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I accidentally saved & installed the 64-bit version of Firefox & now have both 32-bit & 64-bit versions on my 64-bit OS/PC. How do I safely remove 64-bit?

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Hello,

Although I am running Windows 10 Home Edition (64-bit), I've always continued to use the 32-bit version of Firefox because I have read that some add-ons don't function properly when running on the 64-bit version (among other things). I recently joined Mozilla's Email Newsletter and just a few hours ago I received an Email announcing the release of Firefox 55. I opened the Email and clicked on the link/button that took me to a page detailing the new fixes/updates in this latest version.

Well, while I was on this 'Changelog' page (so to speak), I received a notification informing me that I was using an outdated version of Firefox and that I should 'Click Here' (or 'Download Now') to get the latest version, security updates, etc. and that's exactly what I did. Of course, I had no idea (or didn't even consider) that because I'm running a 64-bit system, Firefox automatically downloaded the 64-bit installer which was simply named 'Firefox Installer.exe' which consequently gave me no indication that anything was amiss. I proceeded to launch the installer and although I found it odd that it didn't ask me which directory I wanted the installation to reside in, the installation process went quickly and very smoothly. I'm pretty sure while it was installing there was still no indication that the 64-bit version was the one actually being installed. However, as I said, it went so quickly and smoothly that I may have missed any mention of it being the 64-bit version but once again, I highly doubt there was any mention of it and at this point it really doesn't matter as it's irrelevant.

So after the installation was complete, I noticed a duplicate Firefox shortcut on my Desktop and this is when I knew something had gone wrong. As you may have guessed, I quickly realized that the new (duplicate) Desktop shortcut was pointing toward 'firefox.exe' in my 'Program Files' folder instead of where it should have been pointing to (my 'Program Files (x86)' folder). I did go ahead and launch the 64-bit version and although I was pleased to see that my previous session along with all of my tabs and add-ons had been transferred from the 32-bit version to my default 64-bit Firefox profile, it didn't take long for me to realize two of my add-ons were not displaying and/or functioning properly. Without doing anything except glancing down at my status bar (which is usually properly present/displayed in the 32-bit version due to an add-on I have installed) and clicking the 'Open menu' button (the one with the three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other) in the top-right corner, I quickly noticed that not only one, but two of my add-ons were not displaying and/or functioning properly. This let me know right away that what I've read was correct: some add-ons don't display and/or function properly in the 64-bit version. Instantly, this was enough for me to exit out of the 64-bit version without even opening my Add-ons manager and/or caring to investigate any further. With that said, my mind immediately focused on uninstalling the 64-bit version.

Now, the only reason I didn't immediately proceed with the uninstallation is because although I don't think uninstalling the 64-bit version will mess up and/or do any harm to the 32-bit version, there is no way I can be sure and I decided it was best to ask the experts. I will say that before coming here to post a question concerning this matter, I performed several quick (but efficient) Google searches and I could not find anyone who has previously ran into this problem (although I'm sure it's happened before). I don't believe the problem was within the Google queries I performed, but more so the fact that Google's Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) were overcrowded with people asking (or articles detailing) which version was better, how to migrate, if one should migrate, and all that good stuff. Furthermore, I looked through the Mozilla Support/Knowledge Base before ultimately deciding it was reasonable (in my opinion at least) to post a question describing my current situation.

I did go to 'Add or Remove Programs' and when I scrolled down to where Firefox is located in the list of all of the programs I have installed, you will see what I saw in the image I have attached to this post. The reason I included Thunderbird in the screenshot is because I'm unsure of whether 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' is related to Firefox 32-bit and/or 64-bit, or whether it's only related to Thunderbird. I'm guessing it's either only related to both versions of the Firefox browser that I now have installed, or only related to Firefox 64-bit. For all I know it could be related to all three Mozilla products I have installed at the moment but the reason I suspect it's related (at least in part, if not fully) to the 64-bit version is because the date displayed next to the 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' is the same as the date displayed next to the 64-bit version of Firefox which of course is today's date (August 11, 2017) because this whole unfortunate situation occurred this morning. I'm not sure whether these dates solely represent fresh installations or both fresh installations and modifications.

