Problem: Tor freezes / lags after update to v13.0.6

Hi,
since my instance auto-updated a week ago, I (once again) experience minute-long lags (“response times”) of the Tor browser.

It’s not actually a “freeze”, as the browser in general keeps responding: I can open tabs, request URLs, enter the menus etc.

The “lag” means:

  • I request a website (URL), and the browser starts indicating the “busy / waiting” state. This is similar to unresponsive server, or a slow Tor connection/circuit. But THIS IS NOT the case:
  • I can open various tabs, requesting different servers / websites. All will indicate “waiting” for response, for about 1-2 minutes. Then, all of them at once (within 1-2 seconds) will finish loading and rendering. This pattern continues with each additional request.
  • Tampermonkey: strangely, the AddOn also is affected. I click on it in the Toolbar, in order to access my scripts. BUT the drop-down menu does mot open at all. instead, it shows the “busy / waiting” symbol, but never comes back. (I have not been waiting longer than 30 sec)

I’ve already done fresh “install” of portable Tor in a fresh folder. Interestingly, it worked fine RIGHT AFTER the installation. But after starting it a second time, it showed the very same LAG behavior described above.

System Info:

  • Win 10 : Operating System you are using
  • also, onboard Firewall and AntiVir is plain vanilla Microsoft
  • v13.0.6 portable 64bit : Tor Browser version
  • Standard : Tor Browser Security Level
  • below : Step by step of how you got to the issue, so we can reproduce it (e.g. I opened the browser, typed a url, clicked on (i) icon, then my browser crashed)
  • attached : The Tor log

History: Interestingly, this same issue had happened once in the past, a few months ago. Then I’ve been using 32bit version of Tor, and decided to install 64bit version - which had done the trick by then. Later on, I found that the 32bit version also had “recovered” and returned working again.

Thanks for your inputs and ideas on how to solve my problem !

Tor Log:

2023-12-13 14:02:01.403 [NOTICE] DisableNetwork is set. Tor will not make or accept non-control network connections. Shutting down all existing connections.
2023-12-13 14:02:01.477 [NOTICE] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9150
2023-12-13 14:02:01.477 [NOTICE] Opened Socks listener connection (ready) on 127.0.0.1:9150
2023-12-13 14:02:01.477 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 5% (conn): Connecting to a relay
2023-12-13 14:02:01.525 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 10% (conn_done): Connected to a relay
2023-12-13 14:02:01.563 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 14% (handshake): Handshaking with a relay
2023-12-13 14:02:01.641 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 15% (handshake_done): Handshake with a relay done
2023-12-13 14:02:01.641 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 75% (enough_dirinfo): Loaded enough directory info to build circuits
2023-12-13 14:02:04.068 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 90% (ap_handshake_done): Handshake finished with a relay to build circuits
2023-12-13 14:02:04.068 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 95% (circuit_create): Establishing a Tor circuit
2023-12-13 14:02:05.946 [NOTICE] Bootstrapped 100% (done): Done

I came here due to experiencing the same severe slowdowns. I am not clear on the update(s) to Tor and/or Tampermonkey but it was the combination of the two. This was on both Windows 7 and Windows 11. At this time, both Tor and Tampermonkey are the most recent versions on these two systems and they both have the issue.

Turning off Tampermonkey eliminates the problem but also eliminates Tampermonkey so I hope a solution can be found.

Indeed, I can confirm: when disabling Tampermonkey Add-On, the problem is gone.
What is strange: I “installed” another portable Tor instance in a fresh folder, incl. Tampermonkey. It worked for some days, until I started one of the older Tor “installations” again. Since then, it’s consistently suffering the lagging described above.

Found this, which sounds very similar at first sight: Firefox search hangs due to TamperMonkey DB access error

Seems the root cause may be a persistent Firefox Bug?

Please test the workaround:
set Tor preference “History: Remember History”.

or use “custom history settings: Clear history when Firefox closes”"

I had the same issue. Long story short, I figured out downgrading Tampermonkey does the trick. I did download version 4.19.0 from the mozilla page and installed it via Extensions → Gear Icon → Install Add-On From File. Tor Browser is still the latest version. I did disable the auto update for Tampermonkey.

I did not have to do any backups of anything, everything went smooth, but prob create a copy of your Tor Browser first in case you should have issues with your Tampermonkey scripts.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/tampermonkey/versions

Thank you for investigating and sharing these solutions. The return of Tor+Tampermonkey to my routines was a pleasant addition to a day which was already sunny.

I tried both of the suggested adjustments to Tor history settings and they work and are a suitable resolution for my use of Tor.

seems I only noted the Tor update - when actually the problem was triggered by the silent Tampermonkey update which had slipped my attention.

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