"The update could not be installed." What do I do???
Every time Firefox tries to update I get a message that says "The update could not be installed. Please make sure there are no other copies of Firefox running on your computer, etc.." Task Manager says there are no other copies of Firefox running, and there aren't even any copies of Firefox running on the network anywhere. When I click X or OK it just runs through the same cycle and I get the same message. This happens with every update until I download the newest version and install it over the top of the current installation. I keep expecting the bug to be fixed with the next update, but it just keeps happening. How do I stop this behavior, or do I just give up on Firefox and use Chrome or something? It's getting to be a big pain in the neck.
Modified by freewheeling
Chosen solution
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Software_Update (Software Update not working properly)
Remove the files in the updates and updates\0 folder:
Vista/Windows7:
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Mozilla Firefox\updates
(%LOCALAPPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Mozilla Firefox\updates)
Do a clean reinstall and download a fresh Firefox copy from http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html and save the file to the desktop.
Uninstall your current Firefox version and remove the Firefox program folder before installing that copy of the Firefox installer.
Don't remove personal data when uninstalling.
It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
You can skip the step to create a new profile, that is not necessary for this issue.
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Clean_reinstall
Read this answer in context 👍 5All Replies (2)
Chosen Solution
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Software_Update (Software Update not working properly)
Remove the files in the updates and updates\0 folder:
Vista/Windows7:
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Mozilla Firefox\updates
(%LOCALAPPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Mozilla Firefox\updates)
Do a clean reinstall and download a fresh Firefox copy from http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html and save the file to the desktop.
Uninstall your current Firefox version and remove the Firefox program folder before installing that copy of the Firefox installer.
Don't remove personal data when uninstalling.
It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
You can skip the step to create a new profile, that is not necessary for this issue.
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Clean_reinstall
I too have this problem again. This is not the proper answer. I have had this problem before and cannot find the proper answer again. The above will work but it is a work around for a problem in a firefox setup file. Sorry to not have the correct answer but the above although probably not wrong, in that it will probably work, is not exactly correct. More later hopefully