prefs.js

[ftr]

Since some time FF gets unresponsive from time to time, and the health
report says the start is slow.

Looking to the Help pages (
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/999860 ) I found that the
user.js file might be corrupted.

I opened it with the Windows Script Host and it says:
Script:
C:\users\.. \AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\...\prefs.js
Line: 1
Character: 1
Error: Wrong character
code: 800A03F6
source: compilation error Microsoft JScript

Can I simply delete the prefs.js file ? Does it recreate itself with the
next start ? Or should I delete the entire profile ? But if I do the
latter how to transfer the saved login/password informations ?

TIA

[Disaster Master]

On 12/12/2016 6:14 AM, ftr <publi...@free.fr> wrote:

Can I simply delete the prefs.js file ? Does it recreate itself with the 
next start ?

Yes, and yes.

But also... do you have a user.js file? This is where you should put user mods to the prefs.js file (never edit it directly). If you have one, this may be the source of the problem.

Or, a problematic Addon...

[Mayayana]

"ftr" <publi...@free.fr> wrote

| Looking to the Help pages (
| https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/999860 ) I found that the
| user.js file might be corrupted.
|
| I opened it with the Windows Script Host and it says:
| Script:
| C:\users\.. \AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\...\prefs.js
| Line: 1
| Character: 1
| Error: Wrong character
| code: 800A03F6
| source: compilation error Microsoft JScript
|

You're way out in left field here. First, you're
talking about user.js but opened prefs.js. The
former is an optional file meant to be used if one
wants to edit prefs.js. Prefs.js gets editied through
about:config. User.js, if present, is parsed after
prefs.js. It can contain any additional settings
you want to use.

Second, neither file is javascript. (Why they're
named .js is a mystery.) Each line has faux-script
syntax, but it has nothing to do with javascript. It
could just as easily be an INI file, which is how it
functions. Apparently the Netscape people who came
up with it just liked to use javascript syntax because
it's "webby".
By running it as a .js file you asked WSH to parse it
as script. The first line is this:

# Mozilla User Preferences

First character in line 1 is #. That's not a comment
character in javascript. In other words, you might just
as well have renamed system.ini to system.js, then
double-clicked it. WSH is a script interpreter. It sees
a .js file as javascript to be interpreted and run, but
can't make sense of prefs.js (or system.ini) because
it's not javascript.

| Can I simply delete the prefs.js file ? Does it recreate itself with the
| next start ? Or should I delete the entire profile ? But if I do the
| latter how to transfer the saved login/password informations ?
|

You're striking blind. You can delete prefs.js.
You can delete the whole thing. You can reinstall
and not save personal files when you uninstall.
But you will have to save all of your settings
and re-enter them later, if you've customized
anything. The typical route is the opposite: to
back up user.js and prefs.js so that you don't
have to go through all those settings again if you
lose your system. There's no reason to assume
that your prefs settings are causing slow startup.

[ftr]

I don't see a user.js , at least not in the sub-folder where the
prefs.js is.
How can I put user modifications inot the user.js instead of the
prefs.js file ?

BTW, I am not a developer just a user who wants to have FF more responsive.

The longest start-up time was nearly 7.000 seconds three weeks ago.
>
> Or, a problematic Addon...

FF Health report says I have 8 extensions and 4 pluggins running.
However, when looking in the tools/add-ons menu 4 extensions only are
listed and 4 plugins.

So, the numbers of installed items on the about:addons page and on the
about:healthreport pages do not coincide.
Is this normal behaviour of FF?

Currently there are
The extensions:
google scholar button
saved password editor
show/hide passwords
TinEye Reverse Image Search

the plugins:
OpenH264 Video Codec by Cisco
Primetime content decryption module
Shockwave Flash
Widevine content decryption
all set on Always Activate

The plugin check says Adobe Flash Player Shockwave Flash 23.0 r0 v.
23.0.0.20 is up to date.
No info about the other.

This month FF had 1 application and 1 plugin crash.
Appearance is default.

Does this add up to picture ?

--
TIA
ftr

_________________________________
TB 45.5.1, Windows 7 Professional

[Chris Ilias]

Unless you're getting the error message "Firefox doesn't know how to
open this address, because the protocol (javascript) isn't associated
with any program", then the support forum link you posted does not apply
to your problem.

If Firefox is becoming unresponsive, try the solutions in this article:
<https://support.mozilla.org/kb/firefox-hangs-or-not-responding>.

--
Chris Ilias <http://ilias.ca>
Mailing list/Newsgroup moderator

[Disaster Master]

On 12/12/2016 9:08 AM, ftr <publi...@free.fr> wrote:

I don't see a user.js , at least not in the sub-folder where the 
prefs.js is.

Ok, so you've never created one.

Understand - this is not there by default, you must first create it, then edit.

How can I put user modifications inot the user.js instead of the 
prefs.js file ?

Create it, then edit it to contain what you want.

BTW, I am not a developer just a user who wants to have FF more responsive.

