Upgrading to Firefox 1.0.1

TOP STORY — info you need to make Windows work

Upgrading to Firefox 1.0.1

By Brian Livingston

The Mozilla Foundation, the group responsible for developing the Firefox browser and many other applications, released Firefox 1.0.1, a security upgrade for Firefox 1.0, on Feb. 24. Firefox's "check for updates" feature was then enabled by the foundation several days later on Mar. 1.

Since the 1.0.1 upgrade eliminates 17 bugs, some of which are potential security holes, I issued a short, plain-text newsletter update on Mar. 3 recommending that all Windows users install it.

At that time, one known issue with the upgrade affected people who'd obtained Firefox 1.0 via a special .zip file instead of an auto-installing .exe file. Running the .exe version over the .zip version makes Firefox prone to crashing when pressing Enter in the address bar. So I urged people in this situation to uninstall Firefox before running the 1.0.1 setup file. Other people had reported good results running the 1.0.1 upgrade without uninstalling 1.0 first.

Since that time, several readers have reported to me some incompatibilities when 1.0.1 is installed over 1.0. For this reason, I now feel that uninstalling 1.0 first is the safest choice. Using Firefox's "check for updates" feature and upgrading to 1.0.1 in place will go smoothly for most people — we've upgraded half a dozen machines in my office this way with no problems — but uninstalling 1.0 first avoids any complications.

Be sure to read the Firefox release notes page for possible issues before upgrading. And read my upgrade recommendations in the Mar. 3 newsletter update, if you haven't already.

If upgrading to 1.0.1 caused any problems for you, uninstalling 1.0.1 and then installing it from the setup .exe again fixes these problems, according to many reports.

Backing up your Firefox profiles

Although there are few reports of irreversible problems with the upgrade, you should always make a full backup of your PC before installing any major application. At least make a copy of Firefox's "profiles" folder, which holds your bookmarks and other configuration preferences. This folder is located in different places in different versions of Windows, as explained on Firefox's release notes page.

Reader Les Barnes uses a third-party backup application to ensure his profiles remain intact. He also describes an incompatibility that he discovered and cured:

"First, I want to say that there is an excellent, free backup program for FireFox's profile at mozbackup.jasnapaka.com. Even though the author has discontinued it, I use it constantly.

"I upgraded by installing 1.0.1 over 1.0. FireFox worked OK, but Spoofstick and Roboform did not. When I installed the latest version of SpoofStick, it would 'install' all right, but I could see no icons in View, Toolbars, Customize. Since the new version of SpoofStick is an icon to drag onto a toolbar, instead of a toolbar itself, it was worthless. Then I read that the FF people recommend uninstalling 1.0 first.

"Anyway, I ended up uninstalling everything, then reinstalling SpoofStick. Everything worked fine, with my icons reappearing in Customize.

"I used the paid version of Roboform, so I was rather upset when the Roboform people said that they don't make Netscape adapters for small browser changes. But I did find that I could 'force' the installation by showing the Roboform program where the browser was located (since it couldn't find 1.0.1) and it installed beautifully.

"I would recommend using the profile backup program, uninstalling 1.0. and then installing 1.0.1. Just my humble opinion."

It's my hope that other developers will step forward to replace Pavel Cvrcek's backup program with an updated version. Many useful extensions to Firefox, of course, are available at the Mozilla Firefox Update site, and new ones appear almost every day. Perhaps our reader's preferred backup program will spawn a successor.

Windows Secrets Newsletter
Issue 49 — 2005.03.10

• Top Story: Upgrading to Firefox 1.0.1
• Backing up your Firefox profiles
• Upgrading from 0.9 to 1.0.1 doesn't work
• Force extensions to work with 1.0.1
• PC World finds CounterSpy is best anti-adware
• Tiny power cable for laptops on the go
• A 3D screen that requires no 3D glasses
• First 8GB USB flash drive
• Index of Reviews
• Sayonara, IE: removing your browser code
• The problem with Windows in a nutshell
• Sometimes the fix can be worse than the problem
• What you lose when you remove IE
• Try restricting the rights of Web apps
• How not to get hooked by phishers
• Further proof that pop-up windows are bad
• Phishing attacks with IE, from top to bottom
• A Patch Tuesday with nothing to do
• Losing share but not gaining enough security
• Windows Update still has a few goodies this month
• Firefox responds to the IDN issue
• Netscape, new kid or blast from the past?
• On April 12, you'll wake up with XP SP2, right?
• For once, we hit a quiet patch
• Monthly release schedule is improving patch quality
• New Update.exe has features you can use
• Five-week beta cycle provides real-world exposure
• Dance-off of the geek movie stars
• How Eyetools finds flaws in your pages
• The Road to Windows "Longhorn" 2005
• Are your visitors seeing what you think?