So of course, I'm wondering what I should do. What do you recommend? I think I've already made it perfectly clear that this was a total misadventure and I would like to completely remove the 64-bit version without messing up and/or harming the 32-bit version. How do I go about doing this safely? Do I simply uninstall only the 64-bit version from 'Add or Remove Programs' or is there more to it than that? What about the 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' installation? Should I worry about it or simply leave it as-is? Any and all suggestions are not only welcome, but each and every one will be greatly appreciated. Furthermore, if any additional information is required from me on my end, please don't hesitate to ask and I will respond with whatever it is that you may need ASAP.

In closing, I do apologize for the very-detailed and fairly long post. However, I do appreciate each and every one of you who have continued to read this far and I would like to include that I was purposely as detailed and long-winded as possible because it is suggested that the person asking the question or presenting the issue include as many details as possible when typing up a post in order to help out the experts who will be troubleshooting and/or solving the issue/question at hand.

Thank you very much (in advance) to all of you who have spent your time reading all about my current situation (whether you are able to offer any support or not). I will be eagerly awaiting and looking forward to any and all replies/suggestions.

P.S. I will be quite busy for the remainder of today, however I will check this post as frequently as possible. In fact, I might be able to check it every time there is a reply. That remains to be seen, but nevertheless, I'll be around to respond to any and all replies in a fairly prompt manner (as quickly as I'm able to do so).

EDIT: I just noticed that all of my Bookmarks' Favicons have been erased and replaced with the default gray globe/World Wide Web icon. Although this is kind of frustrating, it isn't a huge deal. However, it has me wondering what else may have been affected by having both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions installed.

