Mozilla fixes Firefox crash bug

[Night Hawk]

Mozilla fixes Firefox crash bug

A week after releasing security update, it patches regression bug that crashed Windows browser

By Gregg Keizer
November 7, 2009 02:48 PM ET

Computerworld - Just a week after it last updated Firefox, Mozilla has rushed out a new version of its browser to fix a crash bug that programmers inadvertently introduced.

Firefox 3.5.5, which Mozilla posted for download late Thursday, fixes a small number of what the company called "stability issues" in the release notes that accompanied the update. Unlike almost all interim updates that Mozilla issues about once every six weeks, version 3.5.5 did not patch any security vulnerabilities.

The main bug quashed Thursday was one that was causing a high number of crashes in the Windows version of Firefox 3.5.4, the update that Mozilla launched Oct. 27 to patch 16 flaws.

More at: Mozilla fixes Firefox crash bug

 

[Zlazz]

Windows7 & Firefox crash

Firefox 3.5.5 still crashes regularly under Windows7 despite Mozilla's claimed fix - tonight I had 3 crashes in 39 minutes. However it has now been going crash-free for the last 3 1/2 hours after I opened Internet Explorer and left it going while Firefox was running. Downloads, graphics, pages, film clips etc all worked ok. Could I guess that something in Firefox/ Windows7 refers occasionally back to Internet Explorer and crashes Firefox when it isn't accessible? Anyone out there having similar problems might like to try this unlikely solution and report whether it works for them too.

 

[Qdos]

I believe I read that Mozilla have tried to apply (or are still battling with applying...) over 100 fixes to the current build, and have been through (is it?) four beta stages now - and that they're hoping to have everything sorted within a month...

Arguments that extensions have been causing browser crashes may well be true, as they're also allegedly examining codes in these plugin modules to try and make their platform more reliable.

 

[Uber Philf]

Well if this Explorer crash has been fixed, that's good, but its too late now, ive adapted to Opera and don't intend to change back anytime soon. Still have Chrome as my backup tho.

 

[Night Hawk]

Firefox 3.5.5 still crashes regularly under Windows7 despite Mozilla's claimed fix - tonight I had 3 crashes in 39 minutes. However it has now been going crash-free for the last 3 1/2 hours after I opened Internet Explorer and left it going while Firefox was running. Downloads, graphics, pages, film clips etc all worked ok. Could I guess that something in Firefox/ Windows7 refers occasionally back to Internet Explorer and crashes Firefox when it isn't accessible? Anyone out there having similar problems might like to try this unlikely solution and report whether it works for them too.

Welcome to the Se7en Forums! Zlazz

I ended up dumping FF entirely and went with the latest Opera 10.10 with Unite release as the alternate to IE 8. So far even that is hardly used while still serving as a secondary browser in case of any IE problems that come up.

You can see more about the latest release at Opera Browser | Faster & safer Internet | Free Download From comparisons made here Opera rings circles around other alternate browsers and is a clean bug free second choice.

Well if this Explorer crash has been fixed, that's good, but its too late now, ive adapted to Opera and don't intend to change back anytime soon. Still have Chrome as my backup tho.

Opera? yes! Chrome? leave it alone! It looks like a half baked excuse for a browser and sadly lacks what every other browser typically sees. Presently that one is still in early development stages at this point and needs a lot of work!

Speaking of Opera's latest here's one review on it.

Opera 10.10 Released, Includes Unite

posted by Thom Holwerda on Tue 24th Nov 2009 00:02 UTC

The Opera team has released version 10.10 of their feature-rich browser. This is the first Opera release to come with Opera Unite, which combines the web browser with a web server, so that users can share data directly between one another, without the need for a third party.

Opera hopes to change the way we use the web with Opera Unite. "We promised Opera Unite would reinvent the Web," said Jon von Tetzchner, Opera's CEO, "What we are really doing is reinventing how we as consumers interact with the Web. By giving our devices the ability to serve content, we become equal citizens on the Web. In an age where we have ceded control of our personal data to third-parties, Opera Unite gives us the freedom to choose how we will share the data that belongs to us."

