Update to Firefox 4.0 - some questions

[Madeline]

I'm currently running Firefox 3.6.15 and I don't want to update to v4.0 as soon as it's released on 22nd March. I've got a couple of questions that I hope someone will answer for me.

1. How will the update be deployed and will I be able to leave it until a later date please?

2. Would it be possible to run both v3.6.15 and v4.0 on the same PC? If so, how would I go about it? I don't know if this is relevant, but there are 2 user accounts on this PC, both of which have Firefox as the default browser.

3. An entirely unrelated question! When I logged in about ½ an hour ago, I got a message saying that I'd exceeded the permitted number of login attempts and I had to type one of those captcha things. It was weird because it was the 1st attempt I'd made to login for some time, so why would it happen?

Thanks for any info you can give me.

[Daifne]

I highly doubt that the release date will be on the 22nd, since the Community Test day is the 25th. Crowd and Endurance testing testday - March 25th

1. Usually, it's announced and left for users to get it on their own for a week or two. After that it will be released via the automatic update. You can always leave it for later, just like previous versions.

2. Installing Dev version while keeping the current stable Fx

3. One of the many problems we're having with the forums right now. The Admin is trying to find the problems and is having a hard time of it.

[James]

Firefox 3.6.* users will continue to get the security and bug fix 3.6.* releases (3.6.16 is targeted for April.19) as the older supported version just like how 3.5.* is or was and Firefox 4.0 will not be served to 3.6.* users, at least not anytime soon. I believe there may have been talk of serving 3.6.* to Firefox 3.5.* users.

2. The basics have always been to install them in a separate folder and use a separate Profile for each as Profiles should not be shared between Major versions.

[KWierso]

They are talking about pushing the major updates more aggressively this time than in past releases, but I doubt it'd be an immediate push at the launch.

[pal-moz]

I'm currently running Firefox 3.6.15 and I don't want to update to v4.0 as soon as it's released on 22nd March. I've got a couple of questions that I hope someone will answer for me.

1. How will the update be deployed and will I be able to leave it until a later date please?

you can choose whether or not you do update/upgrade like below.

deferring the decision for 24 hours (“Ask Later”),
declining the offer (“No Thanks”), or
accepting the free upgrade (“Get the New Version”).

https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/i ... 3-5-users/

[James]

deferring the decision for 24 hours (“Ask Later”),
declining the offer (“No Thanks”), or
accepting the free upgrade (“Get the New Version”).

https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/i ... 3-5-users/

That was posted a year ago though.

[Madeline]

Thanks for your replies to my questions.

@ Daifne
At least I was able to login normally tonight, I hope the Admin is able to get this sorted soon!

I don't want to install a dev version of Firefox 4.0, I wanted to see if I could have stable versions of both Firefox 3.6xx and Firefox 4.0 (whenever released) installed simultaneously. This is mainly so that I can get used to a new version before getting rid of the old one. I'm getting on a bit, so I need to be sure that I can cope with new stuff!

@ James
So I can keep Firefox 3.6xx for the time being without being pestered to update to Firefox 4 - is that right?

If I create a new profile and a new folder in C:\Program Files, I could install Firefox 4.0 as a completely separate application, is that right?

Sorry if I appear dim (maybe I am), but I need to get this right so that I don't mess up my PC.

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.
Madeline

[Gingerbread Man]

I need to get this right so that I don't mess up my PC.

1. Create a backup copy of your profile folder(s).
2. Run the installer for the new version, whether it's a final version or a beta. Choose Custom installation and specify an installation folder different than your current version of Firefox.
3. Before running the new version for the first time, run the profile manager and create a new profile with a descriptive name, e.g. ff40
4. Create a desktop shortcut for the new version of Firefox. At the end of the Target line, add a space followed by -p profilename -no-remote — for example, the end result might look like this:
   

   Code: Select all

   "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 4\firefox.exe" -p ff40 -no-remote

Please exercise caution when uninstalling any version of Firefox. Selecting the option "Delete my Firefox data and customizations" will wipe out all of your profiles.

[Madeline]

Hi Gingerbread Man,

Thank you very much for your helpful advice and also for the links you gave. I think I've got it clear now how to get it right. I've made a note of what you said so that I can refer to it easily.

Thanks again to everyone for their help.

Madeline

[Madeline]

[*]Before running the new version for the first time, run the profile manager and create a new profile with a descriptive name, e.g. ff40

Just one more thing I didn't think of earlier. When I create a new profile, should I do 2 in case my husband wants to use Firefox 4.0? I can't remember what happened when we first had Firefox - it was version 1.0 - and we've always had our own version of Firefox with our own bookmarks, extensions etc. The separate profiles just seemed to happen on our user accounts!

Madeline

[KWierso]

[*]Before running the new version for the first time, run the profile manager and create a new profile with a descriptive name, e.g. ff40

Just one more thing I didn't think of earlier. When I create a new profile, should I do 2 in case my husband wants to use Firefox 4.0? I can't remember what happened when we first had Firefox - it was version 1.0 - and we've always had our own version of Firefox with our own bookmarks, extensions etc. The separate profiles just seemed to happen on our user accounts!

Madeline

Yeah, if you use separate Windows accounts, you'll both have separate profiles already.

You'd both need to make a new profile for Firefox 4 if that's what you want to do, though.

[Gingerbread Man]

Hello again,

No, there is no need. If you have separate Windows accounts, then you also have separate Firefox profiles without having to manually create them.

Profiles created with the profile manager are stored under a user-specific data folder, e.g.

Code: Select all

C:\Documents and Settings\GingerbreadMan\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\f1xb7hkq.default
C:\Documents and Settings\GingerbreadMan\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ff40
C:\Documents and Settings\MuffinMan\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\vllbyx8d.default

In other words, if you create a new profile, the profile manager will only list it when you launch it.

[Madeline]

Hello again,

No, there is no need. If you have separate Windows accounts, then you also have separate Firefox profiles without having to manually create them.

Profiles created with the profile manager are stored under a user-specific data folder, e.g.

Code: Select all

C:\Documents and Settings\GingerbreadMan\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\f1xb7hkq.default
C:\Documents and Settings\GingerbreadMan\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ff40
C:\Documents and Settings\MuffinMan\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\vllbyx8d.default

In other words, if you create a new profile, the profile manager will only list it when you launch it.

Thanks again for your help. I thought it must be something like that as I wouldn't have known anything about profiles back when I first got Firefox 1.0!

Do you think it would be possible to import my bookmarks from Firefox 3.6.15 somehow? I don't want to get them from IE as I hardly ever use it and the bookmarks there are very out of date. If I can't get them from v3.6.15, I might just start from scratch, at least I'd know the ones I'd got are current!

Thanks also to KWierso for your reply and info.

The help and advice I've received here are very much appreciated. Many thanks to all of you.

Madeline

[Gingerbread Man]

You're welcome.

If you don't have any bookmarks in the new profile yet, simply copy the places.sqlite file from the old profile folder into the new one while Firefox is closed. Doing so will also transfer your history.

If you've already created bookmarks in the new profile,

1. Export the bookmarks as HTML from the old profile.
2. Import the bookmarks from the HTML file in the new profile.

[sandeep108]

Firefox 4 should take your 3.6 profile and start off. A backup of the profile is a precaution in case something goes wrong.

If you want to start from scratch with v4, you can export the bookmarks from 3.6 and import them back into 4.0.