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Mozilla Firefox - Plugins and Extensions

Restart Firefox from the Menu or Toolbar

SUMMARY: Memory leaks frequently require you to restart Firefox? Add a menu item and toolbar button to make it easier.

Do you frequently access complicated web applications in Mozilla Firefox or open a lot of tabs or new windows? If so, you may have noticed the browser running slower or requiring a lot of memory. One option is to occasionally restart Firefox, but this requires stopping the browser and manually restarting it.

How about adding an option to the "File" menu that instead performs a restart of Firefox, or even easier, adding a Toolbar button to restart the browser? With the "Restart Firefox" extension, your wish is granted.


1. Visit the following page from within Firefox:

* Restart Firefox Extension for Firefox

2. Click the "Add to Firefox" button.

3. The "Software Installation" dialog box will eventually appear. Click "Install Now" as soon as the button is enabled.



Installing the "Restart Firefox" extension for Firefox



4. Once the add-on has installed, click the "Restart Firefox" button. Depending on your configuration, Firefox may note that it will try to restart your windows and tabs.

(Yeah, yeah, you have to restart Firefox to add an option to restart Firefox.)


Once Firefox has restarted, when you later need to restart the browser, click the "File" menu and select "Restart".

"But what about the toolbar button you mentioned and showed in the screenshot", you ask?


1. Select the "View" menu.

2. Select "Toolbars", then "Customize".


3. The "Customize Toolbar" dialog box appears. Drag the new "Restart" button to your Firefox toolbar.

4. Close the "Customize Toolbar" dialog box by clicking "Done".


This tip was written for Mozilla Firefox v3.6.12 and the "Restart Firefox" extension v0.4. Screenshots, instructions, and features for other versions may vary.

Return to the Mozilla Firefox - Plugins and Extensions page.

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The MalekTips website was created in 1998 by Andrew Malek of Envision Programming. The page's goal is to freely disperse computer-related tips, hints, and informative articles. Tips are organized to be easy to find, and are presented clearly, in easy-to-understand language. MalekTips also provides information and links to public-domain, open source, freeware, shareware, and commercial software available for download. < more >