There is a big change in the works for Firefox 40, which has to do with extension signing. https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/02/10/extension-signing-safer-experience/

"We’re responsible for our add-ons ecosystem and we can’t sit idle as our users suffer due to bad add-ons. An easy solution would be to force all developers to distribute their extensions through AMO, like what Google does for Chrome extensions. However, we believe that forcing all installs through our distribution channel is an unnecessary constraint. To keep this balance, we have come up with extension signing, which will give us better oversight on the add-ons ecosystem while not forcing AMO to be the only add-on distribution channel."

All Firefox add-ons were automatically signed in the past few days, to prepare for Add-on signing, which is coming in Firefox 40. This will necessitate you updating all your add-ons and restarting Firefox to make sure they work properly when 40 comes out. Nothing to worry about, just close Firefox and apply the updates.

Tom said

I have automatic updates turned off. Using Firefox 38.0.1 Windows 7 (32 bit). Yesterday I had no updates for extensions, I've never had more than about four at once before. Today I suddenly have 27 updates showing, although I did not click on "check for updates"; further, they keep re-selecting themselves after I de-select them and close and reopen the "available updates" screen. MSE finds nothing, Malwarebytes finds nothing, and Spybot S&D finds nothing. Is there somthing major for Firefox 39 that all of these extension owners are preparing for? But, is so, why the unusual happening of pre-selecting themselves? For now I'm afraid to close the browser. Thanks. Tom

I had searched and seen there was a big fix and/or evolution in the works, but why the automatic detection & selection without my input?

I feel better now that there seems an explanation for the many updates, but I am still perturbed that I have no choice at all. That doesn't feel familiar.

Thanks again.

Tom

What do you mean? Did you have add-on updates turned off? If not, they will update even if you don't have Firefox updating on it's own (which is a bad idea)

In Firefox 38.0.1, I have a section at the bottom of the left column on Add-ons page showing 37 updates available, but no pop-ups or other messages. Firefox is set to inform me of updates and let me choose when to install them and that seems to have worked in this case.

Tyler Downer said

What do you mean? Did you have add-on updates turned off? If not, they will update even if you don't have Firefox updating on it's own (which is a bad idea)

Yes. I have "never check for updates" selected. I'm not using the latest and greatest machine here, and I don't need an unexplained slow-down when I am working on something important-to-me. I check at least daily for updates to Firefox, and extensions, and usually plugins.

Never before has opening the Extension tab displayed available updates without my choosing to check for them. Also, never before have all updates been pre-selected on the "Available Updates" tab, much less have them re-select themselves.

Tom

jscher2000 said

In Firefox 38.0.1, I have a section at the bottom of the left column on Add-ons page showing 37 updates available, but no pop-ups or other messages. Firefox is set to inform me of updates and let me choose when to install them and that seems to have worked in this case.

Frankly, seeing 37 updates would have sent me here as quickly in your case.

I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but I did not have "check and let me choose" selected. The fear of an malware is gone, it's just the unexpected behavior naggin at me.

In another few minutes I'll probably just mark this as solved. Thank you all for your time and effort.

Tom

Hi Tom, I'll admit I don't check every day, but yes, 10 or fewer would be more like it. And if I hadn't seen this thread, I don't know whether I would have noticed that the extension names had "-signed" added to them on the updates list or known what that was about.