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CIRCULATION: over 145,000

Nope, upgrading from 0.9 to 1.0.1 doesn't work

Mike Rose has a different perspective on the Firefox upgrade. The foundation always warned that beta versions of Firefox (such as 0.9.x, the last generation of betas) had to be uninstalled before a new version could be put in, just like most beta software. Our intrepid reader learned this the hard way:

"I attempted to follow your upgrade scenario, but soon discovered that if one does not have Firefox 1.0 but instead had 0.9.x, that it did not work! When searching for updates, you get a 'no updates found' message. Hmmmm, I thought.

"So I 'Ghosted' my drive to another and tested the copy's bootability, something I always do before installing any software on my machine. I then turned off the Ghosted drive and re-booted with the original. Went to the Mozilla site, downloaded the install.exe, copied my user data to a 'save' directory, un-installed the 0.9.x version (just in case), and did the 1.01 install.

"It went flawlessly, even to the point that, when it came up again, ALL my settings were perfectly preserved. In fact, it was so exact that the first thing I did was to check the version info, to make sure I was now using the new one!

I'd have to say that this upgrade was considerably less painful than most Microsoft software upgrades by a long shot. Now I guess I should upgrade to the latest and greatest Thunderbird [the foundation's e-mail program]."

Force extensions to work with 1.0.1

One issue you may run into is that updated versions of Firefox won't run any installed extension that hasn't been "marked" for that version by the extension's developer. Most 1.0-registered extensions should work with no problem under 1.0.1. But some developers may take their time or just forget to re-register their extensions when a new edition of Firefox is released.

If you have a crucial extension that won't work under 1.0.1, but you're sure it actually would work fine if given a chance, the procedure described below will trick Firefox into running it.

Let me be clear that you need to use caution and common sense when attempting this. There's a reason why extensions are required to specify a valid range of Firefox versions they'll work with. In most cases, a minor upgrade won't change anything enough to break any extensions. But the chance of a mismatch that could crash Firefox increases with every subsequent release.

For this reason, you shouldn't use this trick across major revisions. And be sure to test the effects when you do make such a change, so you can remove the tweaked extension if it causes problems.

Having said all that, it's a fairly simple process. Here it is, as promised in my Mar. 3 newsletter update:

Step 1: Uninstall any previous versions of the extension.

Step 2: Download the latest version and save the file in an empty folder.

Step 3: Rename the file from Extension.xpi to Extension.xpi.zip (replace Extension with the actual filename).

Step 4: From this file, unzip Install.rdf into the same folder as the .zip file.

Step 5: Open the file Install.rdf in your favorite plain-text editor.

Step 6: Find the line containing the word maxVersion. Change the number between the angle brackets to a number equal to or larger than your current Firefox version.

Step 7: Save the file, then add it back into your Extension.xpi.zip file, overwriting the original Install.rdf.

Step 8: Rename the extension file from Extension.xpi.zip back to Extension.xpi.

Step 9: Drag and drop the file into an open Firefox window. Hold your breath, and if it works, enjoy it!

For details on maxVersion, see "Packaging Firefox/Thunderbird Extensions," an article by Ben Goodger (who is in no way responsible for me revealing this hack!).

Readers Barnes and Rose will receive gift certificates for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for submitting comments that we printed.

To send us more information about Firefox 1.0.1, or to send us a tip on any other subject, visit WindowsSecrets.com/contact. Thanks in advance.

^

THE SECURITY BASELINE — the minimum you need for safe computing

PC World finds CounterSpy is best anti-adware

Every PC needs a complete set of the building blocks shown below for protection against hacker attacks. In this section, which appears in every issue, we summarize the top ratings from trusted reviewers.

New info: PC World has crowned Sunbelt Software CounterSpy 1.0 as the winner of exhaustive anti-adware tests the magazine published in its April 2005 issue. The review finds that CounterSpy, an inexpensive $20 program for individual PCs, removed 85% of the 81 infectious files and processes the magazine used as a test bed.

