Loading ...Update Windows within Firefox
For Firefox users, Windows Update usually becomes the only time we are forced to run Internet Explorer. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Since Windows Update requires an ActiveX control in order to run, it’s impossible to exclude Internet Explorer completely, so you will need to install IETab first, the magical Firefox extension that lets you open a web page with Internet Explorer within Firefox in a couple of clicks.
Once it is installed, you will need to replace the Windows Update shortcut in the All Programs menu. To do this:
- Press Start. Select All Programs.
- Right-click on Windows Update menu item and select Properties.
- In the properties window, enter “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe” http://update.microsoft.com in the Target field. Make sure you enter the correct path for your Firefox install and if the path contains any blank space, enclose the path in double quotes.
Since IE Tab includes update.microsoft.com in its list of sites to render using IE, the next time you select Windows Update from the All Programs menu, it will launch in a Firefox tab.
Yet another alternative that doesn’t require IE or even IETab is WindizUpdate, an independent site that provides a Firefox plugin to detect and download patches your computer is missing. I haven’t tried it but according to comments I’ve read around it seems to be even smarter than Windows Update as it identifies what Windows components you have installed and only offers relevant patches.
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April 5th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I’ve been using WindizUpdate for quite a while now, and it works very well. IETab has always seemed like a security risk to me.
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May 14th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I have a magnifying window that floats around over other items makeing them larger. How do I stop this madness? I would be grateful if you can help. Thanks.
Harvey Butler
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March 27th, 2008 at 2:09 am
Hi, I have Vista,does this work the same for vista, and What am I supposed to type next to target, “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe” or “http://update.microsoft.com” ?
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April 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 am
I needed to download the Adobe flash player so I could view some videos but was unable to do so. I had to disable the firefox program of which I was unable to do so. What gives? Why can’t I download the programs so that I can view the videos that I choose?
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WayneMay 31st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
If you go to tools in FireFox click on add-ons. It will take you to the FireFox plug in site. There is a plugin for Flash Player for FireFox.
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April 18th, 2008 at 8:18 am
hi! i am usin the 3 beta 5 and it really works good but now i can’t open links using firefox. what can i do? please help. thanks…
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April 20th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
hello firefox, this step doesn’t make sense to me:
In the properties window, enter “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe” http://update.microsoft.com in the Target field. Make sure you enter the correct path for your Firefox install and if the path contains any blank space, enclose the path in double quotes.
i can, technically enter everything from the open quote to microsoft.com into the Target field, but my computer kicks it back with or without the quotation marks as not a valid path.
is there something in between the …firefox.exe and the http://update…?
can someone help me, i am seriously not getting this.
thanks.
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