Stop updating in the background if it means I have to restart the browser to see new tabs!

[Morten]

Hi Mozilla

I am an ACTIVE user of browsers, at any given time I have at least 10 windows open with multiple tabs in each of them, so much that I also use Private/Incognito windows on a daily basis.

Now you have for the second time in a month done an update in the background which suddenly FORCES me to restart Firefox because all new tabs just say "Firefox has been updated, you need to restart" and then I have a Restart button to click without any other option.

This means that you FORCE me to also close ALL my Private/Incognito tabs, that you have of course NO intentions of opening again automatically for me, since hey, they are Private and shouldn't be stored.

But this is really getting on my nerves now and if it happens again I will be forced to ditch Firefox again, would be such a shame.

Either stop updating that causes you(me) not to be able to handle a new tab,
 or do as previously, give me info of the update and allow me to click update in the menu as it has been the way for the last LOOOOONG time.

Thank you.

BR. Morten

[avoss]

I do wonder what the rationale is for forcing people to restart - regardless of what they may be currently up to? I find this very annoying but beyond that I can see cases where it is downright harmful. Imagine someone urgently researching medical information and trying to find the way to the nearest A&E. To not give the user control over whether they want to continue using their browse is the worst design decision I have seen in Firefox ever, by a wide margin.

[jscher2000]

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@avoss wrote:

I do wonder what the rationale is for forcing people to restart - regardless of what they may be currently up to?

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I think Firefox cannot continue after an update is installed in the background because the firefox.exe processes in memory and the firefox.exe program file on disk no longer match, and Firefox spins up multiple processes as you browse to maintain site isolation.

I have Firefox on Windows set to notify me and let me choose when to install updates, so I control when updates are installed. (Usually within a couple days, when it's convenient.)

[avoss]

I have specifically configured Firefox to "Check for updates but let you choose to install them". Now, in the middle of work and while I was under time pressure, Firefox nevertheless refused to open up new tabs. Whatever happened to the "let me choose" bit? I do believe that I have ignored an update - does Mozilla force updates once they have been ignored for long enough? I really want to keep using Firefox so I don't have to switch to Goggle's thing.

[jscher2000]

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@avoss wrote:

I have specifically configured Firefox to "Check for updates but let you choose to install them". Now, in the middle of work and while I was under time pressure, Firefox nevertheless refused to open up new tabs. Whatever happened to the "let me choose" bit? I do believe that I have ignored an update - does Mozilla force updates once they have been ignored for long enough? I really want to keep using Firefox so I don't have to switch to Goggle's thing.

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I can't recall the details, but many years ago, to address a problem with failed notifications, a backup method was added that would update you if you were many (4 to 6?) versions behind. I don't know whether that still exists or was removed when the other problem was eventually solved.

[rstewart]

@avoss, Does your company manage updates for Firefox?
I have had the same thing happen to me multiple times and it is because my company forces updates through Group Policy. I understand their desire to keep browser up to date this way so their current Group Policies make sense given the Group Policy options available for Firefox.

Firefox should add a Group Policy option to only auto update while the application is not running.
I found this conversation while looking for solutions, but started a new conversation specifically about adding a new Group Policy option
https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/add-a-group-policy-option-to-force-background-update-only...

[avoss]

I am on a self-managed machine running MacOS. The options available to Windows users are different. I am a very occasional Windows user, also on a self-managed machine, so cannot comment on group policies.

[Agentvirtuel]

Hello

For information purposes
This other https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/discussions/forced-restart/m-p/48809