2035214 - Installing/Uninstalling the full installer twice leaves both the desktop shortcut and the Desktop Launcher on the desktop

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Firefox :: Installer, defect, P1)

Description

[Antonio Borondo [:aborondo] (he/him)]

Steps to reproduce:

1. Install Nightly with the full installer and default options.
2. Desktop shortcut is created.
3. Start Nightly and update it to the latest version.
4. Desktop shortcut is replaced by Desktop Launcher.
5. Uninstall Nightly.
6. Install Nightly with the full installer and default options.
7. Start Nightly and update it to the latest version.

Expected

Desktop shortcut is replaced by Desktop Launcher.

Actual

Desktop shortcut appears alongside Desktop Launcher.

Comment 1

[Bogdan Maris, Desktop Test Engineering]

Just as a note: this is not reproducible if running the steps using a Standard (local) account

Comment 2

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco]]

Set release status flags based on info from the regressing bug 2023696

Comment 3

[Antonio Borondo [:aborondo] (he/him)]

Attachment: Bug 2035214 - Clean UpdaterDeletedShortcut on uninstall r=#browser-installer-reviewers!

Comment 4

[Pulsebot]

Pushed by [e-mail]:
https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/656fbb935f24
https://hg.mozilla.org/integration/autoland/rev/0201c0c47b0e
Clean UpdaterDeletedShortcut on uninstall r=browser-installer-reviewers,cdupuis

Comment 5

[Cosmin Sabou [:CosminS]]

https://hg.mozilla.org/mozilla-central/rev/0201c0c47b0e

Comment 6

[Bogdan Maris, Desktop Test Engineering]

Looks fixed to me on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 using Nightly 152.0a1 after the fix, updating it to the latest one, uninstalling it and installing it again over and over again.
Note that if bug 2023696 is to be uplifted to 151, this fix will also need to follow up as well.

Comment 7

[Phabricator Automation]

firefox-beta Uplift Approval Request

• User impact if declined/Reason for urgency: This is a bug fix for the changes introduced with Bug 2023696. If the latter is uplifted, this needs to be uplifted as well.
• Code covered by automated testing?: no
• Fix verified in Nightly?: yes
• Needs manual QE testing?: yes
• Steps to reproduce for manual QE testing: ## Steps to reproduce:

1. Install [Nightly]((https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/nightly/2026/04/2026-04-22-20-47-44-mozilla-central/firefox-152.0a1.en-US.win64.installer.exe) with the full installer and default options.
2. Desktop shortcut is created.
3. Start Nightly and update it to the latest version.
4. Desktop shortcut is replaced by Desktop Launcher.
5. Uninstall Nightly.
6. Install Nightly with the full installer and default options.
7. Start Nightly and update it to the latest version.

Expected

Desktop shortcut is replaced by Desktop Launcher.

Actual

Desktop shortcut appears alongside Desktop Launcher.

• Risk associated with taking this patch: medium
• Explanation of risk level: If Bug 2023696 is uplifted but not this one, we'd introduce a bug in Fx151.
• String changes made/needed?: No.
• Is Android affected?: no

Comment 8

[Antonio Borondo [:aborondo] (he/him)]

Attachment: Bug 2035214 - Clean UpdaterDeletedShortcut on uninstall

The uninstaller never removed the HKLM UpdaterDeletedShortcut flag, leaving it stale across uninstall/reinstall cycles. On the next update, the stale flag caused OnUpdateDesktopLauncher_HKLM to skip deleting the public desktop shortcut, leaving both it and the Desktop Launcher on the desktop.

Original Revision: https://phabricator.services.mozilla.com/D296781

Comment 9

[Pulsebot]

https://github.com/mozilla-firefox/firefox/commit/73c35d2e70f3
https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-beta/rev/2295796e6cb1

Comment 10

[Bogdan Maris, Desktop Test Engineering]

Also verified as fixed using Firefox 151 builds (beta 9 update to beta 10) on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.