Firefox Ultimate Optimizer

[Broni]

http://firefox-ultimate-optimizer.en.softonic.com/



Firefox is my favorite browser ever. I love it because I can open as many tabs as I want in a single window and I can freely customize it with extensions. The problem is that these two great features, tabs and extensions, sometimes turn Firefox into a heavy burden on system resources.

But now I've found the perfect solution. It's called Firefox Ultimate Optimizer and it's a small tool that drastically reduces the browser's craving for memory and CPU. The program doesn't have any configuration options and can only be set to launch with Windows if you have admin rights on your system.

Once launched, it will simply sit on the system tray and perform its task in an incredibly efficient way. Just open the Task manager window and see the difference between running Firefox with or without Firefox Ultimate Optimizer.

I have one single complaint: I'd like to be able to hide the system tray icon. But I guess that's a small detail that can be added that to the Wish List for future versions. In all, this is an excellent Firefox companion that makes me love my favorite browser even more.

Firefox Ultimate Optimizer will make your Firefox browser much lighter on resources!

I just installed it, and so far I'm impressed.
Before, when I started FF3, it was using ~80k of RAM, and kept growing during use up to ~350k.
Look at FF RAM usage after I installed Firefox Ultimate Optimizer:

http://209.85.48.8/228/109/upload/p4124130.gif

[Teknophobia]

Cheers Broni, will give it a try.

Would be nice though if they could make it a FF Add-on.

TEk

[HAN]

Broni: I ran it through Virus Total and it came back as adware on about half of the scanners. As I have zero experience with the program, I'm not willing to express an opinion one way or another. Just thought you might like to know...

[Broni]

I appreciate your comment, Han.
The site itself is marked yellow by McAfee Site Advisor, but the download itself is marked green.
Also, if you look at your report, none of the major antivirus engine marked it as adware.
On my machine, neither Avast, or ThreatFire complained.

After an hour of FF usage, it's memory usage stays well under 5k.
I'll obviously post back, if I notice anything else.

[lgbpop]

Wonder if it will work with Opera....:D

[Broni]

LOL...
I forgot to say, that I scanned the file in question with Avast, and Malwarebytes, and they said nothing.

[wulawula]

Cool app. Just had a try.
Go well with FF 2 too.

[usil]

That report that HAN showed is a bit worrying. I'm not surprised that most AV's don't pick it up as many of them have weak antispyware modules.
The idea and results are tempting, but one has to wonder what is causing this to be marked as spyware. That's not to mention that I avoid programs that use the word "optimizer" like the Plague, and add "ultimate" to that, and I'm even more wary. I would use this with caution.

[usil]

I did some digging out of curiosity and found some interesting things.
Apparently, what the program does is move the memory to virtual memory which should theoretically slow it down quite significantly and make the CPU work harder. Have a look here:
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/8368/39503971nf2.png

Other people have also concluded that it is some sort of spyware:
http://firefox-ultimate-optimizer.en.softonic.com/comments

Some other interesting opinions:
http://www.ghacks.net/2008/01/12/firefox-ultimate-optimizer/
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=602648

[Broni]

what the program does is move the memory to virtual memory which should theoretically slow it down quite significantly
I discovered that thing about VM, too, but for some reason, FF instead to be slower, seems to be faster.
It's not only my opinion. Look here: http://www.windowsbbs.com/firefox-thunderbird-seamonkey/76647-firefox-ultimate-optimizer.html#post415241

I'm not surprised that most AV's don't pick it up as many of them have weak antispyware modules
I see it opposite way. If you look at Han's list, "better" scanners don't pick it up.
It seems, that the author is aware of this issue, and he made some changes:
Google's translation from Spanish (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://felipex.net/2007/11/08/firefox-ultimate-optimizer-v11/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=27&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DFirefox%2BUltimate%2BOptimizer%26num%3D50%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DnKy%26pwst%3D1)

[usil]

Whether it is faster or not, still remains to be seen. I haven't seen any real comparisons.

I did another scan of the file using both Virus Total and Jotti, and both sites reported that it is still adware, despite the authors claim that it is not. The anti virus/adware companies have labeled it Fireoptimizer adware. Here are the results:

Virus Total
Antivirus Version Last Update Result
AhnLab-V3 2008.9.6.0 2008.09.06 -
AntiVir 7.8.1.28 2008.09.05 -
Authentium 5.1.0.4 2008.09.06 -
Avast 4.8.1195.0 2008.09.06 -
AVG 8.0.0.161 2008.09.05 -
BitDefender 7.2 2008.09.06 -
CAT-QuickHeal 9.50 2008.09.06 AdWare.FireOptimizer.c (Not a Virus)
ClamAV 0.93.1 2008.09.06 Adware.Ultima
DrWeb 4.44.0.09170 2008.09.06 -
eSafe 7.0.17.0 2008.09.03 AdWare.Win32.FireOpt
eTrust-Vet 31.6.6072 2008.09.05 -
Ewido 4.0 2008.09.06 Not-A-Virus.Adware.FireOptimizer
F-Prot 4.4.4.56 2008.09.06 -
F-Secure 8.0.14332.0 2008.09.06 -
Fortinet 3.112.0.0 2008.09.06 -
GData 19 2008.09.06 -
Ikarus T3.1.1.34.0 2008.09.06 not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.FireOptimizer.c
K7AntiVirus 7.10.443 2008.09.05 not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.FireOptimizer.c
Kaspersky 7.0.0.125 2008.09.06 -
McAfee 5378 2008.09.05 potentially unwanted program Generic PUP
Microsoft 1.3903 2008.09.06 -
NOD32v2 3423 2008.09.06 -
Norman 5.80.02 2008.09.05 W32/Agent.EYHJ
Panda 9.0.0.4 2008.09.06 Application/FireOptimizer
PCTools 4.4.2.0 2008.09.06 Adware.FireOptimizer.F
Prevx1 V2 2008.09.06 Malicious Software
Rising 20.60.52.00 2008.09.06 -
Sophos 4.33.0 2008.09.06 -
Sunbelt 3.1.1610.1 2008.09.05 -
Symantec 10 2008.09.06 -
TheHacker 6.3.0.8.072 2008.09.04 -
TrendMicro 8.700.0.1004 2008.09.05 -
VBA32 3.12.8.5 2008.09.06 AdWare.Win32.FireOptimizer.c
ViRobot 2008.9.5.1365 2008.09.06 Adware.FireOptimizer.114688
VirusBuster 4.5.11.0 2008.09.06 Adware.FireOptimizer.F
Webwasher-Gateway 6.6.2 2008.09.05 -

In my opinion, Kaspersky, Panda, Avira, Esafe, Ewido, Prevx1, Norman, Mcafee are pretty serious engines.

Here are some more details from the anti virus/spyware vendors:
ASquared (http://www.emsisoft.com/en/malware/?Adware.Win32.FireOptimizer.b)
Sunbelt (http://research.sunbelt-software.com/threatdisplay.aspx?name=AdWare.Win32.FireOptimizer.b&threatid=306659)
Avira (http://www.avira.ro/en/threats/section/vdfhistory/vdf_no/7.00.03.120/7.00.03.120.html)
Kaspersky (http://forum.kaspersky.com/lofiversion/index.php/t51946.html)


At the end of the day, it is an individual choice, and people should make up their own decision whether they want to use it or not. Personally, I think the negatives outweigh the positives.