776386 - Firefox Update Fails wMisleading Msg

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Toolkit :: Application Update, defect)

Description

[Gary]

List Name: Mozilla Update Fails
List Admin: [e-mail]

Short Description:
Mozilla Update Fails w/o Admin Gives Misleading Error Msg

Long Description:
Symptom:
Firefox attempts to perform an update from an Non-Admin account, the Update File is downloaded, the update is begun but the following misleading message is displayed...
"unable to install firefox update make sure no firefox applications are open and then try again"
...and the message is displayed each time Firefox is activated.

Explanation:
In order to perform the update, the protected file; C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe  must be opened with exclusive access.  This fails because Non-Admin account may not modify files in the C:\Program Files\ folder. (Did Not Fail because it is open by another process)
Performing the Update from the Admin Account executes properly. After Activating in Non-Admin Account, misleading message still displays, Firefox opens and includes "Updated" page showing 14.0.1 has been installed.  Deleting the files from: C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Mozilla Firefox\updates\0  eliminates unnecessart error message problem.


Justification / Special Instructions:

Issues need to be addressed by Firefox Development:
# Before attempting Update, check for Admin Privs.  If not, then just notify Update is available.
# Modify Error Message to reflect true meaning for failure (system can be modified that updates are only possible by specific Admin account rather than Admin Group).
# When applying Update, delete other Update Pending files in other user's Directory Trees.

Comment 1

[Gary]

First, apologies for not initially performing search correctly (wFirefox Update in quotes), but it would appear that others also have this problem, it that there are at least four other Bug Submission with this problem:
 Ben               2009-03-30 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=486038>
 Amos Shapira      2010-06-27 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=575124>
 Robi              2010-07-09 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=577664>
 Andreas Gundersen 2011-09-07 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=685202>

All of these submissions are:
 Status: 	UNCONFIRMED 
 Assigned To: 	Nobody; OK to take it and work on it 
 QA Contact: 
This three and half years old bug, from Vers 3, is most certainly CONFIRMED.

Who is the QA Contact for the Update Process Script/Code?  While the Update may not be as glamorous as other FF components, it is "Mission Critical".  Will someone with "authority" on this site please respond?

Comment 2

[Andreas Gundersen]

Not only is it mission critical this bug is also a huge security issue since it means you typically won't notice when new versions of Firefox is out, with all the security fixes new versions usually brings. 
It is also pretty embarrassing when compared with other browsers like Chrome where the update process is completely invisible to the end user, even if said user is a non-admin.

Comment 3

[Gary]

Andreas,

This Update problem (fails w/o Admin) itself does not cause a loss of the ability to perform an update.  If you turned off checking for Updates to avoid this, that may be overkill.  The best thing to do is, when the Update Available pop up appears under the non-admin user, Decline.  Then Login as Admin (or have the Admin person login) and perform the Update.

One of the components of the basic definition of Malware is "performs modification without user permission".  Nothing should make modifications without prior approval. (We are getting off topic, so if you want the long explanation of the EPA/FDA's "Validation", email me directly.)

I am still attempting to find out if there is an Administrative Level to this site which insures bugs are being addressed, and make contact with them.

Comment 4

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

rstrong: is this still your bag? :-)

Gerv

Comment 5

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

(In reply to Gervase Markham [:gerv] from comment #4)
> rstrong: is this still your bag? :-)
It is but myself and my team have been assigned to other feature work at present. There are a couple of solutions to this bug one of which is to allow updating for non-admin users via bug 711475 which I have been moving towards implementing when possible while implementing other bugs... almost there but other priorities have been given for the time being. Hopefully it will be implemented after the current priorities.

Comment 6

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

Hopefully bug 711475 suffices in fixing this bug. Closing old bugs as incomplete. If this is still an issue please file a new bug.