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47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned)

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[Firefox] How do i turn off Software Auto Updater?

Seems like "Never Check for Updates." setting in FF does not work anymore. So is there anyway to turn off Software Auto Updater in FF.?

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
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join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

1 edit

darcilicious

Premium Member

I think this is working for me (v29) -- there's only been one update so I can't recall 100%

MarkRH
Premium Member
join:2005-02-08
Edmond, OK

MarkRH

Premium Member

I have "Never check for updates" selected and none of the other boxes checked. Been working fine for me.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

Well, the bug in Firefox (prior to 29.0.1, or was it 29.0.0) was that even with that setting checked, if you went to the help|about screen, and then clicked on "Check for updates" button, not only did it check for, it also installed the update without telling you what it was doing.

So, as long as you keep it set like you have it (which, btw, is how I have mine set as well), and don't click the button to check for updates, you should be fine.

Here are my settings




With the bug in the button code, I would recommend checking for updates either from this forum, or by going to the actual Firefox download page and seeing what version is out there. Yes, its a few more steps, and a bit more work on the end users part, but at least you don't have the software doing it automatically.

--Brian

anonomeX
@71.207.157.x

anonomeX

Anon

I use the RSS feed at portableapps.com to get notified when a new portable edition is available (always the same day as the Mozilla release).
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned) to plencnerb

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to plencnerb
That's the first thing i have done right after installing FF.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR

darcilicious

Premium Member

And? Did it update?
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned)

Member

It is asking me to Update it each time i lunch FF, but no it has not Auto Updated.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

What Version of Firefox do you have installed?

In case you missed it, you can see this thread that talks all about the broken update process, and how it is now fixed in Firefox 29.0.0 and newer.

»Firefox dishonesty

--Brian

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere to plencnerb

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to plencnerb
said by plencnerb:

....With the bug in the button code, I would recommend checking for updates either from this forum, or by going to the actual Firefox download page and seeing what version is out there. Yes, its a few more steps, and a bit more work on the end users part, but at least you don't have the software doing it automatically.

 
I generally did it that way anyway, even before I learned of the bug.

I like having control over my computers.

Fortunately Windows Update does not seem to have such a bug.
47717768 (banned)
join:2003-12-08
Birmingham, AL

47717768 (banned)

Member

The same here. All of my software i am using is set to manual updates.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere

Premium Member

 
Though Windows Update seems to behave in a more civilized manner, I have mine set to Manual/Disabled for all versions of Windows, and previously had set it to ask before even downloading any updates.

Of course, that setting is moot for XP and Win2K, both of which I still use.
Davesnothere

Davesnothere to plencnerb

Premium Member

to plencnerb
said by plencnerb:

....In case you missed it, you can see this thread that talks all about the broken update process, and how it is now fixed in Firefox 29.0.0 and newer.

»Firefox dishonesty

 
I have just discovered that Pale Moon also/still has this anomaly , as I explain in detail in my perma-linked post.

»Re: Pale Moon confirms browser will not ship with EME ads Australis

SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

SmokChsr to plencnerb

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to plencnerb
I currently have V29.0.1 (not by my choice) and a new version will be loaded as soon as I close FF. I have it selected to check for updates and let me choose. Well It told me an update was available I told it NO! and FF said I don't care, if you close the program you get the update. Aparently Ask Later means I'll sneak it in as soon as you aren't looking.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere

Premium Member

 
I thought that FF 29's updating had been fixed.

Or was that only if you have auto-updates disabled (like I still do) and manually check from the 'About FF' screen (like I used to do) ?

(See my most recent previous post for relevant links.)

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb to SmokChsr

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to SmokChsr
said by SmokChsr:

I currently have V29.0.1 (not by my choice) and a new version will be loaded as soon as I close FF. I have it selected to check for updates and let me choose. Well It told me an update was available I told it NO! and FF said I don't care, if you close the program you get the update. Aparently Ask Later means I'll sneak it in as soon as you aren't looking.

I went ahead and figured I would help and test this out.

I started by removing my current browser, which is Waterfox Version 28.0.0. I did a full remove, including all directories (even ones in AppData) as well as my profile.

I then installed Firefox 29.0.1. I selected to do a Custom install, to the default location, and I did NOT install the Maintenance Service.

Once installed, I ran Firefox, and selected the option "Don't Import anything", and then made Firefox my default browser.

I then made a very small number of changes to the options

1) Enabled the Menu Bar

2) Changed the settings in Advanced|Update from the default of this




to this




I then closed Firefox, and re-launched it.

Once open, I went to Help and then about, and saw this screen




It did check for the update, and let me know that one is available (30.0). Closing the about box causes nothing to be updated, which would be expected.

