hello, modern windows versions enforce stricter code-signing requirements for newly built installers, that will cause some other issues on older versions like xp and vista on the other hand (see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1234882 for example).

so our current solution is to redirect those users to a compatible version 43.0.1 of firefox from where they could auto-update to current builds again. How can I get the latest version of Firefox on Windows XP or Vista?

you could also try downloading the latest offline installer directly from the download archive at https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/, but i'm not sure how well it will work on vista.

Vista users can potentially not be able to run Firefox 42.0.2 and newer setups/stubs just like WinXP SP2, Win2003 and Win2008 users due to the signing.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2763674

You cannot run an application that is signed with a SHA-256 certificate on a computer that is running Windows Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2 Resolution To resolve this issue, install the following update on the computer.

Hi philipp:

I tried a manual update from inside Firefox (Help | About Firefox | Check for updates) and was able to successfully upgrade to v43.0.4.5848 so the good news is that the internal updater appears to be working correctly on my 32-bit Vista machine.

Thanks for the link to Bug 1234882. Just FYI, I tried the FTP site you suggested and was able to download the correct v43.0.4 offline installer from https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/43.0.4/win32/en-US/. I'm still not sure, however, why https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ keeps offering the v43.0.1 installer on my 32-bit Vista machine unless this link points to an installer that uses a different SHA hashing algorithm for the digital certificate.

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v43.0.4 * NIS (2014) v21.7.0.11

James said

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2763674

You cannot run an application that is signed with a SHA-256 certificate on a computer that is running Windows Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2 Resolution To resolve this issue, install the following update on the computer.

Hi James:

KB2763674 was offered and successfully installed on my Vista SP2 machine by Windows Update during my January 2013 Patch Tuesday updates.

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v43.0.4 * NIS (2014) v21.7.0.11

Then you should be able to install Firefox 43.0.4 besides doing the update route. http://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/43.0.4/win32/

At least Mozilla plans to still support WinXP and Vista unlike with Google Chrome in discontinuing support for WinXP, Vista, and OS X 10.6, 10.7, 10.8 on April 2016

The change on mozilla.org for Vista users was done yesterday as it used to be only WinXP users that was served Firefox 43.0.1

for reading as bugzilla issues tacker is not a discussion forum. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1235440

philipp said

...so our current solution is to redirect those users to a compatible version 43.0.1 of firefox from where they could auto-update to current builds again. How can I get the latest version of Firefox on Windows XP or Vista?

I have Vista SP2 and the required KB2763674 for handling certificates signed with a SHA-256 hash, so in future if the official download site at https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ keeps automatically redirecting me to the old v43.0.1 installer I also have the option of downloading the latest EN-US installer from the FileHippo site at http://filehippo.com/download_firefox/ .

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v43.0.4 * NIS (2014) v21.7.0.11

FileHippo is considered a random download site with no affiliation with Mozilla and no guarantee you will get what they claim to be serving. You can get All releases safely from Mozilla.

Not as bad as in the past where some download sites were jumping the gun or posting random builds from another development channel as a Release. (Majorgeeks has done this)

For WinXP users for example the browser useragents on WinXP does not show if user is using SP2 or SP3 for example. Otherwise Mozilla would likely fine tune what to serve as in 43.0.1 for SP2 and 43.0.4 for SP3.

James said

For WinXP users for example the browser useragents on WinXP does not show if user is using SP2 or SP3 for example. Otherwise Mozilla would likely fine tune what to serve as in 43.0.1 for SP2 and 43.0.4 for SP3.

Hi James:

I wanted the full v43.0.4 installer to perform an over-the-top update from v43.0.3 to v43.0.4 so downloading an old v43.0.1 installer from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ is of no use to me. Running the internal updater with my browser open (Help | About Firefox | Check for updates) occasionally corrupts my Firefox profile so it's much safer for me download the latest offline installer and perform an over-the-top update with my browser closed. XP and Vista users wanting to do an over-the-top update will now be forced to download their installers from third-party sites like FileHippo or go to the download archive at https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/ and drill down through multiple folders until they (hopefully) find the correct installer for their region and bitness.

