Disable auto update check but keep manual update in Firefox 63?
Hi.
In Firefox 63 the option to never check for updates was removed. The release notes suggest to create a policies.json to disable updates. This does not result in similar behaviour! It does indeed stop the checks for updates, but it also disables the option of manually checking for updates. So this is not the same!
I'd like to know how I can disable the auto checking for updates, but keep the option to manually check and update.
I found this thread regarding a beta version of Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1232918 but that does not give an answer to my question.
I typically check for updates every few days, but I do not want Firefox to check automatically and/or install without my express permission. I seem to be left with renaming the policies file every time I want to check for updates. Cumbersome and very user unfriendly.
I would like to get back to the behaviour I have used for many years. To wit: I click on 'About Firefox' and I can see the version number without any checks or updates starting without my consent. I am presented with a button to check for updates. If I click it, I am presented with either a message stating I am up to date, or an option to update without it automatically doing so. And only if I then click to confirm that I indeed want to update, it starts downloading said update and installing it. This is what I want back please. How do I make that happen? Thanks.
All Replies (20)
AFAIK the options doesn't work correctly and you still get updated. There is a way to prevent this but were not allowed to mention it. You can look for this on the internet and there should be something about it. But mentions of that on the forums is frowned upon.
All I have found is the policies.json method or a registry key to prevent updates (and checks for updates). But that also kills the manual update, which I very much want to keep.
But you're saying updates are forced regardless of the chosen preferences? This is why I test updates in a VM before committing. Bugs and skulduggery.
Okulungisiwe ngu Vlammetje
I know can't say much more to that. But that is outside method I had to use so that I can update when I want to not when it wants to. Just look online for further help. This also helps should it break anything during a update happening at the worst timing as well as this can sometimes lead to the Browser being corrupted. Of which I experienced this before already that's why I went down this route.
What is this madness that you can't speak freely to help someone with a problem? This doesn't help me :/
I tried it before and was told that isn't permitted. So just go and search on the internet on this problem your having and I know there are sites that give you more info on this.
The only choice you have is app.update.auto = false
Have you tried the setting to check for updates but wait for your approval to install them?
app.update.auto => false
Is the problem that you get nags at unwanted intervals?
I don't want Firefox to check unless I direct it to. No checks, no updates. Like it always used to work. And keep the option to check manually, and if chosen, update manually.
Now I can either block updates altogether, or have Firefox check without my consent. Neither is acceptable. It is a regression of functionality.
I don't get why a perfectly workable option was removed. Other than: 'we think most people would accidentally disable updates and forget'. I'm not most people. I want my option back please. And yes, I have the nags disabled that pop up if Firefox detects it is old or hasn't been used in a while. That doesn't mean a thing in a VM with snapshot restores or without time/date sync.
This is enough reason for me to stay on version 62 for a long time. Like I previously did with version 47. Massive changes foisted on users without a way to get functionality back to a workable equivalent state. So if the devs' goal was to keep everyone up to date, it backfired spectacularly. People like me do not let devs dictate the level of user control by rolling back existing granularity.
Really, I can sort of understand why it was removed from the user interface, but not why the option had to go from about:config. Let power users have their fine control.
Okulungisiwe ngu Vlammetje
You can edit the policies.json file and change the DisableAppUpdate value from true to false if you want to check for updates. You can set app.update.auto = false (possibly via an autoconfig.cfg file).
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customizing-firefox-using-policiesjson
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/customizing-firefox-using-autoconfig
- Disable: {"policies": {"DisableAppUpdate": true}}
- Enable: {"policies": {"DisableAppUpdate": false}}
Okulungisiwe ngu cor-el
What exact version 62 are you using? Firefox 62.0.3 64-bit (US English)? Is that the last version to allow the option to check manually, and update manually? Does anyone know if future versions will once again include the user control options? The most flexibility of user control of options is one of the key highlights of FF.... taking that option to check for & update manually away ...is similar to what Microsoft did in Windows 10...& why I reverted back to 8.1& using Classic Shell.
Same problem here. Being on a metered connection, I want to use my own update scheme without being alerted. Please restore the old "never update" option.
NL-T said
Same problem here. Being on a metered connection, I want to use my own update scheme without being alerted. Please restore the old "never update" option.
Hi NL-T, if you review this thread, you will see there is a new Policy file approach to preventing Firefox from checking for updates. That should address your needs if you use an external updater.
Here in support we work with the Firefox we have today and can suggest relevant features, settings changes, and workarounds. If those are unsatisfactory, you can submit comments and suggestions through one or more of the following links:
- Feedback: https://qsurvey.mozilla.com/s3/FirefoxInput/
- Discourse: https://discourse.mozilla.org/c/firefox-development
- Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/firefox
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Firefox
I completely understand you have have to work with Firefox in its current form. Explorer can't locate policies.json, though. My current workaround is to allow Firefox to check for updates, but less often: I increased the interval from twice a day to one month (in seconds). Hope this will do the trick.
Hi NL-T, when you install Firefox, it doesn't include an empty policies.json file. It is a file you can create to apply policies to Firefox.
NL-T said
My current workaround is to allow Firefox to check for updates, but less often: I increased the interval from twice a day to one month (in seconds). Hope this will do the trick.
Which App.Update Config did you adjust?
~Pj
In about:config, I set app.update.enabled => true, and app.update.interval => 2592000.
Note that you likely need to download a large full update instead of a smaller partial update if you skip updates, so if you are on a metered connection then best is not to skip updates.
I wasn't aware that partial updates were possible. The Firefox updates I receive are usually around 30 MB, I think. So these are partial?
NL-T said
- In about:config, I set
- app.update.enabled => true,
- and
- app.update.interval => 2592000.
Ok, I set mine to 2592000 (30 Days).
~Pj
You can see what updates are available and what their file sizes are on the page I linked above, so you can see that a partial update from 63.0 or 63.0.1 to 63.0.3 is only 5 MB, but an update from 62.0.2 to 63.0.3 is already 30 MB and a full update when a partial update isn't available is 45 MB.
File firefox-62.0.2-63.0.3.partial.mar 30M File firefox-62.0.3-63.0.3.partial.mar 30M File firefox-63.0-63.0.3.partial.mar 4M File firefox-63.0.1-63.0.3.partial.mar 4M File firefox-63.0.3.complete.mar 45M