However, if I click the button "Update to 30.0" it then starts the update process and when it is done, the about box looks like this:




Clicking "Restart to Update" does just what it says it will do. I got a UAC prompt that something wanted to run, and then the update to 30.0 took place.

After the update was done, I verified that my modified update settings remained unchanged, and they did.

I also looked at the about box, and now it looks like this




Again, it did check to see if there was an update, but it came back and said that Firefox is up to date.

As far as I can tell, it is working the way it should be.

--Brian

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
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join:2009-06-15
Canada

1 edit

Davesnothere

Premium Member

said by plencnerb:

....As far as I can tell, it is working the way it should be.

 
So that covers the Semi-Automatic Update process - IOW, the one where FF proposes the update.

And if we disable all auto-checking, other folks have previously posted that FF29+ works properly from the About screen's MANUAL 'Check for Updates' button, but FF28- does not, because FF28- takes the process further than we expect and we cannot back out of applying an update on the next launch of FF, if it finds one when we ask it to check.

SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
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join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

SmokChsr to plencnerb

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to plencnerb
Actually, that didn't test the problem as I described it. I deferred the update several times, using the "let me decide" option. Once the laptop went to sleep, upon waking it immediately down loaded the new version, and informed me that FireFox would be updated on the next restart. Note: this was not the first time the laptop had been to sleep it was after about a week of deferring the update. As of now I'm running 30.0. Thunderbird will do the same thing. It seems like it decides well I've given you a week or so to install this, you haven't so I will.. To try to prevent this in the future, I've now selected the "NEVER check for updates" option.

It's not that I'm that concerned about updates, for me it's primarily about the fact that I'm in a big hurry to check something fast and don't have time to sit and wait 3-5mins for an update to go in. Well other than the also forced update recently that messed up FF's appearance.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

So, let me see if I understand what you are saying.

You had the settings as I had posted them. However, the difference in my testing compared to your actual experience is that multiple times over the course of several weeks, you would click on Help, then About, and see you have an update. You then would close the box, as it was not a good time to do the update, which would be the same as you deferring the update.

However, at some point, Firefox felt that enough was enough, and you are now going to get this update if you like it or not, even though you never clicked the button to perform the update.

All you did was do a lot of checking, make a note that a update was there, but never actually install it.

Yet, Firefox felt different, and you got the update anyway.

Is that correct?

--Brian

SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

SmokChsr

Premium Member

For the most part, yes.. The error being is that I had selected "check for updates, but let me choose" So I wasn't manually checking for updates. It was nagging about the fact that there was an update available.

My guess is, ( I say guess since I wasn't there to see it, and it was gone by the time the laptop woke back up) thatafter I left and before the laptop went to sleep FF through up a Nag screen, and then went to sleep. When the laptop was woken up, it immediately started the download. When I wake up the laptop I normally do so by only taping the space bar. That should not be enough to say I wanted the update.

Perhaps that's a better clarification, that will help more than confuse.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
Premium Member
join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere

Premium Member

 
It sounds to me like you both are describing the same thing with slightly different words.

To recap and summarize :

When preset to 'auto check for updates and ask permission to get and apply them', FF29+ will indicate, when you simply open the About FF screen and do nothing else (no clicking), whether an update is available, and if it offers one, will mention the version number in a button for you to click if you wish to apply it.

If you close that screen without clicking to apply the update, it will obey for the first few times, but at some point will decide to get and apply the update anyway, as FFF knows best ( and the extra 'F' was not a typo ).

I have but one further question on the matter :

When set this way, does FF at any time OOTB present the user with a popup to propose an update, without you visiting the About FF screen, or is that a behaviour of FF28- ?

PaleMoon 24.x did this to me once, and it might be an inherited trait from FF28- or 24.x esr.

SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

SmokChsr

Premium Member

said by Davesnothere:

When set this way, does FF at any time OOTB present the user with a popup to propose an update, without you visiting the About FF screen, or is that a behaviour of FF28- ?

In my case yes, I did not visit the about FF screen. The popup comes up right in the middle of what ever you are doing. If the behavior can be left over from a previous version, then it may be a left over. Here is a excerpt from the original install log..

Mozilla Firefox Installation Started: 2008-08-04 11:16:11
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installation Details
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Install Dir: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
Locale : en-US
App Version: 3.0.1
GRE Version: 1.9.0.1

So it's been in there a while..

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
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join:2009-06-15
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Davesnothere

Premium Member

said by SmokChsr:

....I did not visit the about FF screen. The popup comes up right in the middle of what ever you are doing.

If the behavior can be left over from a previous version, then it may be a left over....

 
Thanks for the clarification.

I was not thinking so much of what code remnants of your earlier installation were present, as instead what older code (related to the FF updating process) may be part of FF 29+ anyway, and also of my own PaleMoon 24.x one, which was done from scratch for testing, using the Portable version, in its own folder and with a separate profile.

