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permanently block updates

  • 22 replies
  • 3 have this problem
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  • Last reply by cor-el

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I've been using Firefox since Netscape ended and i always enjoyed it. Unfortunately the Firefox 72 is utterly hideous. It is the worst and most unstable browser i ever tested -- it's extremely slow, it doesn't even work with hardware acceleration, it's not compatible with most sites i access and it crashes a lot. Anyway I already reinstalled the version 71, which continues to work flawless and I don't plan to ever use auto updates again. The problem is that every single day Firefox tries to update to the horrible 72 version, and every day I have reject it manually.

I'm looking for a way to permanently block future Firefox updates, without asking me for it again. Any ideas?

I've been using Firefox since Netscape ended and i always enjoyed it. Unfortunately the Firefox 72 is utterly hideous. It is the worst and most unstable browser i ever tested -- it's extremely slow, it doesn't even work with hardware acceleration, it's not compatible with most sites i access and it crashes a lot. Anyway I already reinstalled the version 71, which continues to work flawless and I don't plan to ever use auto updates again. The problem is that every single day Firefox tries to update to the horrible 72 version, and every day I have reject it manually. I'm looking for a way to permanently block future Firefox updates, without asking me for it again. Any ideas?

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This answer doesn't work. I tried to follow the instructions at

https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates/blob/master/README.md

I think I'm supposed to follow this inscrutable line

Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\AppAutoUpdate = 0x1 | 0x0

I guess that means go to regedit and install a key? Well, there's no Software\Policies folder, and in HKey blah blah\Software\Mozilla\Firefox\ there are no keys that look anything like this.

I am not a dumb guy. I got most of the way through a PhD in computer science at Michigan, and lectured in computer engineering at MIT. If anyone that is not a developer for the product itself can read and follow these instructions and follow them reliably, it should be me. I can't.

These instructions are either not correct or they are so inscrutable as to be entirely unhelpful.

The upshot is -- I want to turn off all updates. I do not want to be queried for updates, I do not want silent updates, I want NO updates. I am on 68.10.0esr. I will update further within 68 esr from time to time, as I choose. But I want NO UPDATES. How do I get there?

Windows 10.

Thank you.

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You can use a policies.json file in the distribution folder in the Firefox installation folder instead as also listed in the article, so no need to use GPO keys in the Windows Registry.

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