Hello, Although I am running Windows 10 Home Edition (64-bit), I've always continued to use the 32-bit version of Firefox because I have read that some add-ons don't function properly when running on the 64-bit version (among other things). I recently joined Mozilla's Email Newsletter and just a few hours ago I received an Email announcing the release of Firefox 55. I opened the Email and clicked on the link/button that took me to a page detailing the new fixes/updates in this latest version. Well, while I was on this 'Changelog' page (so to speak), I received a notification informing me that I was using an outdated version of Firefox and that I should 'Click Here' (or 'Download Now') to get the latest version, security updates, etc. and that's exactly what I did. Of course, I had no idea (or didn't even consider) that because I'm running a 64-bit system, Firefox automatically downloaded the 64-bit installer which was simply named 'Firefox Installer.exe' which consequently gave me no indication that anything was amiss. I proceeded to launch the installer and although I found it odd that it didn't ask me which directory I wanted the installation to reside in, the installation process went quickly and very smoothly. I'm pretty sure while it was installing there was still no indication that the 64-bit version was the one actually being installed. However, as I said, it went so quickly and smoothly that I may have missed any mention of it being the 64-bit version but once again, I highly doubt there was any mention of it and at this point it really doesn't matter as it's irrelevant. So after the installation was complete, I noticed a duplicate Firefox shortcut on my Desktop and this is when I knew something had gone wrong. As you may have guessed, I quickly realized that the new (duplicate) Desktop shortcut was pointing toward 'firefox.exe' in my 'Program Files' folder instead of where it should have been pointing to (my 'Program Files (x86)' folder). I did go ahead and launch the 64-bit version and although I was pleased to see that my previous session along with all of my tabs and add-ons had been transferred from the 32-bit version to my default 64-bit Firefox profile, it didn't take long for me to realize two of my add-ons were not displaying and/or functioning properly. Without doing anything except glancing down at my status bar (which is usually properly present/displayed in the 32-bit version due to an add-on I have installed) and clicking the 'Open menu' button (the one with the three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other) in the top-right corner, I quickly noticed that not only one, but two of my add-ons were not displaying and/or functioning properly. This let me know right away that what I've read was correct: some add-ons don't display and/or function properly in the 64-bit version. Instantly, this was enough for me to exit out of the 64-bit version without even opening my Add-ons manager and/or caring to investigate any further. With that said, my mind immediately focused on uninstalling the 64-bit version. Now, the only reason I didn't immediately proceed with the uninstallation is because although I don't think uninstalling the 64-bit version will mess up and/or do any harm to the 32-bit version, there is no way I can be sure and I decided it was best to ask the experts. I will say that before coming here to post a question concerning this matter, I performed several quick (but efficient) Google searches and I could not find anyone who has previously ran into this problem (although I'm sure it's happened before). I don't believe the problem was within the Google queries I performed, but more so the fact that Google's Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) were overcrowded with people asking (or articles detailing) which version was better, how to migrate, if one should migrate, and all that good stuff. Furthermore, I looked through the Mozilla Support/Knowledge Base before ultimately deciding it was reasonable (in my opinion at least) to post a question describing my current situation. I did go to 'Add or Remove Programs' and when I scrolled down to where Firefox is located in the list of all of the programs I have installed, you will see what I saw in the image I have attached to this post. The reason I included Thunderbird in the screenshot is because I'm unsure of whether 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' is related to Firefox 32-bit and/or 64-bit, or whether it's only related to Thunderbird. I'm guessing it's either only related to both versions of the Firefox browser that I now have installed, or only related to Firefox 64-bit. For all I know it could be related to all three Mozilla products I have installed at the moment but the reason I suspect it's related (at least in part, if not fully) to the 64-bit version is because the date displayed next to the 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' is the same as the date displayed next to the 64-bit version of Firefox which of course is today's date (August 11, 2017) because this whole unfortunate situation occurred this morning. I'm not sure whether these dates solely represent fresh installations or both fresh installations and modifications. So of course, I'm wondering what I should do. What do you recommend? I think I've already made it perfectly clear that this was a total misadventure and I would like to completely remove the 64-bit version without messing up and/or harming the 32-bit version. How do I go about doing this safely? Do I simply uninstall only the 64-bit version from 'Add or Remove Programs' or is there more to it than that? What about the 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' installation? Should I worry about it or simply leave it as-is? Any and all suggestions are not only welcome, but each and every one will be greatly appreciated. Furthermore, if any additional information is required from me on my end, please don't hesitate to ask and I will respond with whatever it is that you may need ASAP. In closing, I do apologize for the very-detailed and fairly long post. However, I do appreciate each and every one of you who have continued to read this far and I would like to include that I was purposely as detailed and long-winded as possible because it is suggested that the person asking the question or presenting the issue include as many details as possible when typing up a post in order to help out the experts who will be troubleshooting and/or solving the issue/question at hand. Thank you very much (in advance) to all of you who have spent your time reading all about my current situation (whether you are able to offer any support or not). I will be eagerly awaiting and looking forward to any and all replies/suggestions. P.S. I will be quite busy for the remainder of today, however I will check this post as frequently as possible. In fact, I might be able to check it every time there is a reply. That remains to be seen, but nevertheless, I'll be around to respond to any and all replies in a fairly prompt manner (as quickly as I'm able to do so). <b><u>EDIT:</u></b> I just noticed that all of my Bookmarks' Favicons have been erased and replaced with the default gray globe/World Wide Web icon. Although this is kind of frustrating, it isn't a huge deal. However, it has me wondering what else may have been affected by having both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions installed.
Attached screenshots

Modified by Hostname

Chosen solution

This thread is starting to rival War and Peace! ;-)

Yes, Firefox 32-bit and 64-bit share the same profile folder. They just have different program folders.

This article has steps to "clean up" the two installation situation: How to switch from 32-bit to 64-bit Firefox. If 32-bit Firefox is your default browser, make sure to change your default browser to another browser before removing it. That can be IE temporarily if the system makes it difficult to change your default directly to 64-bit Firefox.

Edit: Sometimes the site doesn't allow attaching more than one screenshot to a reply without reloading the page, which can lead to losing the text you're posting. Inconvenient!

Read this answer in context 👍 2

All Replies (10)

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For bookmarks, it is know issue as the format for storing them has changed and hence they were not migrated. The favicons will comeback as and when you visit those sites.

