Hello gemlink, i think the easy way is to download the release version and install over beta.

the other is to edit the channel-prefs.js in Installation directory, because the App.update.channel only changed by editing channel-prefs.js in the application directory.

see : Software Update

1. Close Firefox.
2. Go to C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\pref
3. Edit channel-prefs.js with Notepad pref("app.update.channel", "release");
4. save it, exit, open firefox.

check the change of app.update.channel in about:config

then update firefox.

thank you

Thanks very much. That did the trick

Hi--I was using FF 16--not a beta release.

Somehow, I've placed on the beta channel and FF is offering to me beta 18.

Which I very much do NOT want.

How do I get off the beta channel so that it will just give me the release version 17?

I tried the editing--it would not allow me to save the edited file.

You can download and install the current Firefox 17.0.1 release.

You can find the latest Firefox release in all languages and for all Operating Systems here:

• Firefox 17.0.x: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html

Thanks, cor-el. I did that (not that TMP has released an update), but it did not take me off the beta release channel. I tried to delete the entire PREF folder that said beta release. It still, when I click ABOUT and then "check for updates," coming back and saying that there is a beta release "b" 18 available and indicates I'm on the beta release channel.

I don't know how I got on the beta release channel. I have never installed a beta release and given the rapidity of FF updates, I have no intention of doing so.

I don't want to be on the beta release channel.

Can anyone suggest how to get off of the beta release channel?

You will have to make sure that the \defaults\pref\channel-prefs.js in the Firefox program folder is replaced with the file that specifies the correct release update channel.

• (32 bit Windows) C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\
• (64 bit Windows) C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\

Do a clean reinstall and delete the Firefox program folder before reinstalling a fresh copy of Firefox.

Download a fresh Firefox copy and save the file to the desktop.

• Firefox 17.0.x: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html

Remove the Firefox program folder before installing that newly downloaded copy of the Firefox installer.

• It is important to delete the Firefox program folder to remove all the files and make sure that there are no problems with files that were leftover after uninstalling.
• Do NOT remove personal data when you uninstall your current Firefox version, because all profile folders will be removed and you will also lose your personal data like bookmarks and passwords from profiles of other Firefox versions.
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Uninstalling_Firefox

Your bookmarks and other profile data are stored in the Firefox Profile Folder and won't be affected by an uninstall and (re)install, but make sure that "remove personal data" is NOT selected when you uninstall Firefox.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Standard_diagnostic_-_Firefox#Clean_reinstall

Thanks, but..

You know, I still don't know how to get on the beta release channel.

But if you're saying I have to do a completely clean reinstall of FF and lose all my settings etc---that's absurd. The ff pref folder can't be edited; the file in question is protected somehow. When the whole folder is deleted, it has no effect. Why should this be so difficult? Surely if FF is going to create a beta release channel it should create some button to push or option to select to take you off of it.

As time goes on I am beginning to feel like managing FF peculiarities is becoming a full time job.

Hello. After starting this thread I simply installed the latest release version over top of the beta and I was back on the release channel. I had seen numerous posts warning re: Do not remove personal data when you uninstall the current version. I think I remember being prompted for this and made sure that was selected, but I'm not completely sure. It was an easy fix for me, but I didn't do that for quite a while as most posts I read recommended uninstalling the FF beta first. I was too worried about losing my settings.

I did manually install 17 over 16 and the net result was that I was still left on the beta release channel...I would've hoped that worked, but it didn't.

I decided to spend more time trying to find out why Vista won't let me edit the pref file. It was a permissions issue. It took awhile and a tutorial to figure out how to add myself as a user with additional permissions to write to that file, but I finally did, which fixed the problem.

However, it remains so that this is WAYYYYYY too complicated. It is hard to believe that the program offers no options to get off a beta release channel other than going into a java script file and editing it.

I think it was up until the beta6 that there was a button to join/opt out, but it was removed. I think this was a nice feature that got axed for some unknown reason. If you uninstall FF, I'm pretty sure the consensus is that the prompt (which I mentioned before) "Do not remove personal data when you uninstall the current version" should pop up. But this worried me as well.

To be fair, there are other ways (I did not edit any scripts, and others have posted success by uninstall/reinstall), but I agree completely about the ease of the process. The button was nice. They should bring it back.

All these responses seem to be directed to Windows users--how about Mac? I also want to get off the beta channel.

Just drag the current Firefox application to the trash and install the current release.

You can find the latest Firefox release in all languages and for all Operating Systems here:

• Firefox 18.0.x: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all.html

Somehow I also got put on the beta update channel. Mac OS X users need to look in a different place than Windows users, so this is where I was able to find the file that you need to change (using OS X 10.6.8).

from the Finder bar, click Go ---> Applications ---> control-click on Firefox (if you just click it launches Firefox, so do control-click instead) ---> Show Package Contents ---> Contents ---> Mac OS X ---> defaults ---> pref ---> channel-prefs.js

you can control-click (or equivalent) channel-prefs.js to Open With TextEdit

change pref("app.update.channel", "beta") to pref("app.update.channel", "release") or whatever you prefer

You do not just get put on Beta channel as you would had to install a Beta build of a release at some point and continued on from there in updates.