Hello, if you set firefox to "Check for updates, let me choose whether to install them" then the new update install when you click the check for updates button (in Help > About firefox area).

if the "Check for updates, let me choose whether to install them" changed to "Automatically install updates" then see: How to fix preferences that won't save

thank you

Mozilla has made it a PITA to do updates. At this point I have found only one way to update without Firefox doing thingsi It should not without asking first. I suggest people who use Windows and feel like the OP or I do about how invasive the update process has become, that you follow some simple rules:

1. Never ever set things to update automatically. Never ever hit the check for updates button you find using the Help link. It doesn't check, it updates.

2. To avoid the automatic maint. feature from being installed, even though it is the cause of most of the issues, never use the update from most of the normal routes Mozilla offers.

3. Before doing an update locate a reliable site from where you can download previous versions. This way if you are not happy with the result of an upgrade, you can get what worked back.

4. Use a good program to uninstall you current version of Firefox.( I use the uninstaller that comes with Advanced System care.) This should leave all the settings etc. but remove the program. You will need an alternative browser. Well that is not the case actually. The same Explorer Window used for non-internet stuff will also work for the Net. So open any internal page and then put in the Mozilla site UR and you will get to this site. I have IE itself disabled on my PC.

5. Download Firefox as if it were the first time. Be sure to select the Custom Install option.

6. When you see the choice to install the maint. stuff, make sure the box is not checked. This will keep a lot of the invasive problems from occurring.

7. Be sure to check for updates to your add-ons manually once a week or so since this will no longer happen automatically.

8. Finally, be sure to check your Firefox update settings and change the setting to notify rather than the default to update automatically.

There have been a number of changes in how Firefox functions in terms of what we as users can do or cannot do as each upgrade comes along. When it involves security issues it is one thing, when it involves the programs functionality it is another. A lot of the changes made that are simply dumb on the part of Mozilla usually end up having apps created to get around or restore the things many of us like. A perfect example is the smart history feature, I do not consider it smart, I considered invasive. I would not care if the function that let me decide how ling to keep things in history had still been an option. Instead I had to download an app. that overrides smart history and returned control of my PC, on that front, to me.

Another example is the app that allows one to download and install things with one click. Unfortunately, nobody has created an app. that lets us have control over the upgrade process.

GET THE MESSAGE PLEASE MOZILLA.

ps- I have used Windows as my operating system since ver. 3.0 was released. I do not allow Windows to automatically update either.