# Mozilla Firefox

Application: Mozilla Corporation

Also called firefox, mozilla firefox, ff

Mozilla Corporation, Browsers

Mozilla's Gecko browser. On Windows the process is firefox.exe, with extra copies for content and GPU work.

## What you need to know

Firefox is Gecko. Chrome and Edge are Chromium. The process name is firefox.exe.

Mozilla Firefox is an independent browser engine. Extra firefox.exe rows are content processes. It is not a Chrome reskin and it is not msedge.exe.

- **What is it?**: A Gecko web browser

  **Many processes?**: Yes. Multiprocess Firefox

  **Same as Chrome?**: No. Different engine

Feex says

If you want a browser that is not Chromium, this is the common one Feex actually sees on Windows PCs. I still would not call the extra processes a virus.

## What is Mozilla Firefox?

Mozilla Firefox is a Gecko-based web browser. The Windows executable is firefox.exe. Profiles live under AppData, not in System32.

## If you have never used it

If you want a browser that is not Chrome and not Edge, Firefox is the common independent one. Install it from mozilla.org/firefox. It syncs through a Firefox account, not a Google account. Extra firefox.exe rows are content processes, the same idea as Chromium tabs with a different engine.

## What is it used for?

**Web browsing**

Daily tabs on Gecko. Site compatibility is usually fine and not identical to Chrome.

**Containers and strict tracking protection**

Multi-Account Containers keep cookies apart. This is a Firefox feature Chrome does not ship the same way.

**Extensions**

Add-ons from addons.mozilla.org. A Chrome Web Store item does not install here.

## Who is it for?

- People who want a non-Chromium engine
- Users who already have a Firefox account and sync
- Anyone comparing browsers without treating process count as a risk score

## Current status

Actively developed. Mozilla ships Rapid Release and Extended Support Release. This article is the desktop Windows browser, not Firefox for Android.

## How old is it?

Firefox 1.0 shipped in 2004. The project grew out of Mozilla and Netscape work that started in the late 1990s. It is an old, still-current browser. Phoenix and Firebird were early names. Those are not what you install today.

## Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Rapid Release

ESR

Beta

Nightly

## System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

### Minimum

| CPU              | A 64-bit processor supported by current Firefox, per Mozilla      |
| ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| RAM              | Mozilla lists 2 GB class machines. More tabs want more RAM        |
| Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per Mozilla |

## Resource profile

- **CPU demand**: Follows the heaviest tab

  **RAM demand**: Content processes and trackers

  **GPU demand**: WebRender and video

## Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

| firefox.exe | Parent, content, and GPU processes |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------- |

## Startup components

Firefox can restore the previous session. That is a Firefox setting, not a Windows service.

## File locations

| Typical install | C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\\                          |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Profile         | C:\Users\\\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\\ |

## File formats

HTML, PDF, PNG, JPEG

## Common problems

### Memory after many containers

Containers add isolation. about:processes is the Firefox-specific map.

### People compare only process counts

Chromium browsers also multiply processes. Count is not a malware score.

## Getting unstuck

### Open about:processes

That page names content processes. Ending a random firefox.exe in Task Manager can close the wrong tab.

### Refresh or a new profile before a Windows reinstall

about:support has Refresh Firefox. Profiles live under AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox.

### Install only from mozilla.org

Search ads for "Firefox free" are a common junk path. The real download is on Mozilla's site.

## Alternatives

Chrome, Edge, and Brave cover the same daily job with a different engine. Pick them for sync and site compatibility, not because a filename mill ranked them.

## Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

| Download            | [www.mozilla.org/firefox/ ](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/)Official Windows installer                                                     |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Support             | [support.mozilla.org/products/firefox ](https://support.mozilla.org/products/firefox)Account, sync, and crash help                          |
| System requirements | [www.mozilla.org/firefox/system-requirements/ ](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/system-requirements/)What Mozilla lists for current Windows |
| Add-ons             | [addons.mozilla.org/ ](https://addons.mozilla.org/)Extensions. Not a Chrome Web Store mirror                                                |
| Release notes       | [www.mozilla.org/firefox/releases/ ](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/releases/)What changed in a Rapid Release                              |

## Related hardware

RAM and a current GPU driver matter more than a famous CPU name. Firefox WebRender wants a working GPU.

## Technical details

Technical details

Release numbers change every four weeks on Rapid Release. This article does not pin a build.

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[firefox.exe: Application Process](https://feex.it/wiki/process/firefox.exe)[Google Chrome: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/google-chrome)[Brave: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/brave)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Mozilla Firefox ](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/)· Official product
- [Mozilla Support: system requirements ](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/system-requirements/)· Windows requirements
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: Mozilla Corporation

  **Category**: Web browser

  **Process**: [firefox.exe](https://feex.it/wiki/process/firefox.exe)

  **Engine**: Gecko

  **First released**: 2002

  **Official site**: [mozilla.org/firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/mozilla-firefox/)

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