[GeronL]

Chromium seems to work okay as an alternative

[GeronL]

Ping

[ansel12]

What do you get by preventing updates?

[PIF]

First of all why don't you want any further updates?

There is a way I used for a while which simply meant keeping a compressed version on hand to use after one of those auto updates.

But as I remember the real fix is deleting some file in Firefox. I do not remember what it was, but I think the fix is posted somewhere on the Firefox site - Troubleshooting perhaps?

What was happening to me with v25 or so was flash vids stopped working.

After the fix all is well and am on v27.01. It can become a security issue unless you keep current.

[bigbob]

Unless you’re smarter than the developers, let it upgrade.

Commentators come and go. Relax.

[Gene Eric]

Agreed — what happened indeed!

[CivilWarBrewing]

I’ve heard that Michelle Malkin knows how to stop Firefox from automatically updating..

[First_Salute]

If you are running Firefox on a Windows OS based machine ...

Then you should see an orange-ish tab of sorts, near the upper left-hand corner of the Firefox window.

Click on it.

Look around in the resulting pop-down spread ... and find Options ... and click on that.

You should get a pop-out-to-the-side ... and find in that, another Options ... and click on that.

Next, you should be seeing an Options window. In that window, select the Advanced tool-button.

In the Advanced set of tabs that should result ... select Update.

Under Firefox updates, select:

“Never check for updates ...”

[First_Salute]

So ... I just woke up from a nap ...?

[ducttape45]

I know this post is two subjects in one, but would it be possible to get this out to the IT crowd? Just ask them to ignore the Michelle Malkin question unless they have an answer for that too.

Thanks.

[Scrambler Bob]

Michelle is a Fox.

So what is going on at Fox News, and Firefox, right?

[UCANSEE2]

I had the same problem.

For some reason, Firefox updated to the new version. I went in and told it not to.
Then I reloaded Firefox 25.

It did it again.

So, I turned UPDATE off again, and reloaded FIREFOX 25.

It did it again, and THEN I REALIZED that each time I installed FIREFOX 25 it was defaulting to AUTO UPDATE.

SO.... I removed FIREFOX, Reloaded version 25 and immediately went into the settings and changed it to NO UPDATE.

It’s been OK since.

I don’t know if your problem is exactly the same, but sometimes it’s the easy stuff we miss.

P.S. Sometimes stuff gets put into SCRIPT files which stay even if you RELOAD FIREFOX. The way to fix them is to go to HELP / TROUBLESHOOTING INFORMATION and click on the RESET FIREFOX button. This will make is just like a first time INSTALL of Firefox and eliminate any ‘junk’ you acquired that may be causing the problem.

[tomkat]

In conjunction with having disabled auto updates under tools/options, you might want to try disabling the 'Mozilla Maintenance Service'

< %SystemRoot%\system32\services.msc /s >

Check this BleepingComputer article for background info.

[Auntie Mame]

Use the Firefox ESR version. It only tells you to update once in a while (like six months), not every week. It’s the version for “groups who deploy and maintain the desktop environment in large organizations such as schools, governments and businesses...” It’s the version I use, someone on FR pointed it out and I’ll be grateful forever.

In any event, I think you need to reinstall Firefox because it shouldn’t be updating without your consent.

[upchuck]

Perhaps Firefox Extended Support Release is what you want.

Link: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/

I did some searching around about your problem and discovered you are not alone. Plenty of others out there complaining about the same thing.

[cynwoody]

Open Preferences (or Options). Click on the Advanced tab, and select Update.

[minnesota_bound]

Resetting preferences
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Resetting_preferences

[NoCmpromiz]

I note that you have received some answers on how to make it stop so I won't add any on that subject, but allow me to toss in about $0.02 worth on the topic of updating. I agree with not liking software applying updates without my knowledge or consent. I especially won't let Windows update anything without my perusal of the updates, reading of the knowledgebase article, and then ok-ing or denying the update. Same with Adobe and Java. I also think Firefox is inflating version numbers when most of the changes look more like a 'point release' than a 'version change', but in the end they can call it whatever they please, it's not my software product.. ;-)

Having said that, I run Firefox on both my Windoze machines and my Linux boxes and Firefox is the one program I allow to update itself. Here's my reasoning (your mileage may vary). Firefox is the one browser that seems to keep up on its security. OK, supposedly so does MS with their InternetExploiter browser, but there is a difference. When an exploit is discovered in Firefox, they tend to get the 'fix' released rather quickly, like by the next update or interim update. Also if some unexpected strangeness comes from an update, Firefox is really quick to fix or undo the damage.

If you have been paying attention over the years, you will remember that Microsoft has allowed known exploits of IE to remain unpatched for time measured in years. Same with Apple - they ignored exploits because it would ruin their 'only Windows gets viri' meme.. Chrome I hear is ok if you want Google looking at everything you do - I don't. (I have no handle on its security side.)

For the record, I do use the NoScript addon with Firefox. That way NO active content runs on a web page without me knowing it's there. And with NoScript I can block googleanalytics so they can't snoop either (ruins the webpage's hit counter and thus rating with Google, but helps my privacy.. ;-)

Just my opinions and comments for your consideration.

[Revolting cat!]

Have you tried duck tape?

[ShadowAce]