This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

After upgrading to Mac 10.13.6, after a while, dialog comes up asking about default browser. Subsequently, Firefox asks for master password on every launch.

  • 6 cavab
  • 1 has this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by McCoy

more options

Upgraded to 10.13.6. Subsequently, Firefox works, no problem. Then open safari. After a few minutes, dialog appears: "Do you want to change your default web browser to “Safari” or keep using “Firefox”?" Subsequently, Firefox asks for master password each time it is opened. Password request can be cancelled with no apparent adverse effect but is annoying.

Upgraded to 10.13.6. Subsequently, Firefox works, no problem. Then open safari. After a few minutes, dialog appears: "Do you want to change your default web browser to “Safari” or keep using “Firefox”?" Subsequently, Firefox asks for master password each time it is opened. Password request can be cancelled with no apparent adverse effect but is annoying.

Chosen solution

In case the above doesn't solve the problem :

This could be a "souvenir" from the latest hotfix for "the issue" that disabled all extensions some days ago. If your extensions are (no longer) disabled, you could try to remove hotfix-update-xpi-signing-intermediate-bug from "about:studies".

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (6)

more options

LemniscateOfRevolution said

"Do you want to change your default web browser to “Safari” or keep using “Firefox”?"

That is not from Firefox. It might be from your protection programs.

Firefox asks for master password each time it is opened

Did you set a Master Password? Did you want it turned on?

more options

- Don't have a protection program... dialog was from the OS. - I have had a master password forever, and I want to have one. More: - Did a clean install Tues. of OS X 10.13. Restored my files from backup. - Noticed master password issue. Decided to investigate. - Repeated clean install and file restore. - Tested Firefox (which was set as default). All good. No master password issue. - Started safari and was browsing with it when dialog appeared, posted apparently by OS. - Before interacting with the dialog at all, reopened Firefox. - Firefox now asks for master password every time it is opened.

more options

Are you using sync?

I was told this is not current, but; There is a preference that sets how long the Master Password is unlocked:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_Entries#Security. Search for; security. ask_for_password and; security.password_lifetime

more options

Seçilmiş Həll

In case the above doesn't solve the problem :

This could be a "souvenir" from the latest hotfix for "the issue" that disabled all extensions some days ago. If your extensions are (no longer) disabled, you could try to remove hotfix-update-xpi-signing-intermediate-bug from "about:studies".

more options

Removing the study fixed the problem. Thanks!

Modified by LemniscateOfRevolution

more options

LemniscateOfRevolution said

Removing the study fixed the problem. Thanks!

My pleasure - I'm glad everything is back to normal  !