1855340 - [win11] The installer's pin generates a system popup asking for user confirmation

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox :: Shell Integration, defect)

Description

[Michael Hughes]

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #1852412 +++

Found in

• 118.0b4

Affected versions

• 118 and greater

Tested platforms

• Affected platforms: Windows 11x64
• Unaffected platforms: macOS 13, Ubuntu 22.1, Windows 10x64

Preconditions

• There is no default user profile, so that the onboarding process happens after Firefox is launched after installation.

Steps to reproduce

1. Complete the Firefox installation using the default installation pathway

Expected result

• Firefox is pinned without the user having to intervene

Actual result

• A system popup happens asking the user to confirm they want to pin Firefox.

Regression range

• Not a regression

Additional notes

• Happens since pinning was introduced into the installer, and only on Windows 22H2 (or 23H2 - MS have not been clear with their numbers. It's specifically Build 22621 and higher that cause this.

• See attached pictures for examples

Comment 1

[Michael Hughes]

Attachment: Bug 1855340 - Avoid installer pinning popping a confirmation dialog on Windows 11 Insider Preview.

This is specifically on Windows version 22621.2361
After much discussion, the solution is to disable the pinning in the installer on versions newer than that, as the onboarding process should do the pinning.

Comment 2

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

:mhughes, if you think that's a regression, could you try to find a regression range using for example mozregression?

Comment 3

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him] (PTO Feb 24-March 3)]

Attachment: WIP: Bug 1855340 - TO FOLD - Hide/show checkbox, set default.

Comment 4

[Michael Hughes]

Attachment: pic3.jpg

Example showing both the installer and the onboarding process in Firefox on first launch triggering the system popup

Comment 5

[Michael Hughes]

Attachment: Picture of the popup over top of the onboarding in Firefox

Comment 6

[Michael Hughes]

To keep this bug up to date: we're continuing to iterate on the diff, but it should be ready to go now. Tomorrow, once a build is done and everyone signs off, I'll reach out to QA to verify the change and to the release manager about getting this into the 118 point release.

Comment 7

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/b93578d846b3
Avoid installer pinning popping a confirmation dialog on Windows 11 Insider Preview. r=bhearsum,mhowell,mhughes

Comment 8

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him] (PTO Feb 24-March 3)]

Attachment: Bug 1855340 - Avoid installer pinning popping a confirmation dialog on Windows 11 Insider Preview.

This confirmation dialog is introduced on Windows version 22621.2361.
This commit disables the pinning in the installer on versions newer
than that. The onboarding process should do the pinning: in this
context, the confirmation dialog makes more sense.

Original Revision: https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D189324

Comment 9

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him] (PTO Feb 24-March 3)]

Comment on attachment 9355226 [details]
Bug 1855340 - Avoid installer pinning popping a confirmation dialog on Windows 11 Insider Preview.

Beta/Release Uplift Approval Request

• User impact if declined: Windows 11 build 22621 and above pop a user confirmation dialog when certain internal taskbar pinning APIs are used. Both Firefox and the Firefox installer (stub and full) use these internal taskbar pinning APIs. When the APIs are invoked from an installer, a message box like "setup.exe would like to pin Firefox to the taskbar" arises. This message is not great since it references an internal detail (setup.exe). In addition, this message does not arise in direct response to user action, so it's jarring. Windows build 22621 is rolling out as we speak so we want to avoid this popup during the installer as soon as possible. (When Firefox invokes these APIs, the message box is a) in direct response to user action and b) says something like "Firefox would like to pin Firefox to the taskbar", so it's more clear and hopefully less jarring.)

We're asking for uplift to Beta and Release to get this into the Firefox 118 scheduled dot release so that the window of bad user impact is minimized without necessitating an unscheduled dot release. If there is an unscheduled dot release, this is a ride-along candidate.

• Is this code covered by automated tests?: No
• Has the fix been verified in Nightly?: No
• Needs manual test from QE?: Yes
• If yes, steps to reproduce: To test:

1. Invoke the full installer. Select standard install. Witness pinning to the taskbar automatically if build < 22621; witness no pinning to the taskbar on build >= 22621. No popup should occur in either version.

2. Invoke the full installer. Select custom install. In build < 22621, witness the checkbox for "Pin to taskbar" is present and defaulted to checked. In build >= 22621, witness the checkbox for "Pin to taskbar" is not present. (And defaulted to not checked.) Witness pinning to the taskbar automatically if build < 22621; witness no pinning to the taskbar on build >= 22621. No popup should occur in either version.

• List of other uplifts needed: None
• Risk to taking this patch: Low
• Why is the change risky/not risky? (and alternatives if risky): In theory, this change is low risk: it's easy to test. In practice, the change medium risk: it is in the NSIS installer code, which is abstruse and not well understood, and the change intersects with some subtle macro expansions that required multiple iterations. At this point, however, we're confident in the expression, and also confident that the likelihood of unrelated issues is low.
• String changes made/needed:
• Is Android affected?: No

Comment 10

[Nick Alexander :nalexander [he/him] (PTO Feb 24-March 3)]

We probably want to uplift this to Firefox ESR 115 as well, but let's get it tested and out into the wild before we do that.

Comment 11

[Sandor Molnar[:smolnar]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/b93578d846b3

Comment 12

[Dianna Smith [:diannaS]]

Comment on attachment 9355226 [details]
Bug 1855340 - Avoid installer pinning popping a confirmation dialog on Windows 11 Insider Preview.

Approved for 119.0b5

Comment 13

[Pulsebot]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-beta/rev/4794794a6bd2

Comment 14

[Negritas Sergiu, Desktop QA]

Hello! I have managed to reproduce the issue using the steps provided in the description with firefox 118.0b4 on Windows 11. I can confirm that the issue is fixed with firefox 119.0b5.

Comment 15

[Negritas Sergiu, Desktop QA]

Hello! I can confirm that the issue is fixed with firefox 120.0a1(2023-10-05) on Windows 11.

I will update the flags accordingly and mark this issue as VERIFIED->FIXED

Comment 16

[Tracy Walker [:tracy]]

per slack comment, a manual test case has been created.

Comment 17

[Pascal Chevrel:pascalc]

Comment on attachment 9355226 [details]
Bug 1855340 - Avoid installer pinning popping a confirmation dialog on Windows 11 Insider Preview.

Approved for our next 118 dot release, thanks.

Comment 18

[Pulsebot]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-release/rev/a1ac471fb532

Comment 19

[Pascal Chevrel:pascalc]

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-release/rev/a1ac471fb532

Comment 20

[Hani Yacoub, Desktop QA]

Verified as fixed on Firefox 118.0.2 on Windows 11.