With respect the issue of 64 bit firefox

Everyone is migrated automatically towards the 64-bit version and unless your computer doesn't support running 64-bit application you shouldn't change it as it considered stable by Mozilla. Addons shouldn't have problems running in 64-bit firefox as many users have migrated and we have not hit any issues before.

If you have problems with addons, please report them to the authors so they can fix them.

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jagan605 said

For bookmarks, it is know issue as the format for storing them has changed and hence they were not migrated. The favicons will comeback as and when you visit those sites.

With respect the issue of 64 bit firefox

Everyone is migrated automatically towards the 64-bit version and unless your computer doesn't support running 64-bit application you shouldn't change it as it considered stable by Mozilla. Addons shouldn't have problems running in 64-bit firefox as many users have migrated and we have not hit any issues before.

If you have problems with addons, please report them to the authors so they can fix them.

Okay, thanks for your response and the great info included within! Just so I make sure I'm understanding you correctly, you're saying I have no choice but to stick with the 64-bit version as it stands today? If the answer to that question is yes, I will research how to properly migrate from 32-bit to 64-bit (cleanly and safely) and I will post back here if I have any issues during the migration.

However, I do have a question. As I explained above, when I downloaded and installed the 64-bit version, it was a total mishap (as in, I wasn't forced into doing so). With that said, is Mozilla fixing to cutoff support for the 32-bit version or am I misunderstanding what you are trying to convey to me? In other words, is the migration to 64-bit recommended/suggested or is it fixing to become mandatory?

Lastly, as long as I don't have any problems with my add-ons and/or anything else that I consider to be vital/must-have while using the 64-bit version, I'd love to upgrade. However, as I stated in my original post, the first and only time I launched the 64-bit version, I literally had it open for maybe 45 seconds to 1 minute and within that time frame I quickly noticed two separate problems with two different add-ons.

I'll wait for your clarification/suggestions/etc. before I go any further.

Once again, thank you very much for your time and your response!

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Which extensions aren't functioning properly with the 64-bit Firefox version?

I don't think that it makes a difference for the Mozilla maintenance service (this will always be the version that comes with the most recent Firefox release), but if you notice issues then uninstall this application and run the maintenanceservice_installer.exe file in the Firefox program folder.

You can find the full version of the current Firefox release (55.0) in all languages and all operating systems here:

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cor-el said

Which extensions aren't functioning properly with the 64-bit Firefox version? I don't think that it makes a difference for the Mozilla maintenance service (this will always be the version that comes with the most recent Firefox release), but if you notice issues then uninstall this application and run the maintenanceservice_installer.exe file in the Firefox program folder. You can find the full version of the current Firefox release (55.0) in all languages and all operating systems here:

Hello,

Thanks for your response and the info contained within!

The extensions that are no longer working as far as I can tell right now would be:

  • Live IP Address
  • Profilist
  • Status-4-Evar

However, I don't have the time at the moment to sit down and test each extension, but those are the easiest three to quickly identify as not working in the 64-bit version.

Profilist :: Add-ons for Firefox
The above link points toward the Firefox Add-on page for Profilist. When I visit Profilist's add-on page, this is what I see:
https://s26.postimg.org/67yaxg1fd/ff_x64_profilist_1.png
It clearly states that Profilist is not compatible with my version of Firefox. Now, I'm not sure if that means it's not compatible with the 64-bit version or Firefox v55 in general.
However, you can see Profilist was recently updated:
https://s26.postimg.org/s8ene2k3d/ff_x64_profilist_2.png

Status-4-Evar's add-on page doesn't notify me that it's not compatible with my current version of Firefox, however it still doesn't work. It was last updated on October 11, 2016.

The same goes for Live IP Address' add-on page. There is nothing saying it's incompatible with my version of Firefox, however it still doesn't work. However, I will say, in order for Live IP Address to work, Status-4-Evar must work. So it could be that Live IP Address isn't working because Status-4-Evar isn't working. I'm not sure.

Furthermore, without doing any actual math, I would say 90%+ of both my enabled and disabled add-ons are now considered Legacy. I'm not sure how much this has to do with Firefox v55 versus the 64-bit version of Firefox itself (as I stated above pertaining to the add-ons that do not work).

