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How do I stop Firefox from automatically trying to update without my permission, every time I open it?

  • 5 replies
  • 5 have this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by blackaidoru

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I've selected in the update tab under the advanced options to never check for updates, none of which I will ever want to download, never had the Maintenance Service installed, and also confirmed that the values of such preferences of "app.update.auto, app.update.enabled, app.update.silent" are set to false in about:config as I was told they should be. Yet, EVERY time I open Firefox, Firefox automatically tries to update itself, prompting User Account Control to ask my permission for Firefox to make changes (the upgrade) to my computer. I do not want to have to click no every time I'm asked this because Firefox tries to update itself WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. What can I do to stop this?

I've selected in the update tab under the advanced options to never check for updates, none of which I will ever want to download, never had the Maintenance Service installed, and also confirmed that the values of such preferences of "app.update.auto, app.update.enabled, app.update.silent" are set to false in about:config as I was told they should be. Yet, EVERY time I open Firefox, Firefox automatically tries to update itself, prompting User Account Control to ask my permission for Firefox to make changes (the upgrade) to my computer. I do not want to have to click no every time I'm asked this because Firefox tries to update itself WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. What can I do to stop this?

All Replies (5)

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Type about:preferences#advanced<enter> in the address bar.

Under Advanced, Select Update. Check the settings.

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Did you not read a thing I said in my post, FredMcD? Refer to the first sentence I wrote.

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Because of the "age" of your version, it may be forced updating.

I've called the big guys to help you. Good luck.

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Based upon what you posted, Firefox shouldn't be trying to update. Have you set those prefs in all user accounts on that PC? Those prefs are unique to each Firefox Profile - one Profile with the default settings will "screw the pooch". The Maintenance Service will affect all Profiles equally - and there's two executables for it in Program Files the exe and the installer.exe.

Overall life is too short to "argue" with software that doesn't follow your preferences - Mozilla is "hell bent" on keeping their users secure by automatically installing updates to fix known security faults. Why not use a different browser that does respect your preferences?

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It shouldn't be. However, it does, every time when I open the browser. There's only one user on my computer so different settings between more than one of could not be the cause of the problem. Firefox is simply disregarding anything I prefer it not to do. As to why I don't want to use a browser that actually respects what the user wants, the version of Firefox which I'm currently using, Firefox 31.0, is the only one I like to use after the internet abandoned Internet Explorer 7, or whichever version of that was. I'll have to settle for something else, sadly.