How to: Speed up Firefox

Have you been playing around with Firefox and noticed that it is not as fast as other browsers such as IE7 or Opera? There are some simple tweaks that you can enable by changing some of Firefox's advanced settings.

There are several ways you can do this:

1. Download an extension for Firefox, such as Fasterfox, to tweak these settings for you. [easiest]
   
2. Add a file to your Firefox profile folder called user.js and copy and paste your tweaks into it (Firefox must be closed). [medium]
   
3. Use about:config in the Firefox browser window (see pic below) - I personally like this method the best.[hardest]

Fasterfox Configuration:

Download Fasterfox and restart Firefox. Once restarted go down to the Fasterfox logo at the bottom righthand side of the screen and hit options:

Doing this should bring up the Fasterfox settings:

For the best experience with Fasterfox, I recommend the Turbo-Charged setting.

For user.js:

Open up your Mozilla Firefox profile folder. In Windows XP (by default) it should be at
C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR WINDOWS USERNAME HERE\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\YOUR PROFILE
If you haven't messed with Firefox profiles it should be the only folder in the Profile folder you want to click on. Open up Notepad and goto save as. Use the drop down box to select all files:

Now save the file as user.js in the profile folder you have already found.

Now that your user.js file is setup up in the Firefox profile folder all you need to do is copy code:

Copy this code first into the file - no matter what (common to all configurations):

Code:

user_pref("network.http.pipelining", true); user_pref("network.http.proxy.pipelining", true); user_pref("network.http.pipelining.maxrequests", 8); user_pref("content.notify.backoffcount", 5); user_pref("plugin.expose_full_path", true); user_pref("ui.submenuDelay", 0);

You must choose the catergory that your computer best fits into and only copy that catergory of tweaks

Copy this code only if you have a fast computer and a fast internet connection:

Code:

user_pref("content.interrupt.parsing", true); user_pref("content.max.tokenizing.time", 2250000); user_pref("content.notify.interval", 750000); user_pref("content.notify.ontimer", true); user_pref("content.switch.threshold", 750000); user_pref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay", 0); user_pref("network.http.max-connections", 48); user_pref("network.http.max-connections-per-server", 16); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy", 16); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server", 8); user_pref("browser.cache.memory.capacity", 65536);

Copy this code if you have a fast computer and a slower internet connection:

Code:

user_pref("content.max.tokenizing.time", 2250000); user_pref("content.notify.interval", 750000); user_pref("content.notify.ontimer", true); user_pref("content.switch.threshold", 750000); user_pref("network.http.max-connections", 48); user_pref("network.http.max-connections-per-server", 16); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy", 16); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server", 8); user_pref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay", 0); user_pref("browser.cache.memory.capacity", 65536);

Copy this code if you have a Fast computer, slow internet connection:

Code:

user_pref("browser.xul.error_pages.enabled", true); user_pref("content.interrupt.parsing", true); user_pref("content.max.tokenizing.time", 3000000); user_pref("content.maxtextrun", 8191); user_pref("content.notify.interval", 750000); user_pref("content.notify.ontimer", true); user_pref("content.switch.threshold", 750000); user_pref("network.http.max-connections", 32); user_pref("network.http.max-connections-per-server", 8); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy", 8); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server", 4); user_pref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay", 0); user_pref("browser.cache.memory.capacity", 65536);

Copy this code if you have a slow computer and a fast internet connection:

Code:

user_pref("content.max.tokenizing.time", 3000000); user_pref("content.notify.backoffcount", 5); user_pref("content.notify.interval", 1000000); user_pref("content.notify.ontimer", true); user_pref("content.switch.threshold", 1000000); user_pref("content.maxtextrun", 4095); user_pref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay", 1000); user_pref("network.http.max-connections", 48); user_pref("network.http.max-connections-per-server", 16); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy", 16); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server", 8); user_pref("dom.disable_window_status_change", true);

Copy this code if you have slow computer and a slow internet connection:

Code:

user_pref("content.max.tokenizing.time", 2250000); user_pref("content.notify.interval", 750000); user_pref("content.notify.ontimer", true); user_pref("content.switch.threshold", 750000); user_pref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay", 750); user_pref("network.http.max-connections", 32); user_pref("network.http.max-connections-per-server", 8); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy", 8); user_pref("network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server", 4); user_pref("dom.disable_window_status_change", true);

For about:config:

Open up Mozilla Firefox and in the address bar type (without quotes), "about:config" and hit enter.

It should bring up a page of strings, Intergers, and Boolean settings.

You will find the process for doing about:config is similar to user.js

Note: If a string/interger/boolean does not exist then you will need to create the value by right clicking in a blank area of the screen.

Note: Find the individual entry in question by copying the whole name into the filter area in the about:config screen (minus the comma and the value behind the comma).

Change these settings first - no matter what (common to all configurations):

Code:

network.http.pipelining, true network.http.proxy.pipelining, true network.http.pipelining.maxrequests, 8 content.notify.backoffcount, 5 plugin.expose_full_path, true ui.submenuDelay, 0

Change these settings if you have a fast computer, fast connection:

Code:

content.interrupt.parsing, true content.max.tokenizing.time, 2250000 content.notify.interval, 750000 content.notify.ontimer, true content.switch.threshold, 750000 nglayout.initialpaint.delay, 0 network.http.max-connections, 48 network.http.max-connections-per-server, 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy, 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server, 8 browser.cache.memory.capacity, 65536

Change these settings if you have a fast computer, slower connection:

Code:

content.max.tokenizing.time, 2250000 content.notify.interval, 750000 content.notify.ontimer, true content.switch.threshold, 750000 network.http.max-connections, 48 network.http.max-connections-per-server, 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy, 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server, 8 nglayout.initialpaint.delay, 0 browser.cache.memory.capacity, 65536

Change these settings if you have a fast computer, slow internet connection:

Code:

browser.xul.error_pages.enabled, true content.interrupt.parsing, true content.max.tokenizing.time, 3000000 content.maxtextrun, 8191 content.notify.interval, 750000 content.notify.ontimer, true content.switch.threshold, 750000 network.http.max-connections, 32 network.http.max-connections-per-server, 8 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy, 8 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server, 4 nglayout.initialpaint.delay, 0 browser.cache.memory.capacity, 65536

Change these settings if you have a slow computer, fast internet connection:

Code:

content.max.tokenizing.time, 3000000 content.notify.backoffcount, 5 content.notify.interval, 1000000 content.notify.ontimer, true content.switch.threshold, 1000000 content.maxtextrun, 4095 nglayout.initialpaint.delay, 1000 network.http.max-connections, 48 network.http.max-connections-per-server, 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy, 16 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server, 8 dom.disable_window_status_change, true

Change these settings if you have a slow computer, slow connection:

Code:

content.max.tokenizing.time, 2250000 content.notify.interval, 750000 content.notify.ontimer, true content.switch.threshold, 750000 nglayout.initialpaint.delay, 750 network.http.max-connections, 32 network.http.max-connections-per-server, 8 network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy, 4 dom.disable_window_status_change, true

Hope this helps everyone get the most out of Mozilla Firefox!!!

In-house, Tweakfactor.com: Firefox Tweaking Guide (page 4)
Mozilla Firefox, Flock

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Updated and Stickyied for user convienence

Update: This guide also works with Flock and I am sure it would also work with other Mozilla Firefox spin offs as well.

Thanks for the guide.

Been using FasterFox for ages, love it to bits.
Thanks for the guide, will try some of it on a dummy rig.