Firefox Breaks Programs and Features List
Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 2:54 pm
I'm in a domain environment with approx. 160 users. We use the "FirefoxESR-17.0.1-en-US.msi" to deploy Firefox to our users via the "Install Program from Network" option in Control Panel.
Just recently, we ordered a batch of HP Pro 3500 MicroTower PCs. They come with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. Normally, when you open the Programs and Features list, it shows all the installed programs, both 32 and 64 bit. However, with this batch, once we run the MSI from FrontMotion, it removes the 32 bit programs from displaying in the list. None of the other HP Pros we have are doing this, only this most recent shipment.
From researching, I found that the Programs and Features list corresponds to the registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Machines with Firefox are missing all but a handful of the keys listed under Uninstall. I've also found that if I export the key prior to installing Firefox and restore it after installing, then all of the programs display correctly with no apparent issues, e.g. I can uninstall and reinstall programs from the list without issue.
We've tried using the MSI without going through the control panel, as well as updating to the MSI for Firefox 24, but the issue still occurs. The only way it doesn't break is to use the .exe file from Mozilla's site directly.
We're using the registry backup and restore as a workaround at the moment, but does anyone know why this is occurring?
Just recently, we ordered a batch of HP Pro 3500 MicroTower PCs. They come with Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. Normally, when you open the Programs and Features list, it shows all the installed programs, both 32 and 64 bit. However, with this batch, once we run the MSI from FrontMotion, it removes the 32 bit programs from displaying in the list. None of the other HP Pros we have are doing this, only this most recent shipment.
From researching, I found that the Programs and Features list corresponds to the registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Machines with Firefox are missing all but a handful of the keys listed under Uninstall. I've also found that if I export the key prior to installing Firefox and restore it after installing, then all of the programs display correctly with no apparent issues, e.g. I can uninstall and reinstall programs from the list without issue.
We've tried using the MSI without going through the control panel, as well as updating to the MSI for Firefox 24, but the issue still occurs. The only way it doesn't break is to use the .exe file from Mozilla's site directly.
We're using the registry backup and restore as a workaround at the moment, but does anyone know why this is occurring?