According to the support article How can I get the latest version of Firefox on Windows XP or Vista? fully patched XP SP3 and Vista SP2 users should be able to run the latest SHA-256 signed installers (assuming Vista users have not hidden the recommended KB2763674 during a Windows Update). It seems to me that Mozilla has made a decision to prevent XP and Vista users from downloading the latest offline installer from https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/ just to accommodate a small number of 32-bit users who do not keep their OS patched. If Mozilla doesn't have a browser user-agent that can distinguish the build /service pack of the user's OS then I personally think it would be preferable to simply display a pop-up for XP and Vista users warning them that they require the latest service pack for their OS to run the SHA-256 signed Firefox installer. XP and Vista users with unpatched OSs will eventually be forced to update to the latest service pack now that Microsoft has started deprecating older SHA-1 signed certificates as of 01-Jan-2016 as described in the MS TechNet advisory <here >.

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v43.0.4 * NIS (2014) v21.7.0.11

Hi,

I'm having a similar experience...continually being told I should update my WinXP SP2 PC from v43.0.1 to (now) v47.0 but, when I click on the relevant links, Mozilla starts to try downloading v43.0.1 again.

If I go to https://archive.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/47.0/win32/en-US/ , I can save "Firefox Setup 47.0.exe", but double-clicking on it does NOT launch it, even though the current System Requirements say that WinXP SP2 is, indeed, acceptable for later versions of Firefox.

Why, then, will this not work on my PC, and what can I do about trying to update my Firefox and/or removing the continual prompts to do so?

Thanks, Bram Weiser

Hi bramweiser:

Did you try a manual update (Help | About Firefox | Check for updates) per the Mozilla support article Update Firefox to the latest release? _________________ 32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0 * NIS v21.7.0.11

Yes, thanks lmacri, I did, and it tried to download an update, but applying the update failed.

It didn't matter if I tried it that way (Help-->About Firefox-->Check for Updates) or if I clicked on a prompt when the window appeared to tell me an update was available. The process always failed when applying the update.

Thanks, Bram Weiser

As been mentioned in the thread, Windows XP users require SP3 in order to run 43.0.2 and newer Firefox setups due to the Microsoft requirement of signing of said setups. The WinXP SP2 users cannot run 43.0.2 and newer setups including Firefox 47.0.

Your only options is to install 43.0.1 and then update in Firefox to 47.0 or to install the WinXP SP3 so you can then run current Firefox setups like the 32-bit version for Windows at www.moziolla.org/firefox/all/

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/get-latest-version-firefox-windows-xp-vista

James said

As been mentioned in the thread, Windows XP users require SP3 in order to run 43.0.2 and newer Firefox setups due to the Microsoft requirement of signing of said setups. The WinXP SP2 users cannot run 43.0.2 and newer setups including Firefox 47.0. Your only options is to install 43.0.1 and then update in Firefox to 47.0 or to install the WinXP SP3 so you can then run current Firefox setups like the 32-bit version for Windows at www.moziolla.org/firefox/all/ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/get-latest-version-firefox-windows-xp-vista

Thank you, James, but, if you check Firefox's System Requirements page for v47.0 (https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/47.0/system-requirements/ ), you'll see that SP2 is required, not SP3.

Also, you misunderstood what I said...I HAVE v43.0.1 and cannot launch a later update in any way that will work...not yet anyway.

bramweiser said

Thank you, James, but, if you check Firefox's System Requirements page for v47.0, you'll see that SP2 is required, not SP3.

You misunderstood what that System Requirements mean as it is about the minimum required of each Windows needed in order to use Firefox. The Firefox WinXP SP2 is the minimum to Run Firefox as it is Not about the minimum needed to install the Setups. Just like with the Windows 8 mention it means Windows 8 and 8.1.

As been said also, it is not possible to tell by the default browser useragents on WinXP if the user has SP2 or SP3 installed. Otherwise Mozilla would likely fine tune what versions to serve to WinXP users on www.mozilla.org and www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ as in 43.0.1 for WinXP SP2 users and current Release for WInXP SP3 users.

Firefox 43.0.1 should get updates and install current Firefox version including 47.0 just fine even on WinXP) SP2. Something is interrupting or there is read/write permission issues.

James said

bramweiser said

Thank you, James, but, if you check Firefox's System Requirements page for v47.0, you'll see that SP2 is required, not SP3.

