507903 - Process fails to end on Firefox exit - causes numerous problems including with private data

Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[Jim Gamma]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.1) Gecko/20090715 Firefox/3.5.1 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.1) Gecko/20090715 Firefox/3.5.1 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

Firefox 3.5's process will not end when I exit Firefox. This occurs under normal operation, plus the following additonal tests:

- Disabling all addons/plugins.
- The above plus closing all System Tray tools (including antivirus and firewall).
- Closing all other non-critical processes in the Task Manager's Process list (i.e. closing anything in there that won't cause the computer to crash if it's ended).

This occurs on new profiles, after a restart, and after clearing all private data. It is also causing private data (cookies, cache) to be unavailable for loading into the new session, and, at an extreme, can cause Firefox to slow the PC down.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Open firefox.
2. Browse (not necessarily - I've experienced this just opening and closing the program).
3. Close firefox.
4. Check Task Manager. Firefox will still be listed under Processes.
Actual Results:  
Firefox process still in memory.

Expected Results:  
Firefox process is ended.

Default theme, happens even with all other programs closed and all addons and plugins disabled.

Comment 1

[Jim Gamma]

Attachment: A desktop screenshot showing a Firefox process with no open Firefox windows.

This shows a near-empty Task Manager, with no active applications aside from Task Manager itself. This is after loading and exiting Firefox. The process is using up 25% of my CPU power (I have a quad core 2, so it's actually eating up a whole processor).

Comment 2

[timeless]

https://developer.mozilla.org/en/How_to_get_a_stacktrace_with_WinDbg

~* kp

Comment 3

[Jim Gamma]

Doesn't want to work at all, keeps saying it has problems with the symbol file.

Tried downloading the latest 3.5 branch release and it said something about Shiretoko - couldn't even start that under Windows normally! Same for 3.6 (Minefield?)

Comment 4

[Jim Gamma]

For Minefield:

Reloading current modules
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\plc4.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\nspr4.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\smime3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\nss3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\nssutil3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\plds4.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Minefield\ssl3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for firefox.exe
.*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found.  Defaulted to export symbols for C:\Windows\system32\guard32.dll - 

and for Shiretoko:

Reloading current modules
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\plc4.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\nspr4.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\smime3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\nss3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\nssutil3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\plds4.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for C:\Program Files\Shiretoko\ssl3.dll
.*** WARNING: Unable to verify checksum for firefox.exe
.*** ERROR: Symbol file could not be found.  Defaulted to export symbols for C:\Windows\system32\guard32.dll -

Comment 5

[Jim Gamma]

Attachment: Attempt at running the debug tool with Firefox 3.5.

Attempt at running the debug tool with Firefox 3.5.

Comment 6

[Tyler Downer [He/Him]]

Reporter, are you still seeing this issue with Firefox 3.6.13 or later in safe mode or a fresh profile? If not, please close. These links can help you in your testing.
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode
http://support.mozilla.com/kb/Managing+profiles