FireFox 1.5.0.1 - Is it Profile or Extensions

Upgraded to Firefox version 1.5.0.1
Previous version was showing memory related problems. Hoping this update would be addressing this issue. After 1 to 3 hours of use, it also ramps up to 80MB to 107MB memory use. So I load FF Safe Mode, and like most others users when in native mode ... this browser is smoke'n. After a couple of plus two hour intense Internet sessions, I can NOT get memory usage past 45MB.
So I ask myself, is this a Profile problem (can not remember when I made a new profile) or is this extensions (I have over 30 + not using default theme).
When operating in FF Safe Mode, it does not load extensions, loads default theme and personnel tool bar and bookmarks (anything else). When in this mode does it create a temporary "pristine profile" or use current profile and load / not load the above stated values. I'm trying to decide is it time for a new profile or start to second guess the quality / compatibility of extensions in terms of memory leakage.
Have so enjoyed FF and extensions allowing me to "make it my way ". But I'm getting skeptical ... is their really a "free lunch ".

 

Since your extensions are located in your Profile, then yes, it is a Profile/extension problem. When you are using Safe Mode, that is showing you that your 30+ extensions/Theme is bogging down your browser. Perhaps an uninstall of extensions, rather than a new Profile could be in order.

When Firefox is started in Safe Mode extensions are disabled and the default Theme is used. It's not quite a pristine profile, but close. You might want to take a look here:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Safe_Mode_(Firefox)
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/faq#troubeshoot-addons

 

After a couple of plus two hour intense Internet sessions, I can NOT get memory usage past 45MB.

What do you mean by this? I would be delighted. The fact that 1.5 was climbing up and up in memory usage was one of my biggest gripes. My record was 133MB with an absurd 23 Tabs. I could not send any posts under those conditions. That was just a test, and it sent after I remove 8 Tabs. I keep only a handful of extentions, 1.5.0.1 with 6 Tabs runs at about 45 MB.

 

Hi Westside
The above memory usage was while Firefox was being run in Safe Mode.
I do use tabs, but rarely have more than 2 to 4 open, and then closed when not needed.

 

With Task Manager tucked to lower left corner of screen set to see top line only (column status to highest memory) I could monitor click-by-click how memory changed as I clicked in Firefox. It averages 700/750K per click. This occurring also on page reloads. Gosh, I think something is wrong. Going through my extension list, I was trying to understand what could have that much influence on each mouse click. When I came up to GreaseMonkey (manages pre-written scripts to alter view of a web page) it struck me. Many of these scripts could be presented / viewed / compared / run ??? internally to do their job... whether needed or not. So I disabled GreaseMonkey. Starting at 36000K, many clicks later it is resistant to go past 50000K. I doubt it is the extension, but rather a bad / outdated script I have installed in GreaseMonkey.
I do have some suspicions with SpellBound. While spell checking this post (adding 1 word to library) memory usage just popped to 54000 .... arh, grrrr.

 

Dennis,
I am, pretty much, done, with this monster. And, most of all, I am done looking at the task manager.
I have been using only 1.5.0.1 this morning, with its six tabs. I did not even look at the memory usage, but I saw numbers dropping and increasing for no good reason. The most absurd was the one which started at 60MB, and dropped 1 MB after clicking on one link. The best one was an increase of three MB when i clicked to reply to your post. Now, while writing this, I am up to 64MB.
When I closed all tabs, I dropped to 57 MB, now up again to 59.
So, what does this mean? Most of all that the memory leakage problem has not been eliminated. Back to Seamonkey1.0!

 

Morning Westside
After my last post yesterday, I pushed Firefox unrealistically hard.
For each test (Firefox Safe Mode) and (normal - All extension, less GreaseMonkey). I created a mundane Google search (example XP themes) and then preceded to click, allow to load, and then close the tab, click on the next site on the Google list. I was loading / closing 5 to 10 NEW sites a minute. I did this for a very long period of time.

RESULTS
When in Safe Mode
Memory usage eventually peaked at 65,000K. After that it would adjust down a little, but never going over. I pushed many, many new site loads into this peak number.. it would not budge past.

Normal Mode
Repeating above test (with new sites), I stopped after memory usage hit 140,000K. Disabling GreaseMonkey reduced dramatically how fast memory was used, their continues to be a memory issue. In all fairness, since Safe Mode did have a peak and stopped additional memory usage at 65000K, I would point my finger at extensions/themes as the primary culprit.

 

Here is another good read, regarding Firefox's memory leak:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Reducing_memory_usage_(Firefox)

 

Then, I guess that I should not complain.