You can view screenshots of all of my add-ons (both enabled and disabled), that are now being identified as Legacy below:

https://s26.postimg.org/fv1t75uex/ff_x64_legacy_ext_1.png
https://s26.postimg.org/zfgc9xv09/ff_x64_legacy_ext_2.png
https://s26.postimg.org/4jz5isnjt/ff_x64_legacy_ext_3.png

I understand I can contact the add-on developers, but it's unlikely they will fix any known issues dealing with version compatibility within a timely manner, except for maybe Profilist since that add-on has been updated within the last month. So here's the deal: if at all possible, I'd still like to uninstall the 64-bit version without harming the 32-bit version. I was not forced to upgrade/switch to 64-bit, it was simply a mistake. I understand eventually (especially with Firefox 57's upcoming release) that I'm going to have to upgrade and deal with these issues one way or another. However, I'd rather wait until that day comes instead of dealing with all of this right now.

So, with all of that said, could someone please advise me if and how I can safely uninstall the 64-bit version without harming the 32-bit version so I don't have to deal with these issues at this very moment? I really do enjoy these add-ons but to be honest (and even more so), I've had enough technological issues in the last 3 to 4 weeks that have literally eaten up most of my time which has caused me to fall way, way behind as far as work/my job goes. So if anyone could kindly please advise me on how to do what I'm asking above (both in this post and in my original post), I'd really appreciate it.

In the meantime, I will contact the extension developers and hopefully by the time I have no choice but to switch, their compatibility will have been upgraded. I'm not hopeful that'll be the case, but like I said, with all I've got going on right now, I'd rather just deal with any possible issues then, but not at this time. If things hadn't been so rough lately, it'd be a different story.

Thank you very much to the both of you who have responded so far. I appreciate your time, effort, and helpful replies. I look forward to hearing back from (hopefully both) of you and/or anyone else who has any input on this matter.

P.S. For some reason this time I had trouble uploading/attaching my screenshots to this post, so instead I uploaded them to a third party image host.

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For Status-4-Evar and profilist there is a beta version available that claim to be compatible with Firefox 56.

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cor-el said

For Status-4-Evar and profilist there is a beta version available that claim to be compatible with Firefox 56.

Wow, thank you so much! I installed the beta version of Status-4-Evar and now it's working again along with Live IP Address. Unfortunately, the older/beta versions of Profilist don't work, but that's the least of my worries at the moment.

I can always launch my profiles from the Command Prompt until either Profilist is updated or I find another/better solution. I saw someone suggest ProfileSwitcher but not even the old/beta versions of this extension are compatible with Firefox v55 (64-bit). I will search Google, I will search the official Firefox Add-ons site, and if I have to I'll ask around on the forums. However, I understand I just may have to wait for a new add-on that deals with the management of profiles or I may just have to wait for an updated version of an already-existing Profile Manager (whichever come first) before I'll have a working solution again, and I am okay with this.

Okay, so I'm more than satisfied and now I definitely want to stick with the 64-bit version of Firefox. However, now I would like to know how I go about uninstalling the 32-bit version without screwing anything up. I would just search Google for a tutorial on migrating from 32-bit to 64-bit but the problem is I accidentally installed the 64-bit version while the 32-bit version is still present on my PC. Will this matter? As in, will a standard 32-bit to 64-bit migration tutorial still not only work, but will it put me in any danger of messing things up as they currently stand? Basically I just need to know if my situation is unique and if I need to do something special when it comes to uninstalling the 32-bit version (while the 64-bit version is present on my PC).