Opera's website gives a decent short introduction to Opera Unite, and what, exactly, you can currently do with it.

You can read the rest of that at http://www.osnews.com/story/22528/Opera_10_10_Released_Includes_Unite

 

[Uber Philf]

Well if this Explorer crash has been fixed, that's good, but its too late now, ive adapted to Opera and don't intend to change back anytime soon. Still have Chrome as my backup tho.

Opera? yes! Chrome? leave it alone! It looks like a half baked excuse for a browser and sadly lacks what every other browser typically sees. Presently that one is still in early development stages at this point and needs a lot of work!

Haha, you go say that to Darknova, see what he says LOL.

Been using Opera as my main for quite a while now, since i had the FF Crash.

 

[cesnjak]

I think its up to your PC because I don't and never had any problems with FF on win 7.

 

[Uber Philf]

It always was my PC... Never said it wasn't, some sort of combination with x64 OS and FF 3.x series.

 

[Night Hawk]

Well if this Explorer crash has been fixed, that's good, but its too late now, ive adapted to Opera and don't intend to change back anytime soon. Still have Chrome as my backup tho.

Opera? yes! Chrome? leave it alone! It looks like a half baked excuse for a browser and sadly lacks what every other browser typically sees. Presently that one is still in early development stages at this point and needs a lot of work!

Haha, you go say that to Darknova, see what he says LOL.

Been using Opera as my main for quite a while now, since i had the FF Crash.

Check out some of the pages in the Post Your Windows 7 Desktop thread where someone posted screens with FF there. The images blast the page out on both sides! Seen that with other sites set up for IE where the text is stretched way out where you have to scroll the width of almost two pages to read a post!

Then the latest rush to replace release didn't patch any security flaws there apparently. On the other hand Opera offers a more secure browser to start with and doesn't see the same stretch out past width of page problems.

 

[Qdos]

I'm not a Firefox user. Never have been because every time I tried it I ran into some websites which would not, no matter what I did, display correctly.

However Opera is not stricken by this problem - and whilst I know about the latest Opera Unite facility I'd personally stick at v10.01 until it's clear whether building in a server to the Opera browser really is not just like dangling a juicy 'botnet carrot' out inviting hackers to compromise your PC.

My hopes are that Google Chrome stays simple, but gets a dockable sidebar...

 

[Night Hawk]

I was running the 9.62 then onto the 9.63 later 10.01 along with the 10.10 Unite for Opera. The information on what Unite does can be looked over at Opera Unite It's now simply a server addon being seen there.

 

[Qdos]

There are concerns being voiced, however... regards Unite and safety...

"Users installing Opera Unite, Opera's new web development platform, could at risk from being hijacked by cyber-criminals, according to security researchers..."

Although Opera v10.10 plugs a few minor bugs, I'm not absolutely sure there will not yet be security updates for it as it gets its real life rollout beyond the beta testing program which began in June or so this year.

The upgrade to the latest version also addressed a few bugs...

 

[smarteyeball]

I rarely have any crashes using Firefox official builds but have all but switched to Opera 10.10 anyway as my daily browser. I still miss no-script though.

I don't use Unite, but the idea sounds great. Too bad the scum think so too

 

[Night Hawk]

I don't generally use the Unite part of it either. But the 10.10 is also no longer in beta form there. Since Opera simply serves as a secondary browser here I looked at it for that purpose when having all of them lined up on the RCs for a cross comparison before deciding which would work best on the retail 7. The 9.63 had already topped over FF and certainly the Chrome browser that still looks like a hlaf finished beta version.

 

[rush2112]

I believe I read that Mozilla have tried to apply (or are still battling with applying...) over 100 fixes to the current build, and have been through (is it?) four beta stages now - and that they're hoping to have everything sorted within a month...

Arguments that extensions have been causing browser crashes may well be true, as they're also allegedly examining codes in these plugin modules to try and make their platform more reliable.

When I use FF 3.5.5, it tends to crash at times when I log out of some web sites. I think sprint.com is one of them. There are 1 or two more that crashes FF when I log out of them.

 

[bmb]

Private browsing and explorer crash problem still left or fixed in this beta 4 version?