When I try to open Firefox I get a message: "Update could not be installed. Make sure there is not another instance of Firefox. Restart and try again."
Started w/FF 29 something.on Win XP (Home) SP3
Verified w/Task manager and PS that there is no other instance of FF. Occurs only in my profile, administrator and other users do not get this message.
First Resetting, did not work. Safe mode also did not work. Uninstalled completely, even deleted the Firefox folder from my profile and rebooted. Downloaded new versions, installed and same issue.
Firefox now version 33, all seems up to date but I still get that message. When I open Help > About it says I am at version 33 and to restart to upgrade...
Any ideas greatly appreciated.
Have reverted to SeaMonkey for now.
Chosen solution
Many Thanks ideato.
There was no option not to install the updater (in custom install) as in the install from the stub but I went ahead anyway. This seems to have done the trick. No error messages in my my profile and FF has done a successful update (See screen shot).
Thanks Again Cheers
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Hello sprytely, go for a clean re-install, this means you remove Firefox program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps:
Note: You might want to print these steps or view them in another browser.
- Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from the next full installer https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ and save the setup file to your computer.
- After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu).
- Delete the Firefox installation folder, which is located in one of these locations, by default:
- Windows:
- C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
- Windows:
- Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
- Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
- Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.
More information about reinstalling Firefox can be found here.
WARNING:Do not use a third party uninstaller as part of this process. Doing so could permanently delete your Firefox profile data, including but not limited to, extensions, cache, cookies, bookmarks, personal settings and saved passwords. These cannot be easily recovered unless they have been backed up to an external device! See Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles.
Thank you.
I am quite sure I did that but perhaps I forgot to do the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox folder. I will try it again and let you know.
Tried again and here is what happens:
- C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox folder is removed during uninstall
- Removed ...\Mozilla Firefox folder from my profile
- Rebooted
- Verified FF in administrator profile
- Switched to my profile
- Windows appears to have rebuilt my profile as all the messages of a first time use appeared
Have lost my profile and all info in it.
Tried FF... no error messaged Checked Help > About and it says FF 33, Restart to update Restarted FF and same message "Could not get software update..." Will have to restore before I can go furth
More info...
Have restored my profile... Please see attached images Clipboard2, Help > About Clipboard1, FF start-up error message
Is there a next step? Perhaps there is somethinf in the Registry that is messed up? Should I re-install Without the Firefox Updater thingy? (All default settings in the Install.)
Try the next, download the latest 33.0.2 from : https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/
then close the pc, and start it with windows safe mode with network support, then update firefox with the already downloaded latest version over the current, without the updater thing.
Any luck ?
thanks
Modified by ideato
Chosen Solution
Many Thanks ideato.
There was no option not to install the updater (in custom install) as in the install from the stub but I went ahead anyway. This seems to have done the trick. No error messages in my my profile and FF has done a successful update (See screen shot).
Thanks Again Cheers
You are welcome
Perhaps what you encountered is Bug 1035400 - "restart to update" button not working. Prevents users from manually updating when the full update ui needs to be displayed (e.g. incompatible add-ons).
This bug started in version 29. Fixed in version 38.