One of my worries is that I noticed in '%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles' it appears that both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions share the same folder when it comes to storing profile information at the very least (as both versions possibly share other Mozilla folders as well, aside from the two 'Program Files' folders). The reason I came to this conclusion is because when I launched the '%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles' directory in File Explorer, I noticed there is a subfolder present that represents a profile by the name of 'Unnamed Profile 1' and although I could be wrong (which is doubtful in this instance), I don't ever recall creating a profile by that name. In fact, I know I never created a profile by that name. The only way I could possibly see that profile having been created by me is if I created a new profile, got distracted, and forgot to come back and configure it. Nevertheless, I don't remember this happening. So my lack of memory of such an occurrence coupled with the fact that I don't see any separate folders in '%AppData%\Mozilla' that contain any and/or all of the files, settings, folders, etc. for the 64-bit version, I can only assume the 32-bit and 64-bit versions share the same folders.

Can you tell me for sure if I'm wrong? Whether I'm right or wrong, do you know if it is safe for me to just go ahead and remove the 32-bit version via 'Add or Remove Programs' and initially leave the 'Mozilla Maintenance Service' alone (as you suggested) unless I started having issues in which case I would take your advice and uninstall maintenance, and then reinstall it by accessing its executable from Firefox's directory in my 'Program Files' folder.

Furthermore, these unanswered questions and fears of mine are the only reason I haven't decided upon a Chosen Solution yet. If you (or anyone else) could please clear up my remaining questions/fears, not only would I greatly appreciate it, but I will be able to choose a solution and hopefully one day if anyone is unfortunate enough to accidentally run into the same problem as I have, they will have a resource to refer to in order to fix the issue quickly and with ease.

Once again, I cannot say it enough...thank you so much! I was seriously starting to get stressed out there for a minute, but it really didn't have a whole lot to do with the problem I have laid out in this post. The issue within this post just added to an already stressful month and this is why you have no idea how much you have helped me.

I hope to hear back from you or anyone else that would like to chime in so I can finally arrive at a final solution and this post can exist for future reference(s).

I will be eagerly awaiting any and all replies. Thanks again!

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Chosen Solution

This thread is starting to rival War and Peace! ;-)

Yes, Firefox 32-bit and 64-bit share the same profile folder. They just have different program folders.

This article has steps to "clean up" the two installation situation: How to switch from 32-bit to 64-bit Firefox. If 32-bit Firefox is your default browser, make sure to change your default browser to another browser before removing it. That can be IE temporarily if the system makes it difficult to change your default directly to 64-bit Firefox.

Edit: Sometimes the site doesn't allow attaching more than one screenshot to a reply without reloading the page, which can lead to losing the text you're posting. Inconvenient!

Modified by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

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jscher2000 said

This thread is starting to rival War and Peace! ;-) Yes, Firefox 32-bit and 64-bit share the same profile folder. They just have different program folders. This article has steps to "clean up" the two installation situation: How to switch from 32-bit to 64-bit Firefox. If 32-bit Firefox is your default browser, make sure to change your default browser to another browser before removing it. That can be IE temporarily if the system makes it difficult to change your default directly to 64-bit Firefox. Edit: Sometimes the site doesn't allow attaching more than one screenshot to a reply without reloading the page, which can lead to losing the text you're posting. Inconvenient!

Thank you very much for your reply. It has effectively solved my problem.

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I don't think this thread has answered my question.

I have never paid attention to the 32-bit vs 64-bit nature of my Firefox installation. My PC: Windows 7 64-bit SP1 My Firefox: Firefox 55.0.3 (x86 en-US)

I have been driving Firefox for 5 years, I think. I have also been using Google Chrome for about the last year. Chrome has some benefits, but it causes many "stalls" and frequently grinds down to a tip-toe pace.

The issue is immediate, since I was just about to click Update to start installing FF 56. I want to install the "correct" version of the Firefox app.

Should I install the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version of FF 56?

Thanks in advance for your advice, JES08

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JES08 said

I don't think this thread has answered my question. ... I was just about to click Update to start installing FF 56. I want to install the "correct" version of the Firefox app. Should I install the 32-bit version or the 64-bit version of FF 56?

Hi JES08, to me, the main advantage of using a 64-bit version of a program is that it can access much more memory than a 32-bit version of a program. If you find Firefox grinding and growing sluggish with large web pages (e.g., endless scrolling news feed on Facebook), using 64-bit may help. Please do read: How to switch from 32-bit to 64-bit Firefox.