a new website (link), so maybe try the new profile first without this file and possibly manually import the bookmarks by importing a JSON backup (bookmarkbackups folder).

Downloaded 56.0.N Built brand new profile. No plugins. Did not copy any files to new profile.

Again, I did edit the about:config to insure multiprocessor stuff was turned off as it was on with the current 56.0 download.

Opened a browser window with a single tab. Accessed any one of the five US national news websites (one at a time).

Observing CPU with this just one browser/tab open it constantly runs from 5 - 20%. This happens immediately and memory usage just continues to grow.

Back to 55.0.3 and all again is well.

Bill, since I upgraded to 56.0 64 bit I can hardly use the internet. My 55.0.3 32 bit was working fine but got the automatic upgrade. When it didn't work I did an upgrade to 64 bit and it may be worse. How do I go back to 55.0.3? I know how to lock it in but I can't find where to download the old version.

https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/55.0.3/

I am using the 64 bit version and it works fine..

Thank you! Went back to 55.0.3 64 bit and everything is working fine. Pages load faster and I have 4 tabs open right now with no problems. I think there is a big problem with 56.0. Now all I have to do is figure out when I should update. Think I will stay right here for awhile.

Glad to see it worked for you also. I am sure there are many, many folks out there that have the same issues with 56.N

I'm running 55.0.3 with two browser windows; always 3 tabs in one and 4 - 7 tabs in the other. Basically works fine.. I may restart it after 3 or 4 days but more just "because" rather than I really need too.

I have 3 machines, one I7 and two I5's, all W7 variants, 55.0.3 is fine on all of them, 56.N is bad on all of them.

56.N definitely has issues. I hope it get fixed.

Does anyone in support have any other suggestions?

I am having the same problem as BillMason.

It started for me about a week ago when auto update went to quantum 57.0 64-bit version.

It is not just sluggish, it is unusably slow. I am having to use IE to type this.

System: i7 CPU 2.80 GHz, 12.0 GB ram, 64-bit OS and processor, Win 10 Pro, ver 1709 OS build 16299.64

Uses 22% CPU and 1.7+ GB memory.

Mouse arrow and typed text lag about 20 seconds, pages take so long you forget what you are waiting on.

I tried redusing the processes to 1, disabled addons, extentions, etc. no relief.

Thanks very much for any ideas, Red

Am I correct that if I use 55 or something old that I would not get security fixes?