New Firefox update reset my settings

jim davis · 27 Sep 2020

So I get my newest fire fox up date, which seems twice weekly these days, I have a few tabs open
like you tube Etc. and go ahead and accept. turn off computer, and next day shorty after computer is on, it says its gonna activate the update, at which point all my short cuts go blank, I go to you tube and there's no volume or sound, all my folders start only opening half size....every-time i do some thing computer makes juvenile bonks and bells sounds.
So I go through getting all this stuff quiet and/or sound back on, firefox volume back on, an a hour behind on my work schedule-Boring!!! and still can't get new file folders to fully open, how does firefox need to get in that part of my computer????
is there a way to shut off firefox updates?, cause i would rather rough it.

I almost never go to a non trust worthy site.
have a good one

jim

Snick · 27 Sep 2020

Hi again jim davis,

Your grief seems to never end unfortunately!
I'm on FF Quantum 81.0 x64 now and haven't had issues, at least not yet anyway.

Here you go, as requested, from another Sevenforums helper's post. Registry modification script.
Stop Firefox updates.reg

Snick

jim davis · 27 Sep 2020

[SIZE=3 said:

Snick[/SIZE];3477058]Hi again jim davis,

Your grief seems to never end unfortunately!
I'm on FF Quantum 81.0 x64 now and haven't had issues, at least not yet anyway.

Here you go, as requested, from another Sevenforums helper's post. Registry modification script.
Stop Firefox updates.reg

Snick

Hi Snick
I read here at forum some other guy had very similar problem.
And thanks for your help, but i have not a clue in the world what to do with this

this info, MS has become a world of abbreviations for folks who live in it.
so where do i put this and thanks

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox]
"DisableAppUpdate"=dword:00000001

Snick · 27 Sep 2020

jim davis

Sorry I should have provided an explanation. My Bad!

You don't copy and paste, you click download. When Stop Firefox updates.reg is on your computer, double-click it, choose yes. It then runs and places a registry entry in your registry to Disable Mozilla Firefox Automatic Updates.

New Firefox update reset my settings-capture.jpg

I''ll explain the entire script which is the orange text.

First line is the editor version, second line creates the folder in the registry folder and sub folders, the sub folders begin at the backslash \ So HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is the main/directory folder that is already there, SOFTWARE is the subfolder that is already there, Policies is the subfolder already there, If there is no Mozilla subfolder it creates it if it is not already there (it should be being that you have Firefox installed). The third line creates entry DisableAppUpdate and =dword:assigns dword: the value of 00000001 which the binary for enable. Which enables Mozilla Firefox Disable App Update.

You could do the same thing manually, by opening regedit, clicking on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then SOFTWARE then Policies then Mozilla, create DisableAppUpdate, then =dword: & add the value 00000001.
The 00000001 is the binary that enables the reg key DisableAppUpdate

Simple actually, not so for most. Hope that helps your understanding.

The reg script does all the legwork for you and prevents errors that may occur with manual additions. Depending on what you enter or delete in the registry you could cause Windows to cease functionality or a less serious error like something not working or not working the way is should, or maybe if you're lucky, nothing at all.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox]
"DisableAppUpdate"=dword:00000001

Snick

townsbg · 27 Sep 2020

You might want Firefox ESR. Get Firefox for your enterprise with ESR and Rapid Release. It's at version 78.3. If you are at a higher version you might have to create a new profile.

Snick · 28 Sep 2020

Excellent suggestion townsbg!

You can change Firefox channels with an about:config tweak. normal, beta, not sure if that can be done with ESR, as I have never tried it.
I'd backup my system before attempting a change via that method for safety purposes.
Changing Your Update Channel • mozillaZine Forums

Snick

file3456 · 28 Sep 2020

The registry trick explanation is on my website here

What do you mean by file folders being messed up? In all of your computer or just in Firefox?

To rule out a plug-in, add-on or possible prefs.js issue, hold the shift key and then launch Firefox. Firefox will now launch in safe mode. Does it work without issue?

Please describe your "file folder" issue in more detail.

jim davis · 04 Oct 2020

townsbg said:

You might want Firefox ESR.

No I think its a greater problem,

its the naive users who put up with this crap. none of this MS junk is stable enough to work in any sort of a dignified manner for any reasonable length of time, and folks just put up with it to have a E-identity.
Now...I have spent not less then 24 full hours on the phone, trying to get my 400.00 Epson printer to work,
which is another piece of junk that should be class action suited as well out of existence.

But I digress.

Does snick or anyone know where this Firefox ad-on came from, cause last I looked, the site it was at seemed a little "Home Made" and since forums are crawling with home made program peddlers
that actually are data miners Etc. I would like to know if anyone has "bug checked" this ad on.

SundRance · 04 Oct 2020

I've been using a "policies.json" file, placed within a "distribution" folder in the "Program Files\Mozilla Firefox" folder for years with no issues. I simply move the distribution folder to my deskop when I do want to update the browser, and then replace the folder after the update to keep Mozilla from installing further updates until I want them. The contents of the policies.json file:

{
"policies": {
"DisableAppUpdate": true
}
}

Copy everything between the outer brackets and past into a notepad file. Save the file as "policies.json". Create a 'distribution' folder under your Mozilla Firefox, Program Files folder and move the file you into that folder.

The "About Mozilla Firefox", Help page should then read: "Updates disabled by your system administrator"

Snick · 05 Oct 2020

jim davis said:

I have spent not less then 24 full hours on the phone, trying to get my 400.00 Epson printer to work, which is another piece of junk that should be class action suited as well out of existence.

Does snick or anyone know where this Firefox ad-on came from, cause last I looked, the site it was at seemed a little "Home Made" and since forums are crawling with home made program peddlers
that actually are data miners Etc. I would like to know if anyone has "bug checked" this ad on.

Which Epson printer do you have? I have an Epson XP-400 and it has been working flawlessly for years, wired & wireless.
What Firefox Add-on are you referring to? Reg script, i.e. registry entry script is authored by F22 Simpilot & the website linked to is F22 Simpilot's, which is stated as such in post #7. The reg script works very similar, if not identical to, a Firefox about:config tweak.

You access Firefox about:config by typing about:config in the URL section, as I have done in the screenshots. To change the boolean entry from true to false and vice-versa you double-click the 1st entry.

New Firefox update reset my settings-capture-2.jpg

3. Bug checked add-on? Again which add-on are you referring to please? You were provided the source code, detailed explanation as to how the reg script works. F22 Simpilot graciously provided a link to the website and author info. Anyone with basic scripting knowledge can create a simple script, be it Reg script, Batch script, or PowerShell script.

What is a Script? - Computer Hope

We are here to provide free assistance/help in resolving OPs issue(s). No one, to the best of my knowledge, has purposely attempted to introduce malware, keyloggers, data miners, etc. Too many of us view/monitor posts, including Forum Admins for that to happen, & if such an error occurs, it is relatively quickly ascertained and corrected.

Snick