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What is best Firefox version for Win-7?


Nomen

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My version 39.0 FF got stuck in starting in safe mode, and the only option was for me to continue starting it in safe mode or "refreshing" it - which means nuking all my addons (so it says).  I didn't want to do that, but I found no instructions as to how to force it to start normally.  I looked through the FF version history and decided to download the 45.9.0 ESR package, and I ran it, and it now starts fine, and my short-list of add-ons is intact and seemingly functional.  My addons:

about:addons-memory 2016
noscript
nuke anything enhanced
remove it permanently
session manager
stylish
user agent switcher

But I find this 45.9.0 version horrible.  It doesn't render the content of some pages - it leaves big black sections that I can make to appear if I drag the FF window off-screen and bring back on-screen.

So is there any consensus as to the "best" version that maintains good compatibility with old addons yet gives acceptable screen -rendering performance?

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12 hours ago, Nomen said:

My version 39.0 FF got stuck in starting in safe mode, and the only option was for me to continue starting it in safe mode or "refreshing" it - which means nuking all my addons (so it says).  I didn't want to do that, but I found no instructions as to how to force it to start normally.  I looked through the FF version history and decided to download the 45.9.0 ESR package, and I ran it, and it now starts fine, and my short-list of add-ons is intact and seemingly functional.  My addons:

about:addons-memory 2016
noscript
nuke anything enhanced
remove it permanently
session manager
stylish
user agent switcher

But I find this 45.9.0 version horrible.  It doesn't render the content of some pages - it leaves big black sections that I can make to appear if I drag the FF window off-screen and bring back on-screen.

So is there any consensus as to the "best" version that maintains good compatibility with old addons yet gives acceptable screen -rendering performance?

Except for "Stylish" I never tried those Add-ons. But 45.9 is also one of the last Firefox versions to support alot of the good Add-Ons. But firefox isnt the browser I use for e-mailing, its just for certain sites Im relatively sure that wont lead to malware.

Im using the Add-On Classic Theme Restorer with FF 45.9 ESR for example.

I think it really depends how important certain Add-ons are for you.

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In the longer run you'll likely get forced off of old versions of Firefox that can manage (now called) "legacy" addons.

I use the the latest version, Firefox 65.0, on Windows 7 SP1 x64 and find it really good.

If you just wanted to try out the most recent version and see if you like it then you can download and install Firefox Portable from Portable Apps - just scroll down the page for different locale versions. 'Installing' Firefox Portable won't interfere with your regularly installed version - it's self-contained inside the folder you directed the PortableApps installer to unpack the files into. You would really need to read the documentation for the portable and get some understanding of how it differs from a fully installed version of Firefox. Suffice to say that the portablisation of Firefox (Portable) doesn't involve modifying Firefox itself, the portablisation just affects how Firefox is configured to make it operate as a portable with respect to where it stores the Firefox Portable Profile and so on. If you do try it it is important to only launch Firefox Portable by launching the file titled FirefoxPortable.exe that is contained in the folder you unpacked the install files into. Once you've given it a try, and if you don't want it, then to uninstall it just delete the entire folder you installed it in to and it is all gone. I should add that if you want to give Firefox Portable a try then it is not necessary to download and install what gets called the PortableApps Platform and install it into that. Just install Firefox Portable into a folder of your own choice and you are good to go with it.

For help with checking if you can find WebExtension replacements for the legacy addons you have the mozillaZine Forums is a good place to ask - they have lots of expertise there on all things Mozilla. You could test out if any replacements would be suitable for you by installing them to Firefox Portable and testing them in that.

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I only use V56 since it was the last version that works with all the necessary add-ons (Classic Theme Restorer & Tab Mix Plus) to make up for the toy phone/post teenager designed look of these newer version wonders. :realmad:

Some prefer v52 since it allows Java to be used. You might check out SeaMonkey which is close to FF v56 in configuration.

