Windows 11 not always to blame

Q: I use Firefox as the default browser on Windows 10, and I’ve recently had the program crash at random times when it’s idle. Is this related to Microsoft’s decision to block Firefox from replacing Edge as the default browser in Windows 11? How can I avoid switching to Edge?

A: Your unexpected Firefox crashes on Windows 10 and the difficulty of making Firefox the default Web browser on Windows 11 are separate problems.

Last year, Microsoft made it difficult for the average user to replace the Edge browser as the default browser in Windows 11. Users had to open Settings, click Apps and choose “default apps.” From the resulting list, they had to choose a browser other than Edge. They were then presented with a list of every conceivable type of file that could be opened in a browser. They had click each one and select the browser of their choice to open that particular file type. Only then would the browser they wanted become the default for Windows 11. The move generated a lot of criticism.

There are several reasons that your Windows 10 Firefox browser might crash (stop working) or hang (not respond even though it’s still running.) Crashes can be caused by software that needs updating, malware, interference from other apps (such as antivirus or back-up programs) or flaws in your PC’s RAM (computer chip) memory. (To troubleshoot Firefox crashes, see tinyurl.com/yk4d6jat).

When Firefox hangs, the problem may be that it’s using too much computer chip processing power or too much RAM memory. These things can be prevented by disabling some browser programs, or by setting the browser not to download some Web content, such as tracking software that monitors your online movements (see tinyurl.com/2p8kwkbz).