Firefox Tweak Guide

[Page 2] Essential Optimization

Before getting into any more Firefox tweaks or tips, this section covers the obligatory system optimization information I include in all my guides. Basically aside from tweaking Firefox itself, you must make sure that your entire system is correctly configured, optimized, virus free and stable. Simply doing some general system optimization alone can get you a very noticeable performance boost in all your applications and games, not just Firefox, and resolve a wide range of problems.

The place to start is with the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion. It is the complete system optimization guide for Windows users. Designed for novice and advanced users alike, it is written in plain English to help you genuinely understand all aspects of Windows and your PC. The guide covers every major topic, from the correct installation of Windows and critical drivers and software, through to recommendations for every significant setting and feature, all the major performance and convenience tweaks and customizations, as well as detailed troubleshooting advice. There are also links to a range of reliable free applications for optimizing and maintaining your system, as well as to important resources for finding out even more about Windows and your PC. There are separate versions available for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Also note that the TweakGuides Tweaking Companion has an entire chapter dedicated to optimizing, customizing and troubleshooting/repairing Internet Explorer. So for those times you have to use IE, or if you run it alongside Firefox, it is a must that you read the guide to optimize Internet Explorer as well as Firefox.

If you've ever wondered what common graphics and display settings like FPS, VSync, Refresh Rate, Antialiasing and Anisotropic Filtering are, and how they really work, then check out my Gamer's Graphics & Display Settings Guide for all the details in an easy to understand format. The guide also gives you a rundown on exactly how a game goes from a being a set of files on your hard drive to a 3D image on your screen, including relevant performance tips.

Finally, if you run an ATI or Nvidia graphics card, I have written two comprehensive guides which you should check out: the ATI Catalyst Tweak Guide and the Nvidia Forceware Tweak Guide. These guides cover absolutely everything about the latest graphics drivers, how to set them up correctly, as well as advanced tweaking, overclocking and benchmarking tips. They're a must-read for configuring your graphics card correctly.

The above information really will serve you well in the long run. If you don't optimize your system and keep everything updated and maintained correctly you will keep running into "mysterious" problems time and time again. Do yourself a favor and when you get a chance spend an afternoon or two optimizing your machine the right way with the guides above. That way Firefox, and all your games and applications will perform at their best.

The next section covers the basics of Firefox.