The longest start-up time was nearly 7.000 seconds three weeks ago.

Have you tried starting in Safe Mode?

[WaltS48]

On 12/12/2016 9:08 AM, ftr wrote:
> The longest start-up time was nearly 7.000 seconds three weeks ago.

My Firefox 50.0.2 with a test profile took about 6 seconds to open to
the default home page on Windows 10 with a 2.2 GHz CPU and 6GB RAM.

What's the problem?

[ftr]

Sorry, I mixed the points and the commata: the max here is at nearly
7,000 seconds start time. Yesterday, I waited just 900 seconds to start,
waiting becomes a standard part of working with FF.

But then, there are the unresponsive scripts which make fluid working a
dream.

[ftr]

not 7.000 seconds but 7,000 seconds.

>
> Have you tried starting in Safe Mode?

Start-up time then becomes two, three seconds.

But if I would refresh FF how can I save my saved passwords from the old
to the new profile ? I guess this is the most important information that
gets lost when changing profiles.

[Disaster Master]

On 12/12/2016 2:04 PM, ftr <publi...@free.fr> wrote:

BTW, I am not a developer just a user who wants to have FF more responsive.

The longest start-up time was nearly 7.000 seconds three weeks ago.

not 7.000 seconds but 7,000 seconds.

7,000 seconds? That's almost 2 HOURS??

Sorry, but if that is right, there is something seriously hosed.

Have you tried starting in Safe Mode?

Start-up time then becomes two, three seconds.

Next step is disable all Addons - what happens?

But if I would refresh FF how can I save my saved passwords from the old 
to the new profile ? I guess this is the most important information that 
gets lost when changing profiles.

Looks like just two files:

key3.db
logins.json

From:

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

[Wolf K.]

On 2016-12-12 14:04, ftr wrote:
> But if I would refresh FF how can I save my saved passwords from the old
> to the new profile ? I guess this is the most important information that
> gets lost when changing profiles.

Frome
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/refresh-firefox-reset-add-ons-and-settings:

"If you're having problems with Firefox, refreshing it can help. The
refresh feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its default
state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords,
and open tabs. "

But save the Profile, just in case.

HTH

--
Wolf K.
https://kirkwood40.blogspot.com
It's called "opinion" because it's not knowledge.

[ftr]

I had looked on that page and used their tips but to no avail.
I increased the response time for scripts to 20.

Material acceleration is enabled.
I deleted content-prefs.sqlite .

Now, FF has become far more reactive. Maybe that was the solution ?

Thanks for the link to the page.
-ftr

[ftr]

I refreshed FF , FF became far more rapid.
But then the delays started to grow again.

The Health graph shows all date for the same day on one line and
squeezes it: http://www.cjoint.com/c/FLurJMYYW2C

What I don't understand is the variation in the start-up time for a
single day: between max such as 7000 or 4000 seconds the majority is
below 500, but some also very close to the bottom line, and then
suddenly, delays of 1000 or 800 seconds today when I also get FF started
in, I guess, below 300 seconds.


How can I see the precise start-up time ?
You can't use the graph of start-time time by day to see whether
disabling add-ons , and which ones, helped.

So, I looked into the data download but to me there was no easy way in
finding the data for start-up time by date & hour so that I could graph
the data myself. Is there anywhere a tool which could do that ?

Does a well-furnished bookmark list drive start-up time high ?

Is the slow start-up time linked to the fact that my physical memory is
all the time busy at 65% ?

[Keith Nuttle]

On 12/20/2016 4:05 PM, ftr wrote:
>>> as nearly 7.000 seconds three weeks ago.
> not 7.000 seconds but 7,000 seconds.

I am not knowledgeable about programing or computers, but if your
computer is taking 7000 seconds to start, my guess is that your OS is
corrupted, and it is not a Firefox problem per se.

If you are running windows, look in the Event Viewer and see what error
codes your computer is generating. In windows 10 right click on the
White MS Icon on the left end of the Toolbar, and then click Event
Viewer. Look in the folder Windows Logs, and then in each sub folder.

I am guessing you are seeing many Errors in these logs.

If you are running Windows 10 and you are seeing many errors you can
first search for the most common error in the log. If there are many
errors it may be easier to Do a Reset of Windows 10. (Search the net
and learn what you are doing before doing the actual reset.)

The 65% use of the physical memory is another indication that you have
serious problems with the OS.

To answer your question you can save the profiles for Thunderbird and
Firefox. In the Mozilla program click Help in the Menu, then
Troubleshooting. When you click Profile folder, it will show you your
profile. Move back to Firefox and copy the folder name Profile and the
file named Profile.ini to another disk. (and all of your other data)

Once you have done the reset you can copy it back.

[EE]

I believe that having a lot of favicons can make the startup slower. If
the bookmarks are just text, it does not slow things down. I have no
favicons at all, and my startup is fairly fast.

[ftr]

I just looked on the start-up time graph and saw what I experienced: a
start-up at 0 and another at 800 seconds. How's that possible with the
same preferences ?