PC World also tested the beta version of Microsoft AntiSpyware. The beta program removed a few more infections than CounterSpy, but the MS entrant was allowed to use a later database of malware. Because the results weren't comparable, the magazine didn't rank the beta app against the other nine contenders. Since CounterSpy uses the same database as MS AntiSpyware (plus other databases), Sunbelt's program is probably equal to or better than Microsoft's and will continue to improve. There appears to be no reason to use both programs.

CounterSpy and HijackThis together remove 100% of adware. Most importantly, PC World found that only one combination of tested anti-adware programs currently removes every threat. That combo is CounterSpy and HijackThis. The latter program produces a detailed list of every process that's occupying memory. This allows you to remove some tough pests left over after scanning with CounterSpy.

Several online forums provide free help to interpret the technical output from HijackThis. These forums are described in the HijackThis log recommendations provided by anti-adware guru Eric Howes. You'll also want to read the HijackThis Quick Start and the HijackThis tutorial.

If you've already purchased Webroot Software's Spy Sweeper because it was previously rated as a good addition to Giant AntiSpyware (the predecessor to MS AntiSpyware), don't despair. PC World found Spy Sweeper 3.2 to be a strong competitor to CounterSpy, removing 81% of the tested infections. This one-two ranking is reinforced by tests published last month in eWeek Magazine. The glossy weekly rated CounterSpy Enterprise and Spy Sweeper Enterprise as the winner and a close runner-up, respectively, in a review of centrally managed anti-adware for small to medium business networks.

		1. Hardware firewall. New info: For wired home and small-office networking, the 4-port Linksys BEFSX41 firewall (photo at left, about $65 USD street price) boasts PC Magazine's Editors' Choice award. This model has superior NAT and SPI compared with the BEFSR81, which was previously rated the best router by Extreme Tech. (Our thanks to reader John Moser for his help researching these firewalls.) For wireless networking, the new Belkin Wireless Pre-N router ($120) also offers NAT and SPI and is currently top-rated at CNET.
		2. Software firewall. ZoneAlarm Security Suite (left, $60) holds PC Magazine's Editors' Choice as the best all-in-one software firewall, antivirus program, and antispam filter. For software firewall protection only, ZoneAlarm Pro ($35) is number one according to several testers, including PC World's Best of 2004 awards.
		3. Antivirus program. Trend Micro's PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 antivirus suite ($45), which also includes a personal firewall, recently won head-to-head comparisons in PC World and CNET against McAfee's and Symantec's offerings. Note: If you have ZoneAlarm Security Suite (see above), you don't need a separate antivirus program.
		4. Antispam program. Cloudmark Safetybar (available in versions for Outlook and Outlook Express, $30) is currently rated as a PC World Best Buy and a PC Magazine Editors' Choice. Note: If you have ZoneAlarm Security Suite (see above), you don't need a separate antispam filtering program.
		5. Anti-adware program. New info: Sunbelt Software CounterSpy 1.0 (left, $20) is now the most effective remover of adware, according to the PC World review described above. When used with the free HijackThis program, PC World says the two apps caught 100% of the nuisances tested. HijackThis is an advanced program that's supported by free technical forums. For small to medium businesses, Sunbelt CounterSpy Enterprise ($255 for 10 machines) is top-rated by eWeek as a centrally managed program.
		6. Update management. New info: For small to medium networks, Microsoft's free Software Update Services is currently the best way to automate the downloading of critical Windows patches, according to a Network Computing review. (SUS is soon to be upgraded and renamed Windows Update Services.) SUS, unfortunately, doesn't scan PCs for problems or distribute fixes for applications. GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner (left, $375 for 25 users) builds on SUS, checking your network for vulnerabilities and pushing out updates. LANguard NSS is top-rated by WindowSecurity.com and MCSE World. The latter site also publishes a helpful tutorial on augmenting SUS with LANguard NSS or Shavlik's HFNetChkPro ($620 for 25 users). Individual users should simply turn on the auto-download features of Windows Update and any installed apps they may have.