And since PM 24.x is based on the code of FF 24.x esr, which itself has the same 'traditional' UI as FF28- (rather than the Australis UI like FF29+), I was speculating that my version had some of the code of those FF versions.

Your FF 29+, even if installed from scratch, may or may not have some of that same code, depending upon how much of it that they changed or kept from FF28 when rewriting for FF 29+.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

I did a quick search on this site for the thread, but I was not able to find it. What I was looking for was a thread that seem to indicate that older versions of Firefox (I think prior to 21) would somehow be "forced" to be upgraded to the current version (at the time), regardless of the settings that the user had set. I don't remember if that was actually put in place by Mozilla or not, but maybe that is what is happening here.

Knowing that SmokChsr See Profile has always done an upgrade from version to version (based on his information in the install log), there could be some parts left over from a lot of different versions. This could be why they are seeing the problem with 29.0.1, even though that problem should not happen in that version itself.

Maybe its time to do a clean install to a clean profile? I know for some people that is a lot of work, if they have to re-add and configure many plugins, extensions, and themes.

However, that does sound like the reason why the OP is having this issue. My test was done with a clean install of FF 29.0.1.

--Brian
Bobby_Peru
Premium Member
join:2003-06-16

Bobby_Peru

Premium Member

said by plencnerb:

always done an upgrade from version to version (based on his information in the install log), there could be some parts left over from a lot of different versions. This could be why they are seeing the problem with 29.0.1, even though that problem should not happen in that version itself.

Maybe its time to do a clean install to a clean profile? I know for some people that is a lot of work, if they have to re-add and configure many plugins, extensions, and themes.

Great theory Brian! I have no idea if that is actually possible (if such remnants of _applicable_ code would remain), but a new install sure sounds like a reasonable thing to try (hopefully, just this one time). Since the remnants might vary from installation to installation, and time to time in each installation, it seems that it would be difficult to really prove what is happening, but perhaps Brian's postulated cure alone will have to suffice.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
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join:2009-06-15
Canada

Davesnothere to plencnerb

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to plencnerb
said by plencnerb:

I did a quick search on this site for the thread, but I was not able to find it. What I was looking for was a thread that seem to indicate that older versions of Firefox (I think prior to 21) would somehow be "forced" to be upgraded to the current version (at the time), regardless of the settings that the user had set. I don't remember if that was actually put in place by Mozilla or not, but maybe that is what is happening here.

 
Interesting angle indeed !

So the app calls home anyway ?

Should we all dust off our tinfoil hats for this one ?

Also, I just reviewed yours and SmokChsr See Profile's posts and noticed one other difference upon which has there has not yet been any dwelling.

In your post with the plentitude, or should I say plencitude of screengrabs, you said that during your fresh install, that you did NOT install the 'Maintenance Service' sub-app, by unticking it.

SmokChsr See Profile did not specify.

Could THAT be a factor ?

Just think if Microsoft did something such as what we are conjecturing !

therube
join:2004-11-11
Randallstown, MD

therube to SmokChsr

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to SmokChsr
AFAIK, if an update has started prior to disabling Updates (or setting it to prompt/notify, & disregarding the update bug in FF 28 & earlier), it will complete, even after you have subsequently disabled updates.

Likewise, update settings are not global (I wish they were), so if you used a different Profile, where updates were not disabled, that too could have triggered an (eventual) update.

There is no "forced" update.

Davesnothere
Change is NOT Necessarily Progress
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Davesnothere

Premium Member

said by therube:

AFAIK, if an update has started prior to disabling Updates (or setting it to prompt/notify, & disregarding the update bug in FF 28 & earlier), it will complete, even after you have subsequently disabled updates.

 
That also was MY impression, from one or two recent past experiences with FF.

If FF downloaded an update package already (for whatever reason), it wants to complete the task.

I have no experience regarding your other comments.

SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

SmokChsr to Davesnothere

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to Davesnothere
said by Davesnothere:

In your post you did NOT install the 'Maintenance Service' sub-app, by unticking it.
SmokChsr See Profile did not specify.

I did not untick the Maintenance Service, so it is installed, and going by file dates, those files were replaced in the last update.
SmokChsr

SmokChsr to therube

Premium Member

to therube
said by therube:

AFAIK, if an update has started prior to disabling Updates (or setting it to prompt/notify, & disregarding the update bug in FF 28 & earlier), it will complete, even after you have subsequently disabled updates.

My update selection was always, "let me decide". I think, and I may be wrong, in my case the critical factor is that the laptop went to sleep with the update request pop-up on the screen. Somehow when I wake the laptop it takes that as a yes and starts the update download. Of course at that point there is no stopping it.