How to Disable Firefox Auto Updates

by Ron Oglesby on Mon, Nov 14, 2011 at 11:00 AM 0 comments, 970 views

When packaging an application in Unidesk or any other software distribution technology commonly used in virtual desktops (think ThinApp and AppV here) you generally will need to disable any auto-update functionality in the application to ensure the package is updated by IT and not the end-user. This is a second in a series of articles about auto-update functionality in commonly used applications. The previous article was on the more elusive Google Chrome settings.

Disabling Firefox auto updates is fairly straight forward within the GUI. And with Mozilla seeming to put out a new version of their browser every 6 seconds, you really need to keep your packages from attempting to auto update.

But, as with most applications, I think you should know more than where the check box is. So below are 2 options for disabling Auto update: the GUI, and a Group Policy Template.

Option 1: In the GUI
 
Of course, unlike Chrome, Mozilla offers you a GUI interface for disabling auto-updates for the browser. You can disable both the updates for Firefox and disable any checking it will do for Add-ons and Search Engines. http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Updating%20Firefox
Firefox pull down menu – Options – Advanced Tab – Update Sub-Tab
 
 
 
Option 2: The Group Policy
 
I personally like to use Group Policies or Policy Preferences to set application settings. There is a Firefox GPO Template that you can find here at Sourceforge.net
 
This zip file will extract and contain two ADM files. One is for default settings (like the start page and what not) generally found under HKCU in the registry, the user’s profile. The other ADM is for “locked down” firefox. This will add settings to HKLM, the machine, and can be used to disable the auto updates:
 
I am a fan of the GPO, though in certain application packaging methods this is not workable as the policy may not apply to the package. A Thinapp package for example needs the settings baked into the package and to change them you must update the package. This could be something as simple as the default start page or something as critical as the auto-updates. In either case the package has to be updated to make the change.
Using a GPO though (as you could with the application in a Unidesk Layer, or in the gold image) will allow you to self-document that changes that have been made and make it easy to back them out or change them if needed
 
 
Posted in Ron’s Politically Incorrect VDI Blog
Tagged Application, Firefox, vdi

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