FireFox

[Griffin NoName]

I am slowly changing from IE9 to Firefox. This is really hard for me as I just don't know where anything is in Firefox. Also, there are problems I want to solve.

The tabs along the top (showing sites) - the print is too small, and the black on grey  not clear enough, for me to read. This is a serious issue for me. Is there anyway of changing it for visually impaired people ?

I tend to have too many tabs open at a time and get out of memory. There are several add-ons that turn the tabs into a list and save memory (and in some cases CPU). However the ones I've looked at don't seem very stable and there are many reports of people losing all the information ie the list of sites. Does anyone know of some add-on like this that isn't  buggy??

Adding bookmarks. There doesn't seem to be any add a bookmark. only an edit a bookmark. That's the only way I can find of adding one. This seems odd. Is there an add bookmark?

In IE9 on the bottom bar is a character/page size. You can change from 100% to less or more. These days I often have to change to 125% to be able to read stuff on a page. How to do this in Firefox?

[Bluenose]

OK, easy one first.  To add a bookmark, click on the star to the right of the search box at the top.  I'll get back to you on the others.

Edit:
Have you tried Theme font size changer?

Whilst not exactly the same as a list, have you tried tab groups?

To modify text size on web pages, click on the menu icon (three horizontal line at the top right corner), select Options, then click on Content.  Then set your desired font face and size.

[Griffin NoName]

Bluenose. You are my hero!

To add a bookmark, click on the star to the right of the search box at the top.  

I thought I'd tried every icon on the screen. I didn't see that one. Reason being it is joined to the "show bookmarks" next to it, and so I didn't realise they did different things. When I hovered over it I got the "show" and must have not hovered over the star as actually separate item so never got the "add".

The problem with me is I've lost a lot of my cognitive function and I miss many things, not just on computers but in real life too. It is quite scary.

Theme font size changer?

This is neat.

tab groups

Useful. But it's really the unload aspect I am looking for. As I keep hitting maxed out memory. Theres a tab helper add-on but it has no reviews and the others I have found all have reviews saying buggy - not sure which bugs to put up with!

Options - Content is actually better than the Theme Font Size changer which seems to change too many things at a time. I can't really quantify the difference, but visually pages just look better when I fiddle with Options - Content.

Thanks!

[Bluenose]

Bluenose. You are my hero!

 aww, shucks...

Thanks!

You're most welcome, my pleasure entirely!



WRT the memory thing, how much RAM do you have, I like a minimum of 8 GB on a Windows 7 machine, but 16 GB is not beyond the pale, especially if you run memory hungry applications.  Also, is your OS 64 bit?  If not there's no point going above 4 GB, as I assume you are aware.  I find that a 64 bit OS copes better with smaller RAM sizes, even as low as 2 GB.  So far my experience with Windows 8.1 (on my new notebook) which currently only has 2 GB, is that it copes quite well with limited RAM, mind you, I plan to max the RAM out on that machine - to 8 GB - as soon as budget allows.  Also, how large have you set the virtual memory to?  MS recommend setting it to 2.5 x physical RAM, also I like to set a permanent swap file as it is more efficient and gives you better performance.  

[Griffin NoName]

Broadly yes. All OK but machine full of crap. Needs op.sys. re-install but not worth it as just waiting on Windows 10 and will then buy semi laptop semi tablet device.

The major probs are a process that runs and runs and runs on wake up locking me out, can't even move the mouse, and I just have to wait it out. Then most of my browser sites need recovering. So wake up is a long process. But I do have loads of tabs open. To remind me I must do this and that.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

There is an intermediate solution when the system is fouled up: create a new system profile and after logging in that one delete the old one. It will free up space and fix a number of things without having to do a full reinstall.

[Bluenose]

If your new machine, when you get it, comes with Windows 8.1, I strongly recommend you install "Classic Shell".  Just Google it.  It gives you a proper start button and menu system making it pretty much like Windows 7 for the user.  Why MS don't understand that not everyone has or even wants a touch screen beats the crap out of me.

[Griffin NoName]

There is an intermediate solution when the system is fouled up: create a new system profile and after logging in that one delete the old one. It will free up space and fix a number of things without having to do a full reinstall.

It's not quite as easy as that though. Have to move, or share, ownership of programs and files as well. At least, in my configuration I would.

If your new machine, when you get it, comes with Windows 8.1, I strongly recommend you install "Classic Shell". 

.............. Needs op.sys. re-install but not worth it as just waiting on Windows 10 and will then buy semi laptop semi tablet device.

[Bluenose]

Yes Windows 10. Microsoft have promised to "fix" the interface before. 8.1 was a major disappointment, nor much better than 8.0.  They need to get over their fetish for the Metro interface, it just sucks for conventional computer users. I'll wait and see what 10 is like before I comment further on it.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

There is an intermediate solution when the system is fouled up: create a new system profile and after logging in that one delete the old one. It will free up space and fix a number of things without having to do a full reinstall.

It's not quite as easy as that though. Have to move, or share, ownership of programs and files as well. At least, in my configuration I would.

I never said it was painless, only that is [much] less painful than a full system reinstall. Besides, moving files isn't the end of the world in any shape or form.

[Griffin NoName]

I am living with the problems for now as I have no time to do such laborious stuff as needs doing. I've sharpened things up a bit by stopping qute a few services stopping automatic start up and disabled several others completely. I've become more and more convinced that the underlying problem is IE9 leaking memory and other unmentionable problems with it. Also, although this issue has been going on for weeks and weeks, months, the latest MShit updates seem to have improved it a bit too. I've discovered FireFox has a bigger footprint but it is working hundreds of times faster than IE. So, I have spent my time creating hundreds of toolbar buttons for FireFox and installing some impressive add-ons. I suspect there are lots of things I don't know about but I seem reasonably competent with FF now, so for the very first time here I am at The Monastery having clicked on my FireFox Monastery button.

Yes, I have backed up my profile. Well, to the same disc......

[Griffin NoName]

Odd. Everything works much faster in FireFox (not surprised by that) except the Monastery which is distinctly slower than in IE.

[Griffin NoName]

Got a message slow to load, try reset. Checked reset and it only keeps some settings (profile). Does not keep:

Extensions and themes, website permissions, modified preferences, added search engines, download history, DOM storage, security settings, download actions, plugin settings, toolbar customizations, user styles and social features will be removed.

I've customised with lots of add-ons, website permiissions - well everything really. The thought of having to do all that again is a nightmare. I don't see why fF can't keep customisations.

I'll never be able to reset.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The whole point of a reset is precisely to remove all potential conflicts, and if you did lots of customizations then chances are that some of those caused conflicts, although the most probable culprit(s) are add-ons/plugins. What are you using?

[Griffin NoName]

You want a list? Lots and lots. Probably silly. In time I can see if I actually use them in practice. eg. I have three ways of displaying History as I really find FF's unusable. Probably I will end up using only one of the three and then remove the other two. None of them is as good as IE's History. Grumble.  Another thing I have loads of toolbar icons, each had to be set up, and that was pretty time-consuming.