996734 - All extensions should be removable -- need "force remove"

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 640775

(Firefox :: Untriaged, defect)

Description

[Todd]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:28.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/28.0 (Beta/Release)
Build ID: 20140314220517

Steps to reproduce:

Hi All,

I was at a customer with Vista SP2 home yesterday who have infected with what I would guess was every piece of junkware ever made: Browser Infrastructure Helper, Browser Safeguard, Media Finder, Optomizer Pro, PC Fix Speed,VT Downloader, Boost-Interprocess, Save Sensititive, Strong Vault, Sys Tweek, Win Cert, My Search Dial, PC Health Kit, Price Gong, Smart Bar, Advanced System Protect,  Ask Toolbar, and at this point I got tired of writing them down.

His Firefox profile must have been over 20 junkware extensions that only had "Disable" as an option.  No "remove".

Would you please consider making a "force remove" option so that no extension is not removable.  (I redid his profile, but that is not always desirable as there are sometimes things in the old profile that the customer needs.)

Many thanks,
-T

Comment 1

[YF (Yang)]

Maybe can suggest him try http://support.mozilla.org/kb/reset-firefox-easily-fix-most-problems. (I have not tried it is valid, just suggest.)

And this has a lot of copies, like bug 446139, bug 467300; bug 640775.

Comment 2

[:Gijs (he/him)]

Blair, do you know if we have an existing bug for this kind of stuff? This request seems worthwhile to me, but I don't know if this was previously evaluated and there are good reasons not to (be able to) do this...

Comment 3

[:Gijs (he/him)]

(In reply to :Gijs Kruitbosch from comment #2)
> Blair, do you know if we have an existing bug for this kind of stuff? This
> request seems worthwhile to me, but I don't know if this was previously
> evaluated and there are good reasons not to (be able to) do this...

To be clear, based on comment #0, a new profile fixed it, so presumably these add-ons weren't in the app dir but non-removable for some other reason...

Comment 4

[Todd]

(In reply to :Gijs Kruitbosch from comment #3)
> (In reply to :Gijs Kruitbosch from comment #2)
> > Blair, do you know if we have an existing bug for this kind of stuff? This
> > request seems worthwhile to me, but I don't know if this was previously
> > evaluated and there are good reasons not to (be able to) do this...
> 
> To be clear, based on comment #0, a new profile fixed it, so presumably
> these add-ons weren't in the app dir but non-removable for some other
> reason...

They are crammed into their Application Data (AppData) profile directory.  You can remove their profile and start over, but the customers don't always appreciate losing their saved passwords/accounts

Comment 5

[:Gijs (he/him)]

(In reply to Todd from comment #4)
> (In reply to :Gijs Kruitbosch from comment #3)
> > (In reply to :Gijs Kruitbosch from comment #2)
> > > Blair, do you know if we have an existing bug for this kind of stuff? This
> > > request seems worthwhile to me, but I don't know if this was previously
> > > evaluated and there are good reasons not to (be able to) do this...
> > 
> > To be clear, based on comment #0, a new profile fixed it, so presumably
> > these add-ons weren't in the app dir but non-removable for some other
> > reason...
> 
> They are crammed into their Application Data (AppData) profile directory. 
> You can remove their profile and start over, but the customers don't always
> appreciate losing their saved passwords/accounts

I see. Next time, try using Firefox reset (there's a button for it on about:support) - it copies the important parts of the profile, which means it keeps saved passwords, bookmarks and other useful tidbits, while removing add-ons and resetting preferences, which usually sorts out most issues. Thanks for helping people use Firefox. :-)

Comment 6

[Todd]

Hi Gijs,

I am computer engineer (BSEE), a consultant, and a big fan
of Mozilla products.  And, I have them spread over two 
counties here in Norther Nevada.  Where is the world would
I be able to request enhancements and report bug fixes
other than Mozilla.  (Okay, Red Hat takes them too.)

Right now one of my biggest sources of income it "junkware"
removal.  It really annoys me when I work on a customer
who has all his favorite extensions installed  and a bunch
of idiot toolbars and other junkware.  If I reset (nice to
know he doesn't lose his passwords) or wipe his profile,
I have to install all his extensions again and remember
his customizations.  Can be a nightmare with the IE Tab
extension and the white lists on Ad Black and Ghostery.

Now I could go into the profile and delete the offender's
extension directory, but figuring out who is who is another
matter.

If you guys would just delete this directory with a "Force
Remove" that would be capitol!

I appreciate what you guys do.  Mozilla just keeps getting
better and better.  (What happens when you listen to your
users.)

-T