Firefox keeps freezing on Windows 10
Firefox freezing on Windows 10 is frustrating because the browser locks up, stops responding, or stalls when you try to switch tabs, open a page, or scroll. This article shows you the fastest fix first, then walks through the exact settings and files that usually cause the problem so you can get Firefox responsive again.
Quick fix
The single most effective fix is to turn off Firefox hardware acceleration and restart the browser. In many cases, Firefox freezes because Windows 10, the graphics driver, and Firefox are fighting over how pages are drawn on screen. If that does not stop the freezing, the next best fix is to launch Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode and remove bad extensions or corrupted startup settings.
Why this happens
Firefox freezes on Windows 10 when something in the browser profile, graphics pipeline, or add-ons is hanging the app. A broken extension, a damaged cache, or a graphics driver issue can lock Firefox while the rest of Windows keeps working. Hardware acceleration is the most common trigger because it shifts rendering work to the GPU, and a driver problem turns that into a freeze.
How to fix it
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Turn off hardware acceleration.
Open Firefox, click the menu button in the top-right corner, and choose Settings. In the General panel, scroll to Performance and clear Use recommended performance settings. Then clear Use hardware acceleration when available. Close Firefox completely and open it again. -
Start Firefox in Troubleshoot Mode.
Click the menu button, choose Help, then Troubleshoot Mode…. In the prompt, select Restart. This disables extensions, themes, and hardware acceleration for the session, which quickly shows whether one of those pieces is freezing the browser. If Firefox stays stable in this mode, the problem is in an extension or a browser setting, not Windows itself. -
Disable or remove extensions that load with Firefox.
Open the menu button and choose Add-ons and themes. Click Extensions and turn off every extension, then restart Firefox normally. If the freezing stops, re-enable the extensions one at a time until the bad one returns. Ad blockers, download tools, password managers, and tab helpers are the first ones to check. -
Clear the cache and site data.
In Firefox, go to Settings → Privacy & Security. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data and remove cached web content. This clears damaged page files that can cause tabs to lock up or make Firefox stall when loading certain sites. After clearing, restart Firefox and test a few problem pages. -
Create a fresh Firefox profile.
Typeabout:profilesin the address bar and press Enter. Click Create a New Profile, finish the wizard, then choose Launch profile in new browser. A new profile starts with clean settings, no corrupted preferences, and no leftover extension data. If the new profile works normally, your old profile is the source of the freezing. -
Update the graphics driver from Device Manager.
Right-click the Start button, choose Device Manager, and expand Display adapters. Right-click your graphics card and select Update driver. A bad display driver is a common reason Firefox locks up when scrolling, playing video, or switching tabs. After the update, restart Windows and test Firefox again.
Common error messages
“Firefox is not responding” — Windows has stopped Firefox from processing input because the browser thread is stuck.
“A tab has crashed” — Firefox recovered from a page failure, and the crash can point to an extension, GPU issue, or corrupted site data.
“Secure Connection Failed” — This is not a freeze message itself, but repeated security failures can make Firefox feel stuck while pages reload or time out.
When this means it’s a bigger problem
If Firefox still freezes in Troubleshoot Mode, in a brand-new profile, and after updating the graphics driver, the problem is beyond normal browser cleanup. That pattern points to a deeper Windows 10 system issue, a failing GPU driver, or security software interfering with Firefox, and you should stop troubleshooting in the browser and contact Mozilla Support or your PC maker’s support team.