topic Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts in Discussions

Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Aura — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 05:29:59 GMT

Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts are a bad idea. They can interrupt the browsing experience, and can cause people to lose a lot of text if they are in the process of composing a piece of written work - be that an email or a post on a website or a submission to an online writing challenge or something else - due to automatic updates that start without their permission and then force a browser restart automatically, without giving them a warning they can actually use to save whatever it is they're working on BEFORE Firefox decides to reboot.

This was a bad idea for MicroSoft Windows, and it's a bad idea for Mozilla Firefox.

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 06:03:52 GMT

Hello

Update Firefox to the latest release
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/update-firefox-latest-release

For information purposes
https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/forced-restart/m-p/43683
https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/upgrade-notification-spam/m-p/64080/highlight/true#M22529

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

ThePillenwerfer — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 10:36:25 GMT

If you go to Settings and scroll nearly to the bottom you can change "Automatically install updates (recommended)" to "Check for updates but let you choose to install them."

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 11:34:15 GMT

Hello

Firefox options, preferences and settings
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-options-preferences-and-settings#w_general

Firefox Updates
This is where you can check your update history or change update settings for Firefox.

Question? are the options the same if it's an download Firefox on Windows from the Microsoft Store
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/download-firefox-windows-microsoft-store

An subject https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1403147

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

RancidPoncho — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 21:25:47 GMT

I'm not sure what version you're referring to but on 131.0.3 there is no longer any options in the settings menu to change the behavior or updates.

Even the link you sent no longer shows any details about accessing update history or changing update settings.

Beyond automatic updates...there should be more user control around what tasks firefox adds to the scheduler. Does it really need to check for updates every hour of every day? No wonder this browser is such a memory hog.

@Agentvirtuel wrote:
Hello
Firefox options, preferences and settings
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-options-preferences-and-settings#w_general
Firefox Updates
This is where you can check your update history or change update settings for Firefox.
Question? are the options the same if it's an download Firefox on Windows from the Microsoft Store
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/download-firefox-windows-microsoft-store
An subject https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1403147

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

ThePillenwerfer — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 02:37:27 GMT

This is from Firefox 131.0.3:—

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 05:17:52 GMT

Hello

Like this https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1403147 ?

A picture is worth a thousand words and can go a long way to help explain a problem, Aura, please, could you also provide a screenshot

An another subject and screenshot https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-background-updates-firefox-windows and https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/option-to-disable-update-reminders/idc-p/47735/highlight/true#M27788

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 05:34:07 GMT

Hello ThePillenwerfer

According to your screenshot, apparently, you are running Linux

Other illustration under Linux

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

RancidPoncho — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 19:40:51 GMT

As it turns out, even though I downloaded directly from Mozilla, clicking the very first download link that appears, it forced me to download the MSIX package version of the browser which is still 131.0.3 but with the updates forced through Microsoft and the options removed from settings.

I uninstalled it and dug deeper into the website until I had more choices about the version I was downloading and that gave me the functionality that you have.

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 04:21:43 GMT

Hello

@RancidPoncho wrote:
the functionality that you have.

I presume you have described this article, only applies to Firefox on Windows
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-background-updates-firefox-windows

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

SIfu — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:46:31 GMT

I think the best way to update should be the same as Chrome/Edge.

Download the update background and install the update background.

These two processes shouldn't be impactful or interruptible.

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

tkl — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 20:50:15 GMT

Just experienced a forced restart, lost my progress, made this account to rant how unacceptable this is, did the settings mentioned above now, being unhappy with it because I want the automatic updates and don't want to be asked.

What's worth a web browser, which can not be trusted to keep working as long as I need it?!
Really questioning my lifelong loyalty now.

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Bryan — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 13:11:51 GMT

This 'feature' is so annoying! After a couple of occurrences I turned the automatic update feature off, however earlier today I got a pop up notification about a new update. It was a good time to update, so I went trough and forgot about it. Not even sure if I did restart the browser right after but it worked the rest of the morning. Hours later (not kidding, it's after lunch now) the browser stops working out of nowhere to force a restart.

There must be a more user friendly way to do this..

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

itsme642 — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 13:47:00 GMT

I'm really starting to get pissed-off with this "feature." I am seriously considering changing browsers. STOP this feature. Allow users to choose when to restart.

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:16:50 GMT

Hello

https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/get-rid-of-the-quot-restart-required-quot-in-firefox/idi-p/775

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Agentvirtuel — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:26:39 GMT

About Settings/General/"Update Firefox" is missing
Another https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1498260

Re: Feedback: Automatic Updates and Forced Browser Restarts

Shadywood — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:03:25 GMT

Even though I had automatic updates turned off, Firefox and Thunderbird just locked up my computer to try and force an update. I had a blank screen and literally had to do a hard reboot just to regain control. When it came back up, both Thunderbird and Firefox refused to operate unless I allowed an update. I am typing this on Chrome right now because Firefox just sits and spins.

I do an update twice a year. THAT'S ENOUGH. Being able to control updates is the ENTIRE REASON I USE MOZILLA. Now I'm forced expose my life to Google because Mozilla insists on controlling my life. They forced an update on my phone yesterday, which I allowed because I don't keep anything there I care about. It effectively broke Thunderbird, by make it so hard to switch accounts as to be useless.

Why can't these MORONS figure out that the entire reason anybody uses their stuff is to retain control of OUR stuff! This PC belongs to ME, you morons! NOT YOU!

Goodbye, fools!