12 add-ons every Firefox user must have

A dozen extensions to fire up the 'fox!

Firefox's extendability is one of its great advantages, and there are thousands of plug-ins to choose from.

But having so much choice can be confusing, and it's often hard to tell which add-ons are worth installing and which are best left alone. So look no further - here's our 12 essential Firefox extensions. Download them now!

1. Copy plain text
Ever copied something from the web into a document only to have it ruined because the formatting is also copied? Fix this by getting Copy as Plain Text. Once it's installed, highlight some text, right-click on it and choose 'Copy as plain text' to do just that.

2. Get TinyURLs
This add-on lets you create shortened URLs without having to go to a separate web page. Install TinyURL Creator 1.0.5. Now browse to the site you want to share, right-click anywhere and choose 'Create TinyURL for this page'. The result is automatically copied to the clipboard.

3. Use hyperwords
For the Swiss army knife of text add-ons, get Hyperwords. Once installed, it provides you with a dizzying array of options for highlighted text through its right-click menu. Choose 'Search' and then select from Google, the current site or a range of news sites and social-networking services for immediate search results. You can also look up the selection in a range of reference sites, including Wikipedia and the Urban Dictionary. There are also options to translate the text or share it with others.

4. Resurrect pages
When a website that you need goes down, you can hunt through each of the various caching services manually to find a snapshot of it, but this can be time-consuming. The Resurrect Pages extension does the hard work for you, replacing the standard 'page cannot be displayed' message with one that includes links to web cache services. Use these to quickly see if a service has a cached version of the page you want.

5. Avoid typos
It's easy to make a mistake when typing in a web address. URL Fixer 1.5 anticipates common mistakes and sets them right so that you're not left with a broken link. It won't catch every slip, but it will help reduce your irritation levels a little.

6. Block ads
Adverts can be a big irritation. The AdBlock Plus extension enables you to block adverts that you don't want to see while allowing you to permit them for other sites. You can also set it up to block content from a number of different subscription services, and opt to turn off its filter for sites that you approve of.

7. Block script
Some sites execute code without your explicit permission. In a few cases, like that of the Twitter worm Mikeyy, this can be abused. No Script blocks all third-party scripts – including JavaScript, Java and Flash objects – until you give your permission for them to run. You can also identify sites as trusted so that you're not constantly vetting scripts on familiar pages.

8. Pretend to be IE
Some webmasters are wise to the fact that Firefox users can block ads and scripts with plug-ins, so they prevent access to their sites for people using Firefox. User Agent Switcher disguises your browser as Internet Explorer to get round this restriction. The utility adds a sub-menu to the Tools menu that enables you to select the browser and OS that you want to display to sites.

9. Run IE in Firefox
Some sites need Internet Explorer to render properly. Rather than close Firefox, try IE Tab. Right-click and choose 'Open Page in IE tab' to open a new tab that emulates Internet Explorer.

10. Add Google Bookmarks
Use the GMarks extension to integrate your Google Bookmarks with Firefox. Log into your Google account to replace the existing Bookmarks menu and Bookmarks Toolbar folder with GMarks. This is a handy way to keep all of your bookmarks in one place.

11. Add bookmarks from IE
Another bookmark synchronising add-on is Xmarks that has evolved from an earlier extension known as Foxmarks. You can use it to synchronise your bookmarks with Internet Explorer and Safari, meaning that you'll have quick access to your favourite pages no matter which browser you're using. It also provides site suggestions and community feedback.

12. Check site security
McAfee's Site Advisor add-on provides a service that's focused on making sure that you're safe online. When you run a Google search, each result is either rated as 'safe' or has any potential problems flagged. Hover over the Site Advisor icon next to the result to find out more.

 

How to 8 Easy Firefox Tweaks for Super Fast Web Browsing

Fast loading web pages while surfing the Internet may have more to do with your web browser settings and preferences than your Internet connection speed. Try these easy tweaks and you'll see that you're surfing the Internet from 3 to 30 times faster!

1. Open your Firefox web browser. In the address/location bar type [about:config]and then press your Enter key. (NOTE: DON'T TYPE THE BRACKETS.)

2. In the Filter bar type [network.http.pipelining]. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from false to true.

3. In the Filter bar type [network.http.pipelining.maxrequests]. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name and change the value from 4 to a higher number anywhere from 10 to 30. I set mine to 30.
4. 
   In the Filter bar type [network.http.proxy.pipelining]. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from false to true.
5. 
   
