FF 3.5 does not work since download

[henry3h]

I am new here.
How can I get some help solving a problem with FF 3.5?

I cannot 'REMOVE' it from ADD/Remove.
I am having to use IE in order to get on the internet.

Can I go back to an earlier version of FF that will work?

I will be grateful for help.

 

[strategic]

How long has it been since the upgrade?
You should be able to do a system restore.
I am concerned that you can't remove with add/remove programs in Control Panel...
May I ask why? There is no listing for Mozilla or Firefox?

 

[henry3h]

It has been a week or a bit more since the upgrade.
I have had a couple of problems (mostly slow) and have performed several System Restores.
The last one was just yesterday and I went back a week, I think.

I, too, and concerned that I cannot REMOVE from control panel.
In fact, I have included a file that shows the highlighted 'Add/Remove' for Mozilla 3.5.O.
Note that there is no option to 'Change' as there usually is.

I have alse included an attachment showng the error message I get when I try to open FF or click a link.

I cannot understand why Mozilla does not have direct support. Any ideas?

(I hope this is not duplicated. I was not sure how to attach files.)

By the way, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for you response and interest. HenryH

 

[strategic]

Ok, I just open my control panel, it shows the same, 'remove' and no 'change'.
What happens when you click 'remove', maybe try it under 'safe mode'.
There may be an uninstall utility, I'll try to find one
Have you tried this method?
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe

 

[henry3h]

Thanks, again.I did try SAFE MODE, but I did not see anything different and I'm afraid I am not adept enough to know who to work with that.When I click 'Remove' the ADD/REMOVE window 'blinks' but there is no action or change.

I just went to Programs/Mozilla Firefox/uninstall/helper.exe.
When I tried to activate the helper.exe I got nothing.
The only other item under "uninstall' file is something about a shortcut.

 

[Bobbye]

Henry, what was the original problem you had with Firefox v3.5?

Because it sound like you have a bad install. I suggest you go back to the download site, download FF v3.5 and it should overwrite what you have now.

To remove the file you can't uninstall in Add/Remove Programs:

• Download the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
• Save to your Desktop
• Double-click to Run from there.
• Find the FF entry and delete it.

 

[henry3h]

Bobbye,
Thank you very much. I had thought an 'overwrite' might be possible, but have not tried it.
I will first try to clean off the old one.

 

[Bobbye]

Give it a try. It sounds like a bad installation. One other option is to go to v3.5.2. That should definitely overwrite v3.5.

I don't think you're going to be able to go back to an earlier version with the partial install- you'll get a message that there is a 'later version running'- even if it's not!

Tell me something please: you mention 'upgrade': did you go from v3.0.14 to v3.5, because that is an upgrade.

 

[henry3h]

Bobbye,

Thanks, again.
I am not sure what I did, but if the PREVIOUS version was 3.0.14, then, when I received the notice about the 'newer, faster ?????" version, I took advantage of it. That's when the trouble began.
I gather from some random posts that there are some versions in between, like 3.2??.
If that is the case, I was probably up pretty close to the newest version.

Unfortunately, my system restores have not taken me back to an older version, (though I have not tried to go back too far.)

I will definitely give your thoughts a try.
I will be on the road for the next week and may not be able to work on it.
I will let you know as soon as I do something. It might not be until the 10th or later.

Question; do you recommend trying the Microsoft Clean up step first, or trying to download 3/5 first?

 

[Bobbye]

Okay, if previous version was v3.0.14, you did an 'upgrade', not an 'update'. It is actually a new version of Firefox- kind of like Microsoft did with IE7 and IE8.

I still have v3.0.14 and have closed out the update to v3.5 because I'm hearing some bugs still rattling around and I prefer others work them out- not me!

I don't think-but am not sure- that you can go back to an earlier version without losing your Bookmarks and other user specific info- remember- we're talking upgrade- new version- not update of existing version.. Check you program folder> if you have just V3.5, leave it and download v3.5.2- that should overwrite.

Leave whatever is in the system now. If you get any error message when trying again, THEN you will have to delete the files,

 

[mailpup]

I believe you can save your bookmarks if you manage to go back to 3.0.14. Go to: C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\randomcharacters.default\bookmarkbackups

Copy the latest .json file and put it somewhere you can find it again. Once 3.0.14 is installed, use "Organize Bookmarks" under Bookmarks in the browser to import that file. That will restore your bookmarks. Although there may be other ways to do it, I used this method to restore my bookmarks after reformatting and reinstalling Windows.

That said, going the other way to 3.5.2 is probably the better way to go.

 

[henry3h]

Sorry but I have been away for a week.

I have no explanation for WHY, but I have been successful in Downloading FF 3.5.3.
It took a couple of tries before it took.

I did try the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility, but did not find FF.
I went back to ADD/Remove, tried to Remove, message said "may have been removed, do I want to remove from ADD/REMOVE list" I clicked YES and it was gone.

Then I went to Re Download the new version.
All seesm well now.

MANY, MANY THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR GREAT HELP.
I hope I can return the favor for someone sometime, but I am not to 'swift' with the technical stuff.

All best wishes to you all.

Henry3H

 

[Bobbye]

Thank you for the update!

You don't have to be 'swift' to contribute! Any experience you've had that might help someone else is always welcome.