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Thread ID: 75105	2006-12-16 17:33:00	Firefox Memory Sucker	SurferJoe46 (51)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
507195	2006-12-16 17:33:00	It has been said that Firefox sucks up a lot of memory when you minimize the page and then re-open it again. You can test this thought for yourself, but I have found a neat way to keep FF from gobbling up a lot of RAM by placing the min'd page in what I call a Virtual Minimized Page on the harddrive. Somebody's gonna say that Firefox will then take longer to maximize since it will be located on the hard drive, but I haven’t noticed ANY delays.... it seems to redraw itself just as quickly as if it was located in the RAM (in my experience). Here's how I did it: A) Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then >> Enter. B) Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean. C) In the box that pops up enter config.trim_on_minimize. Hit Enter. D) Now select True and hit Enter. E) Restart Firefox. This also keeps CCleaner from removing the page and making Firefox redraw it's start-up page from scratch when you reboot...the screen still exists on the HDD. If you don't like the results and find it doesn't help much (or if at all), you can always go back and delete the same setting that you just created. You can also set the browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers value to 0 and that will prevent Firefox from saving pages for you when you hit the BACK button. You can change that 0 to any number you actually like. This will also free up some memory that gets tied up. I, however, don't use this part as I like to go back a lot....heh heh. I think that since the platform is the same, this might also work on Thunderbird.... don't know about Firebird or Seamonkey though.	SurferJoe46 (51)
507196	2006-12-16 19:05:00	Interesting. I'd assume it'll also be the same for Mozilla. However, although I have only a modest machine (P4 3.0gig + 1gig RAM) I can run up to around a dozen windows and do some serious multitasking, eg Photoshop, Polyview, Dreamweaver, Excel, Notepad simultaneously without any noticeable lag.	Greg (193)
507197	2006-12-16 19:30:00	I have a P4 with 512MB RAM, which is shared with the intergrated sound and graphics. I'll try this. :)	pcuser42 (130)
507198	2006-12-16 19:34:00	Well . . . . . and I don't know how this happens, but I use Firefox w/Google and Gmail with all the bells and whistles that I like . . . but, and here's the strange thing . . . . My MSN (from Verizon) loads SO FAST now that I have made these changes . I don't know why nor do I have any idea HOW it works, but it does . MSN and it's associated IE browser have always been so slow to build . They need to initiate MSN LiveMessenger, MSN Mail and all the snotty stuff it needs to open and used to take a full 10 seconds or so . . . even when I get full 4M speeds . But now, it starts almost as fast as Firefox, which doesn't turn on much more than Google Browser . I know MSN anything is a RAM sucker . . . and that's all well and fine, as I use the site for things that absolutely won't run on Firefox . (I know I could add extensions and stuff . . . but why mess with the very reason I went to Firfox anyway?) This new found speed in MSN makes me wonder if there's been some sort of global changes to IT too by the change in Firefox .	SurferJoe46 (51)
507199	2006-12-16 20:52:00	Interesting. I'd assume it'll also be the same for Mozilla. However, although I have only a modest machine (P4 3.0gig + 1gig RAM) I can run up to around a dozen windows and do some serious multitasking, eg Photoshop, Polyview, Dreamweaver, Excel, Notepad simultaneously without any noticeable lag. Same here. P4 3G, 1G RAM. With 22 :D tabs open, virtually no memory/resources change when minimizing and reopening with Firefox 1.5.0.8.	Strommer (42)
507200	2006-12-16 22:36:00	That config on minimise trick DOES NOT work. I used to do it, and found Firefox to be extremely sluggish. Memory usage was still the same more or less. Recommend it, I would not.	bob_doe_nz (92)
507201	2006-12-16 23:04:00	Recommend it, I would not.Rightyo (www.forcenz.com) :D	Greg (193)
507202	2006-12-17 00:21:00	Wait a minute . . . I get a write/read light when I min or restore Firefox every time now . . . so SOMETHING'S happening! I cannot say anything about clearing out of the RAM . . . but I never had the hdd light work like that before . . . . so there! I just tried another 'xperiment . . . I opened BBC World News Links (all 22 of them) seven times and had so many tabs running, and min'd them all and still only had about 287 mb running . . . I think THAT's good . . . no?	SurferJoe46 (51)
507203	2006-12-18 03:42:00	Those changes are really speedy	KiwiTT_NZ (233)
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