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How do I turn off the update popup window?

  • 14 replies
  • 57 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by Hasan

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How do I turn off the Firefox update popup window? I am not going to upgrade from 3.6.17 I liked the way Firefox was configured up till now. I tried the new upgrade and I didn't like the changed toolbars, The toolbars are reversed in the newer version, and frankly don't make any sense. There are other features too which are totally annoying. If I can' turn off that pop up up grade window I am going to get rid of Firefox and use a different browser like Safari, which I don't like as much as Firefox but it is more simple so probably better.

How do I turn off the Firefox update popup window? I am not going to upgrade from 3.6.17 I liked the way Firefox was configured up till now. I tried the new upgrade and I didn't like the changed toolbars, The toolbars are reversed in the newer version, and frankly don't make any sense. There are other features too which are totally annoying. If I can' turn off that pop up up grade window I am going to get rid of Firefox and use a different browser like Safari, which I don't like as much as Firefox but it is more simple so probably better.

All Replies (14)

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Firefox > Preferences > Advanced > Update sub-tab

You should update manually to 3.6.18 and check the following site every week if you don't want to use automatic updates:

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-older

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I don't like the upgrade to 18. I did upgrade. I didn't like it and I uninstalled it and reinstalled 17. Thankfully it came back. I don't know what you are talking about when you say check in every week with Mozilla (to turn off the upgrade window.) Can you be a little more explanatory?

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Firefox 3.6.18 looks the same as 3.6.17; it's just a security update. The one you didn't like was either Firefox 4 or Firefox 5.

I don't know what you are talking about when you say check in every week with Mozilla (to turn off the upgrade window.) Can you be a little more explanatory?

First, turn off automatic updates in preferences.

Second, manually check for Firefox 3.6 updates every week at the above URL. Otherwise, you will be exposed to an increasing number of attacks from the web over time as your version falls behind.

Modified by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

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If you do not like the new appearance of Firefox 4 then you can change some setting to restore the Firefox 3 appearance.

To restore the old appearance right click the orange Firefox button to open the toolbar context menu or use (F10) View > Toolbars.

  • Click the Menu Bar entry and place a check-mark to make the Menu Bar visible all the time (Windows and Linux).
  • Click "Tabs on Top" to remove the check mark and place the Tab Bar at its original position just above the browser window.
  • https://support.mozilla.com/kb/why-are-tabs-top

If you want to restore the Firefox 3 appearance and behavior in Firefox 4 and later then you can find some tips here:

Modified by cor-el

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Would the directions work for Mac? I have a Mac laptop. On Firefox 4 there were some other things that bothered me, now I forget exactly. Perhaps too many Toolbars, either a Google or a Yahoo or both? It just seemed too much, clumsy and unneeded. I don't want to use Firefox 4. Thanks for your help though.

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You can at least move the tab bar down to its original position.

Can you attach a screenshot to show what you do not like ?

Use a compressed image type like PNG or JPG to save the screenshot and make sure that you do not exceed the maximum file size (1 MB).

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I really appreciate your care and concern. When I see that 18 update again I may not be afraid to update. I'll read more about what it entails.

I'm sorry I can't do a screen shot as I uninstalled 4 and got 3 back, It is something inherent in the function, not the look. For one thing there were too many toolbars cutting into the actual screen. I have a laptop only not a huge flat screen. I feel that Google and possibly Yahoo paid Firefox to add their stuff. I don't need everything right in my face. That's the same thing Microsoft did with one of their browsers that they were touting back in the late 90's or early 2000's. They were courting young people and making everything cutesy. I like the simplicity of the one I am using. I am not going to download 4 again and risk losing 3. When this is no longer supported I'll find another browser to use. Safari will suffice. It's no big deal.

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For one thing there were too many toolbars cutting into the actual screen. I have a laptop only not a huge flat screen. I feel that Google and possibly Yahoo paid Firefox to add their stuff.

Firefox does not include either the Google or Yahoo toolbar. However, add-ons often tag along with other software, so you might have installed them without realizing it. The add-ons page/dialog (Tools>Add-ons) can help you disable and remove unwanted add-ons.

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jescher2000, I didn't do any addons. Perhaps I remember incorrectly, but there was a reason I decided not to accept Firefox 4 and use it, and it was because I couldn't eliminate the extra toolbars. There was another change of function also. I will have to find a list of changes in Firefox 4 so I can see what is lost and what is new. However I want to apologize, I do realize not that there are options for change. I didn't retain Cor-el's instructions properly; I got hung-up on her saying Windows and Linux in her reply. Perhaps I can also follow her directions on Mac. Sometimes it is not possible to follow those directions on Mac.


"cor-el cor-el 2013 solutions 30428 answers 18 hours ago

If you do not like the new appearance of Firefox 4 then you can change some setting to restore the Firefox 3 appearance.

To restore the old appearance right click the orange Firefox button to open the toolbar context menu or use (F10) View > Toolbars.

   * Click the Menu Bar entry and place a check-mark to make the Menu Bar visible all the time (Windows and Linux).
   * Click "Tabs on Top" to remove the check mark and place the Tab Bar at its original position just above the browser window.
   * https://support.mozilla.com/kb/why-are-tabs-top 

If you want to restore the Firefox 3 appearance and behavior in Firefox 4 and later then you can find some tips here:

   * http://www.computertechtips.net/64/make-firefox-4-look-like-ff-3-6/
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I have Firefox 5.0 I want firefox 3.6.17. When I download the 3.6.17 version it automatically upgrades and I don't want that. One of the printer programs requires the 3.6.17 version of Firefox. How can I avoid the upgrade???

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@SharonMcDonald, did you turn off automatic updates? In Firefox 5, check here:

orange Firefox button or Tools menu > Options > Advanced > Update tab

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When I updated to 4.0.0 it triggered a virus that I think came with the preloaded Vista then I updated to W7. However it got progressively worse and uninstalling and 4.0.0 & 4.0.1 then reinstalling 3.6.11 yielded no improvement. I had to wipe the HD and pay for a full install W7. Wa-La! Everything works just fine but now I'm paranoid about any and all upgrades. At least once a day I get the update popup and I'm unwilling to risk the result. Can this popup be disabled?

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@eddieal, did you try this dialog?

orange Firefox button or Tools menu > Options > Advanced > Update tab

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@eddieal - How do I Configure Update options?

Check and tell if its working.