Browser Protection is making Firefox sluggish

I have F-Secure Internet Security 2011 and Firefox 6.0.2. For the past month or so, I have noticed that with the Browser Protection Toolbar active, Firefox becomes very slow. Opening a new page, even a simple one takes an extraordinarily long time, 10 sec or more. Sometimes, the browser simply hangs up. This happens on both my desktop ( Windows 7 64-bit) and laptop (Windows 7 32-bit). Didn't use to be like this. As I said, it's a recent development. I have been reduced to browsing the web with browser protection turned off. Is there a fix to this problem?

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Comments

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    I have the exact same problem -- see my earlier post: http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Protection/Bug-in-latest-browsing-protection-plugin/td-p/1865

     

    I am sure it is due to the plugin. The sluggishness stops when I disable the plugin via IE8's or FF6's tools menus. Also, sluggishness does not happen when I use Chrome (no browsing protection for Chrome). The sluggishness problem occurs on both my computers (both have F-secure IS 2011). Both computers are running Windows XP SP3 32-bit.

     

    No one responded to my earlier post so I have no idea if the developers have looked into it.

  • BigPete, exactly! The problem disappears as soon as I disable the Browser Protection Plugin. It's disheartening that nobody seems to have an answer.

  • MJ-perComp
    MJ-perComp Posts: 432 Superuser

    Hi,

     

    is there a way to proof this by some facts /data?

    is it that it takes longer to display the first content of the page or just the complete page?

     

    Any specific pages that show significant differences when started without BP?

     

    Have you tried the new BP for FF7 (and earlier) ?

    (Please the the thread about FF7 and BP)

     

    BR

     

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "is there a way to proof this by some facts /data?"

     

    I don't know - for me, FF6 & IE8 don't crash completely, so I doubt there would be a log of it. 

     

    "is it that it takes longer to display the first content of the page or just the complete page?"

     

    The temporary freezing happens when you first load a page. For example, you click on a link or type in a URL and the browser just sits there for 10-15 seconds before loading the page. Sometimes it will say "Program not responding" at the top corner of the browser. After that, the page loads normally.

     

    "Any specific pages that show significant differences when started without BP?"

     

    The freezing happens randomly -- it doesn't hang on any specific pages. So disabling brower protection prevents all freezing, no matter what page is loaded.

     

    "Have you tried the new BP for FF7 (and earlier) ?"

     

    No, I usually prefer not to use software until the stable release. Do you know if the new BP plugin addresses this problem?

  • motec-data
    motec-data Posts: 47 Explorer

    You can try to change the profile name within firefox.

     

    I heard of a similar problem with Firefox and Chrome installed.

    The problem wassolved by renaming the Firefox profile.

  • MJ-perComp
    MJ-perComp Posts: 432 Superuser

    Hi,

     

    sometimes F-Secure just surfaces an already existing problem in FF or other place. What OS do you run?

     

    BR

     

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "The problem was solved by renaming the Firefox profileI heard of a similar problem with Firefox and Chrome installed."

     

    When the IE8 & FF6 freezing started, I did NOT have Chrome installed. I installed Chrome to see if freezing would occur on a browser that F-Secure does not support.

     

    Also, this theory would not explain why IE8 also freezes with BP enabled.

  • Hi, MJ-perComp

     

    Here's the anatomy of the problem:

     

    1. When a new page is loaded, the browser will hang sometimes at the beginning of the load, sometimes in the middle, or towards the end. On a Goggle Search page, for example, the page will load most of the way, freeze for a long period of time (10-20 secs), then resume. With the Brower Protection tick marks popping up slowly popping up.

     

    2. Problem is not specific to any particular website, or websites. It'll happen with a Google Search page, Yahho! news article, Facebook, Gmail, to give a few examples. I have not had a page that didn’t display this problem, including F-Secure website.

     

    3. Problem results in the browser hanging up for 10-20 secs. The keyboard and mouse become unresponsive.

     

    4. Problem is not limited to the first visit of any website. Revising the same webpage a little later will result in the same behavior.

     

    5. Frequently, the problem will occur on a fully-loaded page when I try to interact with it. For example, scrolling a page, or tying into a window (responding to a post on Facebook, for example) will freeze the browser for another long duration.

