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

"Check for updates" is disabled even though I'm signed in as administrator.

  • 6 replies
  • 12 have this problem
  • 22 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

I would like to upgrade to the newest Firefox version, but it's not allowing me to (& check for updates is disabled) even though I'm signed in as the administrator. How do I change this? How do I get to the installer preferences?

I would like to upgrade to the newest Firefox version, but it's not allowing me to (& check for updates is disabled) even though I'm signed in as the administrator. How do I change this? How do I get to the installer preferences?

All Replies (6)

more options

Run Firefox as an Administrator.

more options

What do you mean? How do I do this? I'm signed in to the computer as an administrator.

more options

I've got the same problem.

@weather15: I have started Firefox as Administrator but it made no difference. I still can't select the "Automatically search for updates for Firefox"-setting (Firefox-button -> Settings -> Advanced -> Updates).

@AnonymousUser: Right-click at the Firefox icon and select "Run as Administrator". Then you select "Yes" when the UAC-window appears.

UAC = User Account Control

The terms used might be slightly different for you as I use the swedish version of Firefox and did my own translation for this reply.

more options

That may be caused by you running a very old Firefox/3.0.3 version.

If there are problems with updating or with the permissions then easiest is to download the full version and trash the currently installed version to do a clean install of the new version.

Download a new copy of the Firefox program and save the disk image (dmg) file to the desktop

  • Trash the current Firefox application to do a clean (re-)install
  • Install the new version that you have downloaded

Your profile data is stored elsewhere in the Firefox Profile Folder, so you won't lose your bookmarks and other personal data.

more options

I'm running Firefox 4.0.1 under Windows 7 Service Pack 1. If there is any other relevant information I missed out, please tell me! :-)

Yes, a re-installation would most probably solve the problem but I'm to curious to do that. I want to know why some settings are unavailable even though I run Firefox as an Administrator. :-)

I have attached a screen dump of the About-window (Firefox->Help->About Firefox). The button for updating Firefox is replaced by the text "Uppdateringar är inaktiverade av systemadministratören" which translate to "Updates are inactivated by the system administrator".

The other dump is of the updates settings (Firefox->Settings->Settings->Advanced->Updates). As you can see, the options for automatically updates is not available. This dump correspond to https://support.mozilla.com/media/uploads/gallery/images/2011-06-01-08-15-43-7e6d8a.png

Both dumps are done when Firefox is ran as administrator.

Modified by scouten

more options

You shouldn't bump old threads and especially not if you are on another platform than Mac that is used by the OP that started this thread.
I had missed that when I answered above.

You do not seem to have write permissions for the Firefox program folder or some prefs are locked via a file mozilla.cfg


I will lock this thread, so please create a new thread for your question.