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Trying to upgrade to FireFox 4 and getting this error: The operation can’t be completed because the item “libsoftokn3.dylib” is in use.

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  • Last reply by 1nc0gn1t0

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I am using a new MacBook Pro. I click on the "Download FireFox 4.0" button. The file(s) download and the dialog appears to drag FireFox icon into the Applications folder.

I get a dialog that says "There is a previous version.. Ok to replace?" I click "Replace".

Then I get a Copy dialog that says: "The operation can’t be completed because the item “libsoftokn3.dylib” is in use."

The software is not updated and I am still on FireFox 3. I tried rebooting and doing it again - I get the same results. I also did a web search and was not able to find a solution to this error.

I am using a new MacBook Pro. I click on the "Download FireFox 4.0" button. The file(s) download and the dialog appears to drag FireFox icon into the Applications folder. I get a dialog that says "There is a previous version.. Ok to replace?" I click "Replace". Then I get a Copy dialog that says: "The operation can’t be completed because the item “libsoftokn3.dylib” is in use." The software is not updated and I am still on FireFox 3. I tried rebooting and doing it again - I get the same results. I also did a web search and was not able to find a solution to this error.

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I had success by: 1- Quit Firefox 2- Go to the Applications folder and drag Firefox to the desktop 3- Install Firefox 5 (it installs successfully at this point) 4- Put old Firefox in the trash 5- Secure empty trash

It may be possible to just drag Firefox directly to the trash and use regular Empty Trash, but I did not try that. Some people on the net reported that they could not empty the trash after putting the old Firefox in the trash (got the same "libsoftokn3.dylib is in use" error), so I just tried Secure Empty Trash, which may be no different from a regular empty trash as far as this goes; not sure as I'm a bit new to the Mac.