Hello KeevinD,

this problem can be caused of the compability mode. Go to your shortcut & .exe > right click > features and set compability mode off / on or try to start it with compability windows 98/Me or something else. This should work.

Do not hesitate to contact us further.

Tried what you suggested and the results are the same, whether I chose XP or Windows 98 / ME, same results. Firefox takes it when I apply it, but close the shortcut, reopen it, and the box has been unchecked.

Tried doing that plus also down in Privilege Level clicking on "Run as Administrator" there also. Same thing, I can Apply. But leaving the shortcut and coming back in, it isn't set.

Any more ideas?? I didn't have this problem before with Firefox 25.0.1 shortcut. But every time I upgrade Firefox and Thunderbird, the "Run as Administrator" settings are unchecked, so I have to remember to go in to recheck them. Other applications have no problem continuing Run as Administrator through their update processes.

Hello KeevinD,

right click on your .exe & shortcut and set the compability mode off, by clicking the box.

Do not hesitate to contact us further.

Hi KeevinD,

So I need to run as administrator to try to minimize something from hijacking my browser. Any ideas? 

I do not use Vista but surely to prevent problems you need to run programs including Firefox in ordinary accounts and not Admin Accounts.

• http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/windows_security_whynot_admin.mspx

You may not even need to change to Admin to upgrade Firefox.

• see What is the Mozilla Maintenance Service?

P.S. also see

• My computer does not recognize me as an administrator
• How to use User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922708

titoxproxy: You lost me here. I want to set Run as Administrator and you're telling me to turn it off? (I've never had compatibility mode on - the issue is Run as Administrator).

John99: That link you give is for a couple earlier Windows OS' - not Vista. First off, I have ALWAYS had Firefox set to Run as Administrator. On Vista, that triggers the UAC window that has to be responded to (presumably only by the administrator) - the idea being that this should stop or at least hamper hackers from directly accessing Firefox and running it, or adding anything to it - this of course isn't how it exactly works, but my intention is that Run as Administrator forces the UAC window to open, and minimizes problems with Firefox.

So far, I have had an adware intrusion that added an extension to Firefox which I myself could not disable nor remove (in Firefox). And, I've had an adware intrusion that set the start page to their web site (I always have it set to blank page). I finally found where they had put the code (in the Firefox shortcut on my desktop).

As it turns out, stumbling around trying different things I now have Firefox 25.0.1 so it once again is set to Run as Admin and opens the UAC window each time I click on the shortcut.

So - problem solved, without knowing how I solved it!! But isn't that the way it often goes with software.

How about, remove all the short cuts, run the full installer for Firefox, then start over.

KeevinD, I did amend my post ten minutes after making it to expand on the position regarding Vista. You may have missed that update if you are only following emails and not the forum itself.

The linked MS Knowledge Base Article about Vista includes

In Windows Vista, some programs only run correctly if you run them as an administrator. You may be able to run newer versions of the same programs without having to run them as an administrator.

Note A security risk may result by using administrative credentials to run an unknown program. Only run programs that you trust as an administrator. 
 Important These steps [run as administrator] may increase your security risk. These steps may also make the computer or the network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses.