Limited plugin compatibility is the main issue with Firefox 64-bit.
Limited plugin compatibility is the main issue with Firefox 64-bit.
Some people might be unfamiliar, but Mozilla has now released a stable 64-bit version (version 43) of Firefox officially. Before making any changes, I want to clarify a few points: When you install this on top of your existing 32-bit setup, does it replace the older version, or runs as a separate application like Internet Explorer does with its 64-bit edition? Regarding extensions, I know there’s limited plugin support—ironically, Flash is still allowed—but do popular ones work smoothly? I’m curious about the top ten extensions and how third-party apps that use Firefox as their default behave. Will they cause issues or function normally? Also, if your system already has other apps using the default browser, will they continue to work without problems? I’m not here to debate whether switching to 64-bit is a good idea, just to hear what others experienced during those early Waterfox versions in 2012. Thanks for any relevant insights!
It should reduce problems related to Firefox's memory handling. With 16GB RAM, FF might struggle to utilize it properly even though it requires the space.
So after missing details, I took a firm grip on my position, backed up my 32-bit profile, and switched to the 64-bit edition. It turned out there are two distinct versions: x64 is installed by default in C:\Program Files, while x86 stays in C:\Program Files (x86). The x64 install becomes the global default browser and automatically loads all my settings and extensions—so far it seems to be functioning well. Mozilla could improve how they distinguish between the two versions, especially since both installers are named "Firefox Setup 43.0.exe"—that’s clearly a problem. Even the "About Firefox" window doesn’t reveal which version you’re using; you’ll know by checking the user agent string, which points to x64 (not to be confused with WOW64, which just signals an x64 OS). The control panel lists both versions, but I’d prefer backing up before deciding to remove x86 and keep x64. That scenario could be risky—especially if Mozilla removes the entire profile on x86 without a proper backup. While 7-Zip has handled this in recent updates by simply deleting the old version, that logic isn’t always reliable for older vs newer installs. Version 43 keeps messing with "search" again, even though we fixed it by disabling the search options flag—now it doesn’t respect that setting. Luckily, media.peerconnection remains enabled and the webRTC IP leak stays blocked if you set it to false correctly. It’s worth noting that the download page installers contain Adobe’s CDM/DRM package, which has been a recurring issue in Mozilla’s open-source approach. Fortunately, Mozilla still quietly offers an EME-free installer for version 43 (en-US), or you can turn off "play DRM content" under Options -> Content to remove the DRM plugin. My RSS app hasn’t crashed yet, which is a positive sign. I’ll check back if anything unusual comes up.
Choosing to release another update, removing the x86 version seems beneficial. I recommend creating a backup before proceeding, as I did. I've discovered that browser.search.showOneOffButtons is no longer functional. The positive side is that you can disable browser.urlbar.unifiedcomplete to eliminate the "search in the URL bar" issue. You can take it further with an extension; details are available here: http://techdows.com/2015/10/how-to-resto...indow.html
Performance so far matches expectations compared to the 32-bit version. There are no significant improvements yet, though some minor issues remain. I’m aiming for a stable everyday browser experience, similar to what I got from the nightly 64-bit build.
I think wait a bit longer before developers realize more users are switching to 64-bit and patch their code. I've seen one extension (Ghostery) appear with empty choices (lol), which might just reflect unsigned extensions in version 43 and developers not being overly lazy (fixed). Delays and unresponsive scripts persist if you're stuck on a never-ending Tumblr image/video page, and Reddit (with RES) or a long Twitter timeline also shows this issue, possibly due to the limitations of a G3258. I haven't experienced a flash crash yet, so it seems okay. I'm not a tab addict, but I use one tab heavily, so I can't truly compare across many tabs. I'd expect things to improve as future e10 builds roll out.