     

    Yes, I have uninstalled and reinstalled Firefox and F-Secure. I have also downloaded the latest (Aug, 2011) version of BP and installed it manually. These efforts haven’t helped.

     

    When I disable the BP plugin from inside Firefox, all these problems disappear.

     

    (P. S. As I am typing response, I am experiencing the same dealy, and freeze that I mentioned earlier.)

     

     

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "sometimes F-Secure just surfaces an already existing problem in FF or other place. What OS do you run?"

     

    As I said, freezing occurs in FF AND Internet Explorer. I run XP SP3 32-bit. Jhumur (the author of this thread) has Windows 7 and is experiencing the exact same problem.

     

    This is a multi-platform, multi-program problem that has been confirmed by another user. Both Jhumur and I have said that the problem disappears when BP is turned off.

     

    Seriously, what's the point of a forum if the moderator blindly defends the company? Next time I'll just shut up so PC Mag or some other magazine can expose the flaw when they review FSIS 2012.

     

  • I have to second BigPete's comment that renaming Firefox profile name doesn't help with IE9. In fact, if you open IE Add-on Management window, it tells how long it took any particular add-on to load. For BP Toolbar, it takes 22 secs. Furthermore, I did rename my FF profile name, It didn't help.

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    UPDATE: This problem has been confirmed by 2 more users. See this post: http://community.f-secure.com/t5/Windows-Technology-Preview/Firefox-6-crash/m-p/2369#M342

     

     

  • motec-data
    motec-data Posts: 47 Explorer

    What extentions are installed in Firefox?

     

    I'm using Firefox 6.0.2 on Win XP SP3 (32 Bit) and my System don't freeze.

    Some time ago I created a profil and use it since that time.

     

  • Frirefox 6.0.2. WIn 7 32-bit on laptop, Win 7 64-bit on desktop. Both experience the same problems.

  • MJ-perComp
    MJ-perComp Posts: 432 Superuser

    Any other plugins you use on both systems?

     

    BR

     

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "Some time ago I created a profil and use it since that time."

     

    Did you even read my and Jhumur's previous responses about the profile suggestion?

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "Any other plugins you use on both systems?"

     

    FF6: AdBlock Plus, AdBlock Plus Pop-up, Add Bookmark Here, NoScript, Browser Protect

     

    IE8: Adobe PDF link helper

     

    Shared by both: Flash, F-secure BP, possibly others (I don't know)

     

    AGAIN, FREEZING HAPPENS IN IE8 AND FF6.

  • MJ-perComp

     

    Here's a list of my FF extensions and plug-ins. They're the same on both systems...

     

    Eztenstion:
    Add Booksmark Here
    QuickDrag
    Scrapbook
    Tab Mix Plus
    Xmarks

    Plug-ins:
    Acrobat
    Facebook Video Calling Plugin
    Google Talk Plugin
    Java
    Microsoft Office
    Flash

     

    Thanks!

  • MJ-perComp
    MJ-perComp Posts: 432 Superuser

    Hi,

    does it make a difference if you turn these off?

    If so re-enable one-by-one.

    What happens?

     

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "What happens?"

    Hi,

    does it make a difference if you turn these off?

    If so re-enable one-by-one"

     

    All addons except BP were turned off and freezing still happened. 

     

    Seriously, are you going to let the developers know about this or are you going to blame something else again?

  • MJ-perComp
    MJ-perComp Posts: 432 Superuser

    I am "just" working for a partner of  F-Secure.

    Nevertheless the steps to find the root cause are still the same that the supporters would go.

     

    As we (perComp) have no similar cases been reported from our customer base I try to find out what actually causes the problem.

     

    You propably already have opened a regular support case and mentiond this thread. Would you mind to mention the SR-ID here for reference?

     

    Could you please find the file "fa.log" in F-Secure\anti-virus folder and post the first lines, after the problem occured. Maybe we are looking at the wrong end. Please also try disabling advanced process monitoring in Deepguard.