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Yea I forgot to mention Java.  I also found that youtube video playback on the 45.9 version horrible.  Some kind of weird, spastic  stuttering effect was going on.  I reinstalled my 39.0 version and everything came back, including the addons, so I'm happy again.  For some sites that don't seem to work (and I don't want to mess with my noscript settings to see if I can fix it) I do run Seamonkey (2.49.4).  One thing I don't like about seamonkey is (a) the lack of a dedicated search box beside the address bar, (2) can't add or remove tabs as easily as in FF.  I didn't mention I have 32-bit Win-7, and I'm thinking that (and anyone with first-hand experience please confirm or deny this) that to increase performance and stability of a browser with a couple-dozen tabs open that 8gb (or more) ram makes a difference and hence that's one advantage of win7-64 over win7-32 (with 4 gb).  I'd need a compelling reason to basically throw away the DIMMS in my Lattitude if I went up to 8 gb if I wanted to put win7-64 on this thing.

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On 2/9/2019 at 7:48 AM, videobruce said:

Some prefer v52 since it allows Java to be used. You might check out SeaMonkey which is close to FF v56 in configuration.

actually the current official version of Seamonkey (2.49.4) is based on FF 52.9.x .

there also unofficial builds of Seamonkey from WG9S's web site, which come in both 32bit & 64bit builds (you wanna use either of his 2.49.x or 2.53 builds but don't use any of the 2.57 or SM trunk versions there, which are of course, not stable enough for daily use).

on many of my Win7 PCs, I use current FF ESR version (60.5 ESR)

Edited by erpdude8
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Like most of you, I quit updating at about FF56 when ClassicTheme Restorer was no longer an option and "regressed" to FF52.2esr partly to suppress any nags though also had to add UAControl to access uncooperative sites but it seems Mozilla is now competing with Adobe Flash for the frequency of updates usually on the pretext of "security".

But, as I have recently discovered, Themes and Extensions can longer be installed to older versions - presumably new engines and leverage to force updates.  Anyone know how to copy Themes and Extensions from one machine to another?

I Also occasionally use an old Opera 12.16 when doing multiple downloads, because of the auto-renaming of duplicate filenames (by adding sequential numbers) which FF used do but ceased years ago.

[I have several multi-boot machines and resent constantly having update FF and Flash each time I visit a Win install.  In Linux I've given up the fight and just allow updates to do their thing, then remaster for distributions to other machines as and when]

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Quote

I Also occasionally use an old Opera 12.16 when doing multiple downloads, because of the auto-renaming of duplicate filenames (by adding sequential numbers) which FF used do but ceased years ago.

Interesting point. I also find Opera Classic does a better job many times than FF at handling poorly written pages (which is well over 50% of sites in one form or another) that don't print properly. FF has the "Simplify Page" option (something oddly SeaMonkey doesn't) which works many times, but not all. Of course some sites are a complete disaster forcing the use of a custom screen capture program to crop what you want (I use SnagIt).

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7 hours ago, videobruce said:

That "N" in green almost fills the entire 1st page if I were to print this

Just had a look at the preview in V52esr and it's looks fine.

Not come across that "Simplify Page" function.  When and where did it appear?

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42 minutes ago, OldCodger said:

Not come across that "Simplify Page" function.  When and where did it appear?

I've not used it myself (and probably never will) but these webpages might answer your questions:

Firefox 49: Simplify Page improves printing

Firefox 50: Simplify Page feature turned on by default for Print Preview

I'm using FF 65.0.1 and Simplify Page, though available in Print Preview, is not enabled by default (you have to tick a box to get it to activate).

Edited by Radish
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On 2/18/2019 at 11:08 PM, OldCodger said:

Themes and Extensions can longer be installed to older versions

For extensions, install this extension; it'll give you access to the archive of the classic extensions.

It's possible to "transfer" themes to another computer by going to about:config page on the computer where they're "installed", then copying the value of lightweightThemes.usedThemes and setting that preference on the target machine, then they can be selected the usual way.

I used quotes because Firefox keeps resources of non-active themes in the cache (if they've been used before) that is deleted when you completely wipe the browsing history, so the resources have to be re-downloaded, which is the problem if they're taken down.

Edited by UCyborg
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The only Firefox that I have in active use is on one of my workstations, which is using Windows 7 32bit. It is Firefox "Quantum" 61.0.1. My add-ons are:

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
Nimbus Screen Capture
NoScript
uBlock Origin
Web Developer

I do have Firefox on various other Windows 7 PCs, but they are typically old versions and either I am not using the internet on those PCs or I have not opened/updated Firefox. As always, I have auto-update for the Mozilla browsers disabled.

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