Do not make Firefox default browser during installation

[tim.rosenquist]

you need to do both things:

1. do the admin extraction to extract the msi content to a folder, like this:

msiexec /a Firefox-3.0.5-en-US.msi

then just tell it to put it in a folder, eg: \\server\share\ff305\

2. edit the firefox.js file as per this thread, specifically:

change this:
pref("browser.shell.checkDefaultBrowser", true);
to this:
pref("browser.shell.checkDefaultBrowser", false);


3. deploy it using the extracted MSI and files with a transform that sets the install level as discussed above, specifically,

Use the ORCA editor to make a transform, and changine the INSTALLLEVEL to 3 within the property section.

Thanks for the info MRIS. One further clarification - does one need to generate a .MST transform file or simply edit the INSTALLLEVEL in the .MSI with ORCA and save it?

Tim

[Inexor]

I really appreciate the step by step instructions. That was very helpful. I created a separate transform file and applied it in the GPO to the Software Install policy. Unfortunately, as before, nothing seems to stop Firefox from becoming the default browser. I just want it to not do that and I'd be set. Back to the research I guess. If I ever find something I'll be sure to post it here.

[jnimmo]

I really appreciate the step by step instructions. That was very helpful. I created a separate transform file and applied it in the GPO to the Software Install policy. Unfortunately, as before, nothing seems to stop Firefox from becoming the default browser. I just want it to not do that and I'd be set. Back to the research I guess. If I ever find something I'll be sure to post it here.

It took me a while to get going, and I really can not remember what I did now.
But my MST prevents Firefox from becoming the default browser on installation.. well I think it does but I'm not entirely sure.
If you wanted to give it a try, just in case it did, then you can download it from http://www.jamesnimmo.co.nz/downloads/F ... efault.mst.
I really have no idea!

[DraconPern]

I am currently out of the country (US) at the moment. It seems like this is a pretty big issue for a lot (all?) of people. I'll likely fix the issue by rolling out a new set of packages with the fix instead of waiting for the next Firefox release.

[Inexor]

If you would do that, DraconPern, I know you would be my personal hero! This one issue has caused me more delays, hesitations and frustrations than anything else associated with Firefox. I eagerly await your return!

[jesawdy]

I'd been hanging back at v3.0.1 of FFox CE. I deploy via group policy assigned to computers in Active Directory, and FFox becoming default was a real PITA. End users don't have permissions to fix it and for whatever reason M$ refuses to make a simple way to set IE to default browser via group policy.

To the site owner and Mod, yes, this should be a priority.

To others. I did upgrade from 3.0.1 to 3.0.5 yesterday after creating a new administrative install point, editing the MSI directly via Orca to change the runlevel (did not bother with a transform), and modifying the firefox.js as directed above, I think everything worked, but I will report back any oddities that I find.

Here is a tool that an end user with limited privileges (or yourself) can use to change default browsers... you might find it useful.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/defaultbrowser.htm

[susanspy]

Hello all,

Well i do not share the thought that "Do not make Firefox default browser during installation" coz i do not see any bad thing in that, i find firefox the best browser on the net( better than chrome & IE) so i will keep Firefox as the default browser no matter waht, i do not believe what people have said below

Thanks for reading

Cheers!!!

[tim.rosenquist]

Hello all,

Well i do not share the thought that "Do not make Firefox default browser during installation" coz i do not see any bad thing in that, i find firefox the best browser on the net( better than chrome & IE) so i will keep Firefox as the default browser no matter waht, i do not believe what people have said below

Thanks for reading

Cheers!!!

Susanspy,

Convert your parents computer to Linux simply because it is better in your opinion and see how they react.

Now imagine everyone in an organization of 1000+ users with the same reaction when you change something in their daily routine because you felt it was better for them (they have your phone number to!). That is the issue we are dealing with here and why we are using these tools for deploying and controlling the distribution of this software package. When the software doesn't behave in the desired way either there is an issue that needs to be corrected or a work-around has to be made.

As it stands now, I have yet to get the FrontMotion Firefox Community Edition deployed via GPO such that it doesn't become the default browser upon installation. I have been trying to do so since version 3.0.4 and my recent attempt with V 3.0.7 also failed when utilizing the adminstrative install and INSTALLLEVEL=3 commands. It is interesting to note that the defaults.js file did not need to be edited after this administrative install, all the required changes to date seemed to be in place but the end result is that after upgrading, Firefox was the default browser yet again.

Tim

[DraconPern]

Community Edition 3.0.7 by default installs at INSTALLLEVEL=3. It was at 5 for only one version, 3.0.6. Is it possible that the computer already has Firefox as default? If you then do a install, Firefox will still be the default since the install will not try to change your default browser.

[tim.rosenquist]

The 3.0.7 version was installed as a GPO upgrade package. On two systems where Firefox was not the default browser, both times after the upgrade, it was reset to the default browser and IE asked to reset itself to the default. As you understand, this is not an option in our environment and I cannot push this package out to our masses.

While I have modified all existing administrative installs with the changes detailed in this thread (short of using a .MST transform file) could the existing V3.0.4 and V3.0.5 be causing this issue?

Tim

[Inexor]

I'm having exactly the same problem, Tim. I wish this could be resolved because until it is, I can't roll out FF updates without upsetting a huge portion of my organization. That makes providing a great alternative browser like this impossible.

[MarkErrington]

Me too. After installing CE 3.0.7 via GPO FF is the default browser. Even tried to create my own transforms (which I successfully managed for v2.x) but no matter what I tried it was still the default after installation. I even tried a manual installation of the msi and it still becomes the default even if you do not select that option during install.

[kcorbo]

I'm still having the same issue. Changing the installlevel attribute in orca and doing an administrative install still isn't doing the trick. A lot of internal applications must be used in IE due to faulty programming, so the only solution I've had is to uninstall firefox, and change all default file behaviors to point to IE for the time being.

[DraconPern]

Hum.. can you redownload 3.0.7 from the site? There was a few hours where an old build of the package was on the site.

[kcorbo]

I re-downloaded the FF307 msi and now keep receiving an msi error 2203 when attempting an administrative install, whether I try to use a transform or not. I didn't have this issue before and am not sure what's causing it.