Firefox 33.0.3 very slow?

HarryT · 11-09-2014, 07:06 AM

Firefox updated itself to v33.0.3 a couple of day ago on my Windows 7 PC, and the new version seems very slow. In particular, when typing in text (as I'm doing now), there's a noticeable lag between pressing the key on the keyboard and the text appearing on the screen. Anyone else seeing the same thing?

This is the first version of FF that I've ever had this problem with. Hopefully the next update will fix it again!

The only plug-in I've got running is the spell-checker, and disabling that makes no difference.

HarryT · 11-09-2014, 07:33 AM

Hmmm. I see it's listed as a known bug:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo.../releasenotes/

Quote:

Windows: Interface may be slow when typing or selecting text (1089183)

The workaround is listed as "Disable OMTC", but without any instructions on how to do this. A Google search has been unhelpful. Anyone know how to disable OMTC?

JSWolf · 11-09-2014, 07:41 AM

You can disable OMTC by going to about:config (in Firefox ad searching for offmainthreadcomposition. Then you can disable it from there.

HarryT · 11-09-2014, 07:46 AM

Thanks, Jon - I was just coming back to say that I'd discovered that! Setting "layers.offmainthreadcomposition.enabled" to "false" and restarting FF does indeed fix the problem

.

The bug is apparently related to the hardware acceleration in certain video drivers.

Lynx-lynx · 11-09-2014, 06:02 PM

I haven't had the problems that Harry described with v33.0.3, but I did have those same problems with either the last version or the one prior to that.

This version works fine for me.

HarryT · 11-10-2014, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynx-lynx

I haven't had the problems that Harry described with v33.0.3, but I did have those same problems with either the last version or the one prior to that.

This version works fine for me.

Looking at the commentary on the bug, it's been fixed for some video drivers, but not for others. My rather elderly laptop has an ATI Radeon chipset, which is one of the ones that appears still to have problems.

HarryT · 11-12-2014, 05:17 AM

This is starting to get annoying.

Now, in FF33.1, when I go into the "Advanced" editor here at MR, the entire editing panel blacks out, and then goes back to normal a few seconds later, only to black out again when I scroll the contents. FF seems to have messed up their video code big-time - perhaps it's time to move to Chrome?

EDIT: Not only MR, it's doing the same thing in Gmail's editor, too.

HarryT · 12-02-2014, 05:22 AM

FF has just updated to FF34, and I'm happy to find that finally the video problems I was experiencing (the text editor window going black for several seconds when it scrolled) have been fixed.

Dylrob · 12-05-2014, 06:03 PM

Sheesh.. Am I the only one who thinks Mozilla went a little nuts with the version numbers?

eschwartz · 12-07-2014, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Sheesh.. Am I the only one who thinks Mozilla went a little nuts with the version numbers?

Apparently it is "in" now to have wildly incrementing version numbers... think back to when it could be years before a major release. In anything.

11-09-2014, 07:06 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Firefox 33.0.3 very slow? Firefox updated itself to v33.0.3 a couple of day ago on my Windows 7 PC, and the new version seems very slow. In particular, when typing in text (as I'm doing now), there's a noticeable lag between pressing the key on the keyboard and the text appearing on the screen. Anyone else seeing the same thing? This is the first version of FF that I've ever had this problem with. Hopefully the next update will fix it again! The only plug-in I've got running is the spell-checker, and disabling that makes no difference.

11-12-2014, 05:17 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	This is starting to get annoying. Now, in FF33.1, when I go into the "Advanced" editor here at MR, the entire editing panel blacks out, and then goes back to normal a few seconds later, only to black out again when I scroll the contents. FF seems to have messed up their video code big-time - perhaps it's time to move to Chrome? EDIT: Not only MR, it's doing the same thing in Gmail's editor, too. Last edited by HarryT; 11-12-2014 at 06:23 AM.

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11-09-2014, 07:41 AM	#3
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,896 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	You can disable OMTC by going to about:config (in Firefox ad searching for offmainthreadcomposition. Then you can disable it from there.

11-09-2014, 07:46 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Thanks, Jon - I was just coming back to say that I'd discovered that! Setting "layers.offmainthreadcomposition.enabled" to "false" and restarting FF does indeed fix the problem . The bug is apparently related to the hardware acceleration in certain video drivers.

11-09-2014, 06:02 PM	#5
Lynx-lynx Treachery of images ... Posts: 4,069 Karma: 91561091 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Australia Device: Blackberry Playbook, Sony 650, Kobo Glo, H2O, Aura One, Forma, Libra 2	I haven't had the problems that Harry described with v33.0.3, but I did have those same problems with either the last version or the one prior to that. This version works fine for me.

12-02-2014, 05:22 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	FF has just updated to FF34, and I'm happy to find that finally the video problems I was experiencing (the text editor window going black for several seconds when it scrolled) have been fixed.

12-05-2014, 06:03 PM	#9
Dylrob Murderous Mustela Posts: 10,141 Karma: 47366760 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The other land of schnitzel and beer Device: iPad M1 Pro, Kindle Paperwhite	Sheesh.. Am I the only one who thinks Mozilla went a little nuts with the version numbers?

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