Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

I hate Firefox 4! My favorite add on doesn't work, it is slow and locks up. I run Windows 7. Can I uninstall 4 and go back to the old version? If so, how?

more options

As a former programmer, I am dismayed that such a poor version would be released! It reminds me of dealing with Windows 98!

As a former programmer, I am dismayed that such a poor version would be released! It reminds me of dealing with Windows 98!

Chosen solution

Sorry to hear that. You can revert to v3.6.16, but ultimately, support will be withdrawn for that eventually.

To revert to an older version, download Firefox 3.6.16

Then go to Add/Remove Programs and choose to uninstall Firefox 4.0, but don't checkmark the option to remove your bookmarks, customizations etc. Those will be retained for you so that you can continue using them when you reinstall v3.6.16

Reboot and then run the v3.6.16 file you downloaded.

Check from time to time whether there have been any security updates released for that version by clicking Help | Check For Updates

Read this answer in context 👍 46

All Replies (20)

more options

Chosen Solution

Sorry to hear that. You can revert to v3.6.16, but ultimately, support will be withdrawn for that eventually.

To revert to an older version, download Firefox 3.6.16

Then go to Add/Remove Programs and choose to uninstall Firefox 4.0, but don't checkmark the option to remove your bookmarks, customizations etc. Those will be retained for you so that you can continue using them when you reinstall v3.6.16

Reboot and then run the v3.6.16 file you downloaded.

Check from time to time whether there have been any security updates released for that version by clicking Help | Check For Updates

Modified by Xircal

more options

I don't understand WHY they would pull support for the older version v3.6.16 when it is obvious that so many people want to go back to that version. The new version is TERRIBLE!! I am having problems with it and reading thru these posts so are a lot of people.

I urge you NOT to pull support until you come up with a better version than this one. I plan to go back to the older version and if you pull support I will go back to internet explorer before I go to this new version of firefox. I have used firefox for years and recommended it to a lot of people but I am very disappointed in this version.

more options

I agree with the statement that Firefox 4 is unusable. Ever since I have installed it I have had nothing but problems. The straw that broke the camels back just occurred when I tried to fill in a form on a website and halfway through Firefox reloaded the page causing everything to be lost.

I will be returning to Firefox 3.6 in the hope that this will solve my problems and as Mozilla will not be supporting 3.6 and since 4 is a buggy nightmare I will be recommending to all my clients to either use IE 8 or Chrome.

more options

Well, I can only speak from personal experience and I think it's the best version Mozilla has brought onto the market so far. It's fast, it supports HTML5 which in case you're not aware of it, IE8 doesn't and I like the new interface, especially the Add-ons manager which has changed to a tabbed page now instead of a popup.

It used to take about 10-20 seconds to search through my history, or my bookmarks for a link, but now a search loads instantly.

FF4 also supports HTML5 which gives remarkable clarity and living colours to virtually every video and can be played full screen without any pixelated effects that you normally get when you try to load something full screen. The demo at http://videojs.com/ is a good example.

Mozilla is also working behind the scenes to make Firefox 4.0 much more stable by preventing toolbars and other junk from being installed which the user hasn't signed up for. More on that @ Mozilla begins crackdown on slow starting Firefox add-ons

Similarly, Mozilla is addressing the issue of add-ons which slow Firefox down and a list of the worst offenders has already been published. See Slow Performing Add-ons

So there are other things to consider IMHO.

more options

I wouldn't worry about support ending for Firefox 3.6.x versions any time soon, Mozilla is still supporting Firefox 3.5.x currently. There were security updates released for both 3.6.x and 3.5.x a week and a half ago, and there is an update for both slated for April 19th.

more options

Thank you so much for your help! I'm back to the old version and happy now. If I hadn't been able to go back to the old version, I would have gone back to IE, and that indicates just how unhappy with Firefox I was! I gave 4 a fair chance and it was just too buggy and annoying. Thanks again for your help!

more options

I went back to previous version as well since v4.0 was slowing down my computer considerably. Has anyone heard of any solutions?

more options

I agree with some of the people here. Firefox 4 is one of the worst Firefox's that has came out. It made me hate it so bad i could not wait to get it off. And I'm a big fire fox person. The app for the Firefox 4 for android just slowed my phone down and took forever to load; I like my Google browser for android a lot better. It was a good concept but it didn't really work that well. The 3.6 was faster, didn't crash, had more add ons, and supports Norton. 'I really wish you would NOT PULL SUPPORT FOR THE 3.6 until you fix ALL OF THE BUGS IN 4.' I would update again if it actually worked right. I am working on a new computer Win 7. I use it for work,school, play and Almost everything under the sun.

more options

Norton always seems to be two steps behind the rest of the world. They're working on a patch for both IE9 and Firefox at the moment. See Norton patch due in May

But by all means downgrade to v3.6.16 if you wish. I already posted instructions on how to go about that above.

more options

The complaints and problems I've read about here are similar to those I read during the beta test.