WINDOWS GIZMOS — our product reviews of new stuff

		Tiny power cable for laptops on the go Stop crawling under your desk to plug and unplug your power cable every time you take your notebook computer with you. Instead, take the Zip-Linq retractable cable. For about $19.95, this little spool of wires, only 6.75 inches (17cm) end-to-end when retracted, avoids a lot of aggravation by extending to 5 feet (1.5m). It plugs into any transformer with a "figure 8" port. You can use it worldwide, too, with inexpensive prong adaptors (assuming the transformer adjusts to any country's AC power, as most laptops do today). More info
		A 3D screen that requires no 3D glasses Sharp shipped on Mar. 8 a laptop that displays 3-dimensional images without the observer having to wear 3D specs. The Actius AL3D uses "parallax barrier" technology to deliver different images to the user's left and right eyes. The company says this will enable medical, manufacturing, and petroleum-exploration applications. But who are they kidding? It'll really be used to watch DVD movies, which are converted on-the-fly to 3D, and to play games. Video chip maker NVIDIA says more than 1,000 games can already take advantage of the depth effect. More info
		First 8GB USB flash drive is now available BUSlink claims to be the world's first USB 2.0 Flash drive maker to successfully pack 8GB of storage into a thumb-sized stick. The device weighs only 0.02 lbs. (9 grams) and is compatible with Windows 98SE/Pentium II and up. It's quite an expensive USB drive per gigabyte, considering that $140 or so will now get you a 4GB Digital Research GigaBank flash drive or a 4GB US Modular Monster hard drive. But the BUSlink is geek chic — a status symbol, like buying a Rolex watch. More info Note: The links above lead to information from U.S. sources. For information from sources in other countries, enter the name of a reviewed product into a search box at one of the following links: Canada / Elsewhere

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INDEX OF REVIEWS — our directory of product shootouts

The Index of Reviews

In this section, we link to respected expert reviews of the best Windows-compatible hardware products available today. Only head-to-head ratings of competing products — not individual reviews of single products — are indexed here.

		USB DRIVES Mobile PC names 2 USB drives best USB Flash drives aren't ideal for major backups. But Mobile PC Magazine found that Verbatim and M-Systems' tiny drives offer enough speed and capacity to make them a worthy choice. Verbatim Store 'n' Go Pro (The Best, Score: 4.0/5.0) M-Systems Smart Diskonkey (The Best, 4.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		POINT-AND-SHOOT DIGITAL CAMERAS Nikon gets PC World's pick for Best Buy PC World puts several stylish, new pocket-sized cameras to the test. It finds the Nikon Coolpix 4800 the ideal point-and-shoot with an appealing price. Nikon Coolpix 4800 (Best Buy, Score: 4.0/5.0) Kodak EasyShare DX7630 Zoom (Best Buy, 4.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		LASER MULTIFUNCTION PRINTERS PC Mag recommends Brother's SOHO all-in-one The editors at PC Magazine test 11 models of laser all-in-one printers and choose Brother's entry for its balance of quality, price, and function. Brother MFC-8840DN (Editors' Choice, Score: 4.0/5.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		INKJET PRINTERS Epson Stylus is PC Pro winner The PC Pro labs put 14 inkjet printers through an exhaustive suite of tests. The Epson Stylus Photo R800 is their winner, with two Canons and a HP coming close behind. Epson Stylus Photo R800 (PCPro Labs Winner award, Score: 5/6) Canon Pixma iP3000 (PCPro Value award, 5) Canon Pixma iP4000R (PCPro Recommended, 5) HP PhotoSmart 8150 (PCPro Recommended, 5) Link to all ratings and full review
		WI-FI DETECTORS Canary's Hotspotter tops list again As in Wired Magazine's tests last month (see Wired review), the Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter beats out all other Wi-Fi detectors by making it to the top of Mobile PC Magazine's list, too. Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter (Mobile Choice, Score: 4.5/5.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		BUDGET PCS PC World names Dell a Best Buy Out of the eight systems offered for under $750 that were tested, the Dell Dimension 3000 handles all the basics, making it PC World's Best Buy. Dell Dimension 3000 (Best Buy, Score: 3.5/5.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		MUSIC AND PHOTO PLAYERS Wired finds iPod way ahead The latest in portable devices let you bring along music, pictures, and much more. Wired Magazine tests four competitors in this new category and finds the iPod Photo is way ahead of the competition. Apple iPod photo (Score: 4.0/5.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		HARD DRIVES Maxtor is Mobile PC choice for tons of data Mobile PC Magazine puts 11 external hard drives head to head and chooses the 300 GB Maxtor OneTouch II for making tedious computer back-ups simple. Maxtor Onetouch II (Mobile Choice and The Best, Score: 4.5/5.0) Iogear 2.5-inch Combo Ion Drive (The Best, 4.0) Link to all ratings and full review
		KEYBOARDS AND MICE Logitech gets PC Mag's highest score With its ergo design and powerful features, Logitech's diNovo Media Desktop outshines other keyboard-and-mouse sets to earn PC Magazine's highest rating. Logitech diNovo Media Desktop (Score: 5.0/5.0) Link to all ratings and full review Note: The links above lead to information from U.S. sources. For information from sources in other countries, enter the name of a reviewed product into a search box at one of the following links: Canada / Elsewhere

