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How to Update Firefox and Verify That Security Fixes Are Installed

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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For a Firefox installation downloaded directly from Mozilla, open Menu → Help → About Firefox. Firefox checks for an update, downloads it when one is available, and shows Restart to update Firefox when the package is ready. The security fix is not fully installed until Firefox restarts. After restarting, open About Firefox again and record the version shown below the Firefox name, or check about:support under Application Basics.

The correct update path depends on how Firefox was installed. Linux distribution packages update through the distribution’s package manager, while a Microsoft Store installation updates through the Store. Windows administrators have additional checks: the installed DisplayVersion, the current Mozilla Firefox ESR release, and the Firefox Background Update scheduled task.

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What counts as a completed Firefox security update?

A Firefox update has three distinct states:

  1. Firefox has checked for an update. This only reports what the updater currently knows.
  2. The update has been downloaded. The files are present, but the running Firefox process may still be using the older version.
  3. Firefox has restarted and displays the new version. This is the practical evidence that the update is installed.

Mozilla’s support guidance emphasizes the third state. A download that began, or an About window that briefly says Firefox is up to date, does not by itself prove that a security fix is active. Restarting applies the downloaded update, and the version displayed afterward identifies what is installed.

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Keeping Firefox current provides the latest features, security improvements, and website-compatibility changes. The procedure below separates downloading from verification so you can tell the difference between an update that is available, one that is waiting for a restart, and one that is actually installed.

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First identify how Firefox was installed

Firefox does not use one universal updater on every computer. Before troubleshooting a missing update control, identify the installation channel. The channel determines where you start the update and which administrator checks apply.

Installation channel Where to update Where to verify the installed version Additional administrator evidence
Firefox installed directly from Mozilla Menu → Help → About Firefox; choose Restart to update Firefox after the download Version below the Firefox name in About Firefox, or about:support → Application Basics On Windows, administrators can also check DisplayVersion and the Firefox Background Update scheduled task
Linux distribution package The Linux distribution’s package manager Open Firefox’s About Firefox window or about