It's good to know Mozilla is working on stability, etc., but that should have been built in before 4 was released. The new browser may be the gee-whiz-bangiest Firefox ever produced, but -- first -- it needs to work reliably, the bells and whistles being a bonus (and optional).

Above everything else, this dog's gotta surf in plain vanilla at all times, accommodate transition from last version to newest seamlessly, allow users to use it their way (as has been the Firefox hallmark), and keep up with changes in the Web. "Coming Soon" or "old school" are not acceptable responses to the desire for backward compatibility or the need to ease in to the new. There's too much installed base out there to say we must throw it out to move into the future. I live and surf in the now.

Transition should have been smooth and seamless. That didn't happen. I know I won't be changing until I know I can keep the functionality I have with 3.6.16 (extensions included), and gain the new capabilities of Firefox 4 (that I wish to use).

In another post, someone said that if they wanted Chrome, they'd have installed it. That reminds me of what I said of Pepsi and a reformulated Coke some many years ago.

Right now, judging from comments here and elsewhere, Firefox 4 runs the risk of becoming New Coke. Please, give me Classic Firefox: forward-looking browser technology that allows me to use it my way at my speed.

more options

I don't know WHAT the folks at Mozilla were thinking... but verion 4 SUCKS.. BIG TIME... so I've gone back to 3.16 and I'll use it until it dies, then I guess I'll change to another browser like Google Chrome or something else but no way I'm using firefox 4 again...

more options

Wow the version you got sounds great, the version 4 on my computer SUCKS big time.

more options

Same problem, had to return to version 3.* But my problem looks weirder, on the computer ff4 was slow, using 100% cpu, unusable. Working remotely to the same pc, ff4 run smooth. I wonder if ff4 has some graphical acceleration feature that doesn't like intel windows 7 x64 driver...

more options

EASY TO REVERT!! I agree. The new firefox 3 SUCKS! Just go here and download the previous version: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-older.html

more options

My complaint of the product is that it takes forever to load yahoo mail, yahoo website, google images, youtube, manga sites, etc. which was completely different compared to its previous version. Also it looks like the interface of the new firefox is somewhat similar to google chrome. In saying that, what i'm experiencing now with firefox 4 is also similar problems i had with google chrome.


Firefox 4 is not faster. I prefer the previous version over this one.

more options

Firefox 4.0 was a bad experience for several reasons: - It doesn't work correctly in four different systems I have

 a) WIN Vista with only some addons, all of them very high popular
 b) WIN 7
 c) WIN XP
 d) WIN XP
 All pc's have a different combination of addons.

- To download a file I have to use mostly another browser. It works sometimes and it doesn't work mostly. So the downgrading tips work only with other browsers!!

I'm using firefox since it's beginning. It's deciding advantage was the personal configuration option via addons. If the mozilla foundations delivers a browser who is in war with this options it will lose a lot of users to opera and chromium (or chrome).

Why should I use a browser which doesn't work with all-in-one-sidebar, addblock plus and my password utility? I even can't uninstall a single add-on in this XP - Firefox 4.0 - configuration and I can't see any password nor function the automated entry to any website.

more options

As I understand according of my experience Firefox 4 has problems with the addons and may be with the settings of old version 3.6. It's working as new installation really very fast and stable within just one addon (ScrapBook), without any old bookmark in my new notebook which works with Win 7 Home Premium x64. Encouraged by that, I installed Firefox 4 also to my desktop which works with Win Xp Home x86 and with Firefox 3.6 which is full of addons, bookmarks etc.. And it didn't work properly, gave error message initially and worked after very slowly and unstable. I uninstalled it and reinstalled 3.6 again.

I guess the best way for old users is to wait for the ripening of Firefox 4.

more options

I reverted to the earlier version -- thanks for the tip. Version 4 is very slow and appears to affect my computer in general...lots of spinning color wheels while it decides what to do next. I have a Mac, OS X Version 10.6.7. Please rethink your decision to stop support for 3.6-16 until you have fixed the problems with version 4.

more options

Boy! Am I ever glad that I Googled this new Firefox 4, did some reading and decided to wait.

more options

It will be a historical mistake if they stop to support the old version. As the Ff funs we can wait for the ripening of Firefox 4 with using of the outmoded version, but if the support stops before the ripening of Ff 4 we can stop too..

  1. 1
  2. 2