FireFox Updates with no Warning in middle of Work

I'm all for really trying to push updates needed for security on people by default, as long as there are options to disable that "feature", but it seems FireFox is a little overzealous.  Apparently the FireFox team just released v1.5.0.5, and so browser automatically found that update and installed it, which was the default setting.  What's the problem?  I had several pages open, and I was doing some real work in one (actively typing in an edit box), when with no warning all of my pages were simply closed and the install just started.  I cannot recall any application that doesn't give you a warning if you're currently woring in it before proceeding with an update, even when things are configured to be automatic with no user interaction.  Yes, I realize there is an option to ask me what I want to do instead of being automatic, but I think the difference should be that "ask me" does not do it automatically even when I'm not working, giving me complete control, while "automatic" should still give me a warning to save my work and close things if I am in the middle of things.  What do you think?

11 Comments

  • Gotta agree. I've experienced the same thing. It's just ridiculous software design. At the very least, download the update and notify the user as they close the browser that an update will be installed. Logic.

  • I got a confirmation dialog after the download completed. I was asked if I wanted to install FF now or later.
    Perhaps you didn't notice the dialog popping up while you were typing. The "Install now" button was the default button on the dialog. Is it possible that you didn't look on the screen while typing? Perhaps you hit enter during your work in the textbox and confirmed the confirmation dialog by accident.

  • I confirm Jens Winter's comment.
    and that "update" window was pretty big, too...

  • I saw the confirmation dialog also...
    just after the update was finished it asks if you want to restart firefox now or later.

  • I suppose its possible some type of dialog window opened up and went away inadventently before I could see it due to my typing, but I also wonder if we're talking about the same thing. I too had a very big "update" window, and I too had a dialog when the "update" was finished asking me if I wanted to restart FireFox then, but the problem that I was referring to was that my browser windows were all closed before the big "update" window, and asking me if I wanted to "restart" FireFox after the "update" really isn't the same thing as asking me before the "update" if its OK to close everything. So maybe there was a dialog before the update that I missed, but I'm still wondering if we're even talking about the same thing since confirmation dialogs are not usually "big" or "update" windows. Anyhow, I've changed my setting to not install automatically in the future, so hopefully I won't have this issue again.

  • Are you sure you weren't just typing along and hit enter? I got the same warning, but there wasn't anything automatic about the restart.

  • I can also confirm Jens Winter's, there was a big "update" window. In fact I't popped up a few seconds ago (thats why I'm here now). All my tabs are still open and I can choose between "Restart Firefox Now" (selected) and "Later".
    Lets see, clicking "Later" (click) ...
    I get a text saying it will be installed next time I start Firefox, klicking the OK button and I can still type here :)

  • Anything's possible as I was actively typing when it happened. Its still obviously poorly designed if this is possible though.

  • Paul,
    I highly recommend installing one of the session restoring extensions, like SessionSaver or TabMix. It's hard for me to imagine life without them.

    Not that Firefox should be spontaneously closing anything (it never has for me). But at least with the extension you may be able to recover your state.

  • This is exactly what happened to me yesterday however after installing the updates a dialog box appeared asking me if I want to restart FireFox...but it didn't appear on the start of installation...

  • I just had both Firefox and Thunderbird (Firefox on three different PCs no less) automatically install the 1.5.8 update DESPITE my having turned automatic updates off. And now of course Tbird refuses to update properly so I can't access my mail.

    This is actually the second time something like this has happened; and honestly, if it happens again I don't care how great Tbird and Firefox are ... I'm dumping them for something that is better designed!

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