HERE'S A TIP — you'll get a better newsletter if you choose the paid version

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	Paul Thurrott / Briefing Session. What the insiders know — and what you need to find out — about Windows: • Sayonara, IE: removing your browser code • The problem with Windows in a nutshell • Sometimes the fix can be worse than the problem • Try restricting the rights of Web apps
	Chris Mosby / Over the Horizon. The steps you need to take NOW to protect yourself, because patches aren't yet available for some known threats: • How not to get hooked by phishers • Further proof that pop-up windows are bad • Phishing attacks with IE, from top to bottom • What to do to block the latest unpatched exploits
	Susan Bradley / Windows Patch Watch. We tell you which official patches have problems and, more importanly, how you can work around them: • A Patch Tuesday with nothing to do (except...) • Windows Update still has a few goodies this month • Firefox responds to the IDN issue • On April 12, you'll wake up with XP SP2, right?
	Mark Burnett / Update Management. How you can use free or commercial software to automate patching and upgrading, whether you're responsible for 5 PCs or 50,000: • For once, we hit a quiet patch • Monthly release schedule is improving patch quality • New Update.exe has features you can use • Five-week beta cycle provides real-world exposure

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ELECTRONIC BOOKSHELF — new e-books from the editors

Spam-Proof Your E-Mail Address
This 27-page e-book by Brian Livingston gives you step-by-step instructions that can eliminate 97% of the spam that would otherwise clog your e-mail account. You could call it "Livingston's Spam Secrets." The PDF-format e-book is the result of months of experiments and tests we conducted. We now receive little or no spam to the addresses we used as guinea pigs. These tests show that you can actually reduce your volume of spam to practically nothing, not just battle an unstoppable and ever-growing flood. The methods we describe work with Windows, Apple, and Linux and don't require any filters or block lists — but you can use those in addition to the book's techniques, if you wish. More info

WACKY WEB WEEK — playing for you the Internet's greatest bits

The dance-off of the geek movie stars
Who would win the ultimate dance competition — Napoleon Dynamite, the nerdy high schooler from last year's MTV movie of the same name (upper photo at left), or Fender, the star of Robots (lower photo), which opens across the U.S. on Mar. 11?

Now you can judge for yourself at the new Napoleon vs. Fender site. Play clips from the movies and support the character of your choice. Who's winning the race at this moment? You'll have to vote to see. The clips are, of course, accompanied by dance music (in Fender's case, a hilarious put-on of Britney's "Baby One More Time"), so watch the volume level if you're in a cubicle. See the videos

USEFUL LINKS — more stuff that's good to know

How Eyetools finds flaws in your pages
Some Web sites have doubled or tripled their sales results after learning what visitors were actually seeing on their pages. Almost every aspect of a company's Web site can be studied using "eyetracking" — and I'll show you how you can benefit from some of this research for free. (By Brian Livingston, Datamation) More info

The Road to Windows "Longhorn" 2005
This installment of the Longhorn showcase, as of March 2005, is extensively updated with new information about Longhorn features, scheduling, and hardware recommendations. (By Paul Thurrott, SuperSite for Windows) More info

Are your visitors seeing what you think?
You may think visitors to your company's Web site are carefully reading every word on your home page. But they're not. A remarkable study shows how to use the hummingbird-like behavior of your Web site's visitors to generate two to three times the response rate. (By Brian Livingston, Datamation) More info

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The Windows Secrets Newsletter (formerly Woody's Windows Watch and Brian's Buzz on Windows) is published twice a month, except for breaks in July and December. The newsletter is published on the first and third Thursdays after Patch Tuesday (the 2nd Tuesday of each month, when Microsoft generally releases new Windows patches).

Publisher: The newsletter publisher is WindowsSecrets.com LLC, 300 Queen Anne Ave. N. #456, Seattle, WA 98109 USA. Vendors, please send no unsolicited packages to this address (readers' letters are fine).

Editor: Brian Livingston is the coauthor of Windows 2000 Secrets, Windows Me Secrets, and eight other books. Associate Editor: Paul Thurrott is the author of Windows XP Home Networking and Great Digital Media with Windows XP and the author or coauthor of several other books. Contributing Editors: Susan Bradley, Chris Mosby. Research Director: Vickie Stevens. Program Director: Ian Maddox.

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