You misunderstood what that System Requirements mean as it is about the minimum required of each Windows needed in order to use Firefox. The Firefox WinXP SP2 is the minimum to Run Firefox as it is Not about the minimum needed to install the Setups. Just like with the Windows 8 mention it means Windows 8 and 8.1.

As been said also, it is not possible to tell by the default browser useragents on WinXP if the user has SP2 or SP3 installed. Otherwise Mozilla would likely fine tune what versions to serve to WinXP users on www.mozilla.org and www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ as in 43.0.1 for WinXP SP2 users and current Release for WInXP SP3 users.

Firefox 43.0.1 should get updates and install current Firefox version including 47.0 just fine even on WinXP) SP2. Something is interrupting or there is read/write permission issues.

Thanks, James.

I honestly don't know what could be interrupting it, and I don't expect any permission issues either, so, as I wrote originally, I'm at a loss as to why I can't update beyond v43.0.1.

bramweiser said

It didn't matter if I tried it that way (Help-->About Firefox-->Check for Updates) or if I clicked on a prompt when the window appeared to tell me an update was available. The process always failed when applying the update.

Hi bramweiser:

Assuming that the two-step installation instructions posted in the support article How can I get the latest version of Firefox on Windows XP or Vista? are currently valid and James is correct that Firefox v43.0.1 should still update to v47.0 on Win XP SP2 via the built-in updater, I would suggest the following:

1. You might have a corrupted Firefox installation. Perform a clean re-install Firefox as instructed in the section titled 5. Reinstall Firefox of the support article Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems. Note that you will likely be offered the older v43.0.1 (SHA-1 signed) installer and will have to use the internal updater (Help | About Firefox | Check for updates) after FF is re-installed to see if you can update to v47.0 with XP SP2. This FF re-install will not affect your Firefox user profile or remove your browser extensions.
2. You might have a corrupted Firefox user profile. Refresh your Firefox browser to create a new profile as instructed in the section titled 6. Refresh Firefox of the support article Troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems . This will remove your current browser extensions like Adblock Plus, Web of Trust (WOT), etc., so try to update to the current v47.0 before re-installing your extensions just in case one of your third-party extensions is the issue.
3. You might have malware on your system. Have a trained malware removal specialist check your system for a malware infection. Two free sites I would personally recommend are bleepingcomputer's Virus, Trojan, Spyware, and MalwareRemoval Logs site or WhatTheTech's Virus, Spyware & Malware Removal site. Pick one free malware removal site only and read the guidelines posted on that site before making your first post for the best outcome. Delphinium has posted an excellent review of popular free malware removal sites in the Norton forum post Malware Removal Forum Recommendations.

Just an aside, but if you are still using Win XP SP2, you are missing many security updates released for XP between 06-May-2008 (the release date of XP SP3) and 08-Apr-2014 (the end of extended support for XP) that patch vulnerabilities in your OS and IE browser and protect you from various exploits and malware attacks. If you don't have SP3 you are also missing support for SHA-2 signatures in software certificates. I would strongly advise that you upgrade to XP SP3. By default, all fully patched Vista SP2 and XP SP3 users are still being re-directed to an older v43.0.1 (SHA-1 signed) offline Firefox installer when they visit the download page at https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/, but Microsoft began phasing out trust for SHA-1 signed certificates in January 2016 (see the phase-out schedule for Google and Mozilla in DigiCerts' FAQ SHA-2 Certificate Questions & Answers) and you are likely going to have difficulty updating any software on your system until you upgrade to XP SP3.

32-bit Vista Home Premium SP2 * Firefox v47.0 * NIS v21.7.0.11

Thanks, lmacri. You've given me (and others?) a lot to chew on.

Yes, thanks, I am aware about WinXP having been rendered obsolete by the poobahs in Redmond, WA, regardless of the Service Pack one uses.

You're also right about my being redirected to v43.0.1 when I try to update that way, too.

I can try your Malware suggestion (#3) but, as the behavior I'm experiencing with this matches the v43.0.1 item I cited above, I don't believe that's necessarily an issue here...not for me at least.

When I have a chance, I'll try your suggestions about reinstalling & refreshing Firefox (but, if at all possible, with maintaining my bookmarks, passwords, etc., that are part of my current profile). So, thanks so much again for your guidance.

If I'm still unable to install later versions, though, I may well be back for further assistance.

Thanks again, Bram