   In the Filter bar type [network.dns.disableIPv6]. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from false to true.
6. 
   In the Filter bar type [plugin.expose_full_path]. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from false to true.
7. 
   
   In the Filter bar type [network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help]. Now, you are going to create a new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer.
8. 
   
   In the New Integer value box type in [nglayout.initialpaint.delay] and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type [0] (that's a zero) and click OK.
9. 
   
   In the Filter bar again type [network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help]. Now, you are going to create another new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in [content.notify.backoffcount] and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type [5] and click OK.
10. 
    In the Filter bar again type [network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help]. Now, you are going to create another new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in [ui.submenuDelay] and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type [0] (that's a zero)and click OK.

Reopen Closed Tabs in Firefox

Closed Tabs With an Open Window

1. Step 1

   Click on “History” from the Firefox browser window of the closed tab. This will open a list of options. Toward the bottom of the list is the option “Recently Closed Tabs."

2. Step 2

   Click on the side arrow with “Recently Closed Tabs.” This will open another list. This list contains the names of all recently closed tabs, plus an option to “Open All in Tabs.”

3. Step 3

   Select your desired tab by clicking on it. If you are not sure which recently closed tab it is, you can alternatively select “Open All in Tabs” in order to view them all. Select the correct tab, and close out of all unneeded tabs.

When the Window Closes

4. Step 1

   If closing your tab also closed your window, not all is lost. Open a new window and click on “History."

5. Step 2

   Between “Home” and the grayed-out “Recently Closed Tabs” is the history of the sites that have been recently visited. Your closed tab should appear in this list. If you have your settings adjusted to erase your history when you close out of Firefox, this option will not work.

6. Step 3

   To check or change your “History” settings, click on “Tools,” then “Options,” and then “Privacy." Make sure to check the option to “Remember visited pages for the last [insert any number here] days."

How to Minimize Firefox Memory Usage

1. Method 1 - -
   
   (1)Open Firefox and click Tools in the browser top menu, then click Options > Privacy.
   
   (2)In the 'History' section, leave 'Remember what I’ve downloaded' unchecked.
   
   (3)In the 'Private Data' section, click the button 'Clear now...', when the dialog box comes up, put a check mark beside these items: Cache, Saved From and Searched History, Offline Website Data. You can mark the 'Cookies', too, if you want. Click 'OK'.

2. Step 2

   - - Method 2 - -
   
   (1)In the Firefox address bar type [about:config], minus the brackets, and press Enter. Click the button "I’ll be careful, I promise!" if you are seeing a warning message.
   
   Next, create a Boolean (false) value and name it "config.trim_on_minimize", without quotations. Set it’s value to 'True'.
   
   You should set the value according to the mount of physical RAM installed on your computer. Set value according to the following: (Installed RAM: 256MB / Set the value to: 4096), (Installed RAM: 512MB / Set the value to: 8192), (Installed RAM: 1GB / Set the value to: 16384), (Installed RAM: 2GB /Set the value to: 32768), (Installed RAM: 4GB / Set the value to: 65536) (Installed RAM: 8GB / Set the value to: 131072).

3. Step 3

   - - Method 3 - -
   
   (1)Launch Firefox then enter this, [about:config], without the brackets, in the address bar.
   
   (2)Scroll down and find entry that says: browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers, double
   click the item.
   
   (3)In the 'Enter Integer Value' text box, type in:
   "0" to disable the Firefox cache, change "1" through "8" to set the maximum cache; to "1" through "8" previously viewed pages, enter "-1" to return the cache to default. Enter value without quotation marks.

4. Step 4

   After reclaiming some RAM from Firefox, open the Task Manager while keeping firefox browser open. To access Task Manager:
   
   (1)Click 'Start'. Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Performance
   (2)Find the Firefox process on the current activity list, and view the RAM usage. You'll witness Firefox RAM usage drop dramatically.

5. Step 5

   According to lab tests, Firefox never seems to clear the cache memory it uses. It won't let go of memory until you close all windows Firefox. If you never close Firefox browser completely while spending several hours on the web, your computer will use nearly 1GB of accumulated memory during the session. If you feel a lag on your Firefox browser speed while online, then it might be a good idea to try the fix suggestions in this article.