607632 - Software update 3.6.11. Unable to connect to update server every time.

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Description

[Kristina]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.2.10) Gecko/20100914 Firefox/3.6.10
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4; en-US; rv:1.9.2.10) Gecko/20100914 Firefox/3.6.10

Issue with Software Update window for 3.6.11. When prompted to install this security fix, clicking on "Install" yields the "Software Update" dialogue box which says, "Downloading Update...Connecting to the update server...." Firefox is unable to connect to the server. This dialogue box will stay present until the cows come home without ever being able to connect to the server. Four times now that this has happened.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Happens automatically at approximately 48 hour intervals.
2.
3.


Expected Results:  
The software should have connected me to the update server and given me the option/automatically downloaded the update.

Comment 1

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

Do you have any problems with other https pages ?
Please open "about:config" (enter as URL in Firefox without the quotes), confirm the warning, type "aus" in the top filter box and post the URL from "app.update.url" in this bug report.
Use the right click menu to copy the value.
Can you load this URL if you enter/paste it in Firefox ?
(you should get a "bad request error)

Comment 2

[Kristina]

1. No other problems with other https pages.
2. The URL from the above-described instructions is https://aus2.mozilla.org/update/3/%PRODUCT%/%VERSION%/%BUILD_ID%/%BUILD_TARGET%/%LOCALE%/%CHANNEL%/%OS_VERSION%/%DISTRIBUTION%/%DISTRIBUTION_VERSION%/update.xml
3. I can load this URL in Firefox, and I get a 408 bad request error.

Comment 3

[Anthony]

This is similar enough to my problem I am not going to create another report.
For last several months now, Software Update has become completely useless since it simply hangs on "Connecting to the update server..."

This is on Windows 7.

I've done as suggested above, with similar results:
app.update.url;https://aus2.mozilla.org/update/3/%PRODUCT%/%VERSION%/%BUILD_ID%/%BUILD_TARGET%/%LOCALE%/%CHANNEL%/%OS_VERSION%/%DISTRIBUTION%/%DISTRIBUTION_VERSION%/update.xml

On navigating to the above URL:
"Bad Request

Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand."

In the meantime if anyone can offer a workaround as to how I finally move on beyond 3.6.3, that would be great.

Comment 4

[Anthony]

I did find a workaround:
delete folder <Firefox installation>/updates
delete file <Firefox installation>/active-update.xml

Restart Firefox, and search for updates again.

Comment 5

[Kristina]

Anthony - Good sounding workaround. Where do I find the folder and file that you suggest to be deleted? I'm on Mac OSX.

Comment 6

[Anthony]

this may be of help:
http://support.mozilla.com/bn-IN/questions/767843

(also add to the list of files to delete: "updates.xml")

Comment 7

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

Please type about:config in the url bar, click the button to display the content, right click inside the window and select new -> boolean. For the preference name type app.update.log and for the value select true. Restart Firefox and open Tools -> Error Console. Click the Clear button. Select Help -> Check for Updates. In the Error Console there should be several entries that stat with "AUS:". Please select the one that starts with "AUS:SVC Checker:getUpdateURL - update URL:", right click it and select copy. Post it into this bug report. If there are any errors please select / right click it and select copy those into the bug report as well. Thanks

Comment 8

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

Actually, please copy / paste any entries that start with AUS: into this bug report...  they could be helpful in figuring out what is going on.

Comment 9

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

No response in over a month... resolving -> incomplete

Comment 10

[Veronica Raj]

Followed Robert Strong's instructions, here ya go:




AUS:SVC UpdateManager:_loadXMLFileIntoArray: XML file does not exist
AUS:SVC gCanCheckForUpdates - able to check for updates
AUS:UI gUpdates:onLoad - setting current page to startpage checking
AUS:SVC getLocale - getting locale from file: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\update.locale, locale: en-US
AUS:SVC Checker:getUpdateURL - update URL: https://aus2.mozilla.org/update/3/Firefox/3.6.15/20110303024726/WINNT_x86-msvc/en-US/release/Windows_NT%206.1/default/default/update.xml?force=1
AUS:SVC Checker:checkForUpdates - sending request to: https://aus2.mozilla.org/update/3/Firefox/3.6.15/20110303024726/WINNT_x86-msvc/en-US/release/Windows_NT%206.1/default/default/update.xml?force=1
AUS:SVC Checker:onLoad - request completed downloading document
AUS:SVC Checker:getUpdateURL - update URL: https://aus2.mozilla.org/update/3/Firefox/3.6.15/20110303024726/WINNT_x86-msvc/en-US/release/Windows_NT%206.1/default/default/update.xml?force=1
AUS:SVC Checker:onLoad - number of updates available: 1
AUS:UI gCheckingPage:onCheckComplete - update found
AUS:SVC gCanApplyUpdates - testing write access C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\update.test
AUS:SVC gCanApplyUpdates - unable to apply updates. Exception: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED) [nsILocalFile.create]"  nsresult: "0x80520015 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ACCESS_DENIED)"  location: "JS frame :: file:///C:/Program%20Files/Mozilla%20Firefox/components/nsUpdateService.js :: aus_gCanApplyUpdates :: line 155"  data: no]

Comment 11

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

The original report is for Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X 10.4 yet the console entries you provided are for Windows. Are you still experiencing problems now that you are using Windows?

Comment 12

[trevi]

The same problem happens to me. According to Robert directives, I got the following entry in the error log:
AUS:SVC gCanCheckForUpdates - able to check for updates

I have OS X Version 10.7.3 Build 11D50d