Run Firefox as an Administrator.

What do you mean? How do I do this? I'm signed in to the computer as an administrator.

I've got the same problem.

@weather15: I have started Firefox as Administrator but it made no difference. I still can't select the "Automatically search for updates for Firefox"-setting (Firefox-button -> Settings -> Advanced -> Updates).

@AnonymousUser: Right-click at the Firefox icon and select "Run as Administrator". Then you select "Yes" when the UAC-window appears.

UAC = User Account Control

The terms used might be slightly different for you as I use the swedish version of Firefox and did my own translation for this reply.

That may be caused by you running a very old Firefox/3.0.3 version.

If there are problems with updating or with the permissions then easiest is to download the full version and trash the currently installed version to do a clean install of the new version.

Download a new copy of the Firefox program and save the disk image (dmg) file to the desktop

• Firefox 7.0.x: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html

• Trash the current Firefox application to do a clean (re-)install
• Install the new version that you have downloaded

Your profile data is stored elsewhere in the Firefox Profile Folder, so you won't lose your bookmarks and other personal data.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

I'm running Firefox 4.0.1 under Windows 7 Service Pack 1. If there is any other relevant information I missed out, please tell me! :-)

Yes, a re-installation would most probably solve the problem but I'm to curious to do that. I want to know why some settings are unavailable even though I run Firefox as an Administrator. :-)

I have attached a screen dump of the About-window (Firefox->Help->About Firefox). The button for updating Firefox is replaced by the text "Uppdateringar är inaktiverade av systemadministratören" which translate to "Updates are inactivated by the system administrator".

The other dump is of the updates settings (Firefox->Settings->Settings->Advanced->Updates). As you can see, the options for automatically updates is not available. This dump correspond to https://support.mozilla.com/media/uploads/gallery/images/2011-06-01-08-15-43-7e6d8a.png

Both dumps are done when Firefox is ran as administrator.

You shouldn't bump old threads and especially not if you are on another platform than Mac that is used by the OP that started this thread.
I had missed that when I answered above.

You do not seem to have write permissions for the Firefox program folder or some prefs are locked via a file mozilla.cfg

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locking_preferences

I will lock this thread, so please create a new thread for your question.