Two instances of firefox in task manager

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ep0x73

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Sep 5, 2013
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Anybody else have this?
windows 7 64 bit, using 32 bit firefox.

Out of my 2 windows 7 computers this is the only one that has this happen.
My other two 10 machines do not get two instances either.

Does not seem to effect the speeds, just odd.

If I close down the exe taking up less memory it kills just one tab, if I reload that one tab it comes back.
 
If you're running the latest version of Firefox (and I don't even know the version number to be honest) it will more than likely be using their multi-process crap nowadays aka Electrolysis and it'll show up as at least two tabs - no, you don't get a process for every single tab like Chromium-based browsers do but you'll still see at least two of 'em at any given time.

If you're not running the latest version then I have no idea. I use Firefox Portable for many many years now and it typically shows two instances all the time: the first is the loader for the main executable and the second is that main executable itself, never been a big hassle or issue for me.
 
If you have a sandbox installed or one comes with your AV or Firewall, one of the firefox instances may be in a sandbox.
 
Strange thing is all my machines are using the latest [50] and have avast but only one machine has this duel exe process.
avast does have sandbox but I don't use it.

I did read somewhere after 48 that firefox is using multi-process, question is why is it on my old core2duo machine and not on my current skylake quad core system?
if you have the cpu power and memory it should make firefox faster.
 
I am running the latest Firefox (Portable Version) up to date and even with more than one tab open it only shows 1 instance in task manager.

Edit: Windows 7 64 bit.
 
ep0x73 said:
Strange thing is all my machines are using the latest [50] and have avast but only one machine has this duel exe process.
avast does have sandbox but I don't use it.

I did read somewhere after 48 that firefox is using multi-process, question is why is it on my old core2duo machine and not on my current skylake quad core system?
if you have the cpu power and memory it should make firefox faster.
Click to expand...
Check your PC in case you have more than one firefox executable installed.
 
Only one which has been installed for years and then just updated, unless one of the latest updates did something.
Went to their site and looked in their FAQ, seems other people have this issue as well but no answers.
 
Do you load FF from a shortcut? I've seen corrupt shortcuts do weird stuff like that. Try running the EXE directly from the Programs Files folder.
 
If it bothers you, I would back up your bookmarks and anything else like that, then use Revo Uninstaller to remove all traces of Firefox. Reboot and then re-install the latest version.
 
I have 32bit Firefox on 2 machines and it shows 1 instance, and 64bit Firefox on my other and it shows 2. All are v.50 in Windows 10 Pro 64bit.

EDIT: just looked again and 2 now have 2 instances while the other only has 1. strange.

Oh, one of the instances is listed in the Background process area.
 
Last edited:
DrLobotomy said:
I am running the latest Firefox (Portable Version) up to date and even with more than one tab open it only shows 1 instance in task manager.

Edit: Windows 7 64 bit.
Click to expand...

That's funny, I only see one with my current install right now but when I used to run the portable version I always saw two.

One thing I don't like about Firefox is that if I don't give it both in/out access in my firewall it starts up slow, other browsers only require out to function correctly so why not Firefox? I've always understood that you should only give outbound access to apps and never inbound.
 
rezerekted said:
That's funny, I only see one with my current install right now but when I used to run the portable version I always saw two.

One thing I don't like about Firefox is that if I don't give it both in/out access in my firewall it starts up slow, other browsers only require out to function correctly so why not Firefox? I've always understood that you should only give outbound access to apps and never inbound.
Click to expand...
Well, I am pretty baked so I may be wrong here.... I would assume it needs both ways, because, um you have to make a request which goes out and then that request is satisfied and data comes in.
 
DrLobotomy said:
Well, I am pretty baked so I may be wrong here.... I would assume it needs both ways, because, um you have to make a request which goes out and then that request is satisfied and data comes in.
Click to expand...

Nope, should only need outbound like all other browsers. It does need only outbound to work but as I said it opens up real slow on first start if it doesn't have inbound too. Maybe related to checking for updates but that should still only require outbound. I guess I should try and learn how to use Wireshark better then I can figure out why.
 
I checked my 2008 r2 server and I have both the installed version and the portable version. I can get 2 processes listed with both of them running at same time. Don't really know if that is useful but there it is.
 
RedWagnum said:
Do you load FF from a shortcut? I've seen corrupt shortcuts do weird stuff like that. Try running the EXE directly from the Programs Files folder.
Click to expand...

I do fire it up with a shortcut on the main screen, guess I could try going to the folder.
If that does not work I might just do a reinstall, I have FF backed up with mozbackup.
 
ep0x73 said:
Strange thing is all my machines are using the latest [50] and have avast but only one machine has this duel exe process.
avast does have sandbox but I don't use it.

I did read somewhere after 48 that firefox is using multi-process, question is why is it on my old core2duo machine and not on my current skylake quad core system?
if you have the cpu power and memory it should make firefox faster.
Click to expand...
Are they all the same OS? I haven't notice a performance boost from the multiprocess Firefox but I'm sure there is some benefit. Real Firefox performance boost are going to come late next year when they launch their "Quantum" project.

At one point I remember the second process only starting when you were viewing content that was compatible with the add-in container, like Flash. Now it seems it's always running and in the Background processes section (on Win 10).

Launch Firefox. Go to Task Manager/Processes and sort by name. Look under Background processes and see if Firefox is listed.
 
I uninstalled and then installed FF again on this 8+ year old core2duo machine with 7-64 and once again I have two instances of FF running.
My other 7-64 machine does not and my 10 machines do not either.
So out of 4 only 1 machine does this, the oldest machine, go figure.

Beats the hell out of me.
 
I noticed the 2 firefox.exe instances today. *shrug*

Also, Firefox 49/50 is chewing through 2GB of ram really fast now (both Windows and Linux) and then it gets dreadfully slow.
 
why does this damn browser eat up so much memory. for a laptop it hurts. chrome is just as bad whats up with browsers...
 
dangbrandon said:
why does this damn browser eat up so much memory. for a laptop it hurts. chrome is just as bad whats up with browsers...
Click to expand...

Try Opera, it has always been the lightest on resources for me and I use Opera Mini on my android tablet for that reason.
 
xorbe said:
I noticed the 2 firefox.exe instances today. *shrug*

Also, Firefox 49/50 is chewing through 2GB of ram really fast now (both Windows and Linux) and then it gets dreadfully slow.
Click to expand...

I actually saw this at a client's the other day. She complained that her machine was going very slow and when I checked Task Manager FF was using 3GB of RAM out of the 4GB she has. HD was getting hammered with all the swapping.

Turns out it was just one page that was doing it. May be more pages but for her the AOL home page caused the memory to spike within a few minutes. As long as she didn't load that site FF acted as it should.


Back to the original topic, I have the latest FF, Windows 7 x64 and I have two processes. When I start FF I have one but if I open a tab or two I get two processes. Not concerned about it. Memory use is still fine on my systems.
 
Good to know somebody else is seeing this, just can't explain why it's on one and not my other 7 machine as both are running the latest FF, both have had FF for years and just updated so it should be on both then.
The haswell machine it's not on has 8 gigs which is enough but the machine it's on is a core2duo with only 4 gigs and it just about taps out.
 
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