Installing Dev version while keeping the current stable Fx

[the-edmeister]

A. For Firefox 3.6 only:
Download and install Firefox Portable Test to your hard drive and use a custom "Destination folder". The entire installation (including the Profile for "Portable") will be self-contained in the \Program Files\"Destination folder" directory and won't interfere with an "official" version that you already have installed. The "down side" is that Firefox Portable won't launch if any other version of Firefox is already running.
http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable/test

B. For all versions, including Firefox 3.6, Namoroka3.6b2, or Minefield 3.7:
Download a Zip-Archive build of the version you want to install - available in the Nightly folders.
1. Create a folder for that version of Firefox, like maybe C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Firefox 3.6b2\
2. Extract the Zip file into the folder that you created,
3. Right-click the firefox.exe file and Send to > Desktop (create shortcut)
4. Create an empty folder where you want the new Profile for this version to be located, like maybe C:\Program Files\Mozilla\01-26-09\ to keep it near the Firefox program files. The name of that Profile would be 01-26-09.
5. Modify the Target line of the Desktop shortcut that you created like this:
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla\Firefox 3.6b2\firefox.exe" -profile "C:\Program Files\Mozilla\01-26-09"
(there has to be a space between .exe" and -profile)
Then click apply.
6. Double-click that Desktop shortcut to launch the new version you just installed and a new Profile will be created upon Startup.

7. If you want to launch this "version" while another version of Firefox is already running, add space-no-remote to the end of the Target line, after this "version" has been run at least once.

as always, YMMV

Note: Both of the above recommendations don't involve either the Registry or the profiles.ini file, and allow the "test" version to run independent of any other version of Firefox that you may have installed. If you use an Installer version, keep in mind that the last installed version of Firefox/Shiretoko/Minefield is going to be the one the Registry uses for the "Default browser" and any Profile (listed in the profiles.ini file) you use for a "test" version might become the "Default Profile"; and either of those might cause you problems if/when an external application calls for the "Default browser". The result could be two b0rked Firefox installations.

Ed

[steviex]

Locking this thread...

The Original 'Installing Firefox 3 while keeping Firefox 2' thread is HERE viewtopic.php?f=23&t=613873

Let one of the moderators know if anything needs altering or adding.