413706 - Disable automatic updates on PCs with Faronics Deep Freeze or similar software active

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Toolkit :: Application Update, enhancement)

Description

[Jason Spiro]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; fr; rv:1.8.0.4) Gecko/20060508 Firefox/1.5.0.4
Build Identifier: I don't remember what version of Fx they use at Seneca; I am pretty sure 2.0.0.x

When Fx is installed on a PC with Deep Freeze[1] or similar software installed, automatic updates should be disabled while the PC is in "frozen" mode (or just disabled altogether).

(At the Seneca@York campus of Seneca College in Toronto, Canada, Firefox updates itself very often, e.g. daily or more.  I do not know if they use Deep Freeze or reimage often or what the problem is.  I suspect maybe they use Deep Freeze; therefore I am filing this bug.)

^ [1]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Freeze_(software)#Features

Reproducible: Always

Comment 1

[Nick Thomas [:nthomas] (UTC+12)]

I think it is up to the IT managers to disable updates in Firefox, in the same way as they disable Windows Update etc etc.

Comment 2

[Jason Spiro]

But many IT managers forget to disable updates.  :)  That is why I am suggesting Fx should do it for them.

Comment 3

[Mike Connor [:mconnor]]

WONTFIX.  Detecting stuff like Deep Freeze is wasted cycles, if admins can't be bothered to disable updates, its their bandwidth that's getting wasted.

Comment 4

[Jason Spiro]

mconnor, what about the students?  The students who use Fx are being annoyed with a popup *every single day* offering Fx updates.

Comment 5

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

The user can disable auto updates in your scenario so they don't get the popup *every single day*... some of them could go one step further and let their admins know that they should disable auto updates.

Comment 6

[Jason Spiro]

(In reply to comment #5)
> The user can disable auto updates in your scenario so they don't get the popup
> *every single day*...

I assume most of the users aren't annoyed enough to look for the disable auto-updates control and to click it.  They are each only slightly annoyed.

> some of them could go one step further and let their
> admins know that they should disable auto updates.

They should.  I never bothered to let the admins know myself.  It's only a small annoyance, though it affects a large number of students; I think no individual bothered.