     

    BR

     

  • BigPete
    BigPete Posts: 42 Observer

    "I can confirm this on Firefox. Disabled the Browsing Protection add-on and Firefox became instantly snappier, feels more responsive and the browser freezing on some page loads is gone."

     

    Thanks for your input! Hopefully the higher-ups will see that this is not an isolated problem.

  • patet
    patet Posts: 57 Explorer

    Indeed, it seems clear to me that theres a problem with Browsing Protection. Also IE9 actually complains that BW is making it slower.

     

    This plus the fact that BW hasnt even been properly updated when browsers release updates seems to me like it isnt cared about very well.

  • MJ-perComp
    MJ-perComp Posts: 432 Superuser

    Sure BP makes browsing a bit slower because each URL needs to be checked before the browser starts downloading the content. And that is why IE9 "complains". Certainly this is basically also true for FF, but it does not explain why for 15-20 sec nothing happens as the others state.

     

    Concerning the updates - as I mentioned before in an other thread:

    1) There is already a Version for FF7 beta available

    2) What would you say if BP blocks everthing with FF7(release) because mozilla decided to change a byte in the final code? You have to allow a couple of days for testing the final version before you send out a version to everyone! Noone forces you to upgrade the same day when FF7 is released. Why do you complain about F-Secure but not about all the other Add-Ons that are not even available for FF5 yet?

     

  • patet
    patet Posts: 57 Explorer

    Well, first of all, I dont use any addons that arent properly updated, except BP, also as BP is part of my security suite you could think it has higher priority in being up-to-date. Secondly, I am paying for this product, not for the other add-ons, when you pay for something you kinda expect the product to be quality and beat free alternatives, if this is not the case then you usually stop paying for the product in question.

     

    Now, I of course understand the need to fetch info for the URL before loading the webpage to prevent the execution of malware on the webpage, but if it is slowing things down this much, theres clearly some kind of problem here. If I remember right, Firefox's error console also shows some (or a lot of) errors originating from Litmus-FF, this doesnt sound really good or efficient to me either.

     

    Also I just did quick Googling and found these:

    https://support.mozilla.com/fi/questions/812680

    https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=557008

    https://support.mozilla.com/fi/questions/781699

    Sounds like we arent the only ones having problems with BP.

     

    Also the worst problem that I had, which was Firefox hanging sometimes for long times when opening a new webpage, is gone now after disabling BP, in addition to the browser feeling generally more fluid and faster.

     

    Also IE9 nagging about Browsing Protection continuously isnt really great either.

     

    Now, if we think about fetching info for an URL, you could think its a fast and simple process, just some bits of data needing to be sent (the url) and fetched (safe or not safe). Now why would this slow down browsing so much?

     

    To me theres clearly (you could even say serious) problems with the add-on, regarding both performance and reliability.

  • Siltanen
    Siltanen Posts: 61 Former F-Secure Employee

    Hello everybody!

     

    It would help us a great deal if you could provide us with a couple of FSDIAG's from the affected workstations so we could take a look at the problem a bit closer. The best way to do this would be of course to open a support ticket with us:

     

    http://www.f-secure.com/en/web/home_global/support/contact

     

    If you have already opened a support ticket about the issue, please let me know the SR ID of the support ticket so I can take a closer look at it. If you haven't yet opened a ticket, please do so and let me know the SR ID (via private message for example).

  • There is an additional issue with the browsing protection toolbar and IE 9. When I navigate to "pinned sites" from my task bar, the BPT does not appear at all so I'm assuming it only works when I use the browser thus making it useless for pinned sites. Now you can argue that the pinned sites were already marked as safe before I pinned them BUT it is possible to surf away from these sites and the BPT still does not appear. So in truth, this protection does not appear to be as robust as the add-on Web of Trust which does appear universally whether I'm in the browser or browsing from a pinned site.

  • patet
    patet Posts: 57 Explorer

    Sent PM.

  • Hi,

    does it make a difference if you turn these off?

    If so re-enable one-by-one.

    What happens?

    Ya, whatever!

  • Clearly, we're not going to get any meaningful support from F-S on this. My solution is simple: continue using FF/IE with BP protection turned off, until my subscription with F-Secure expires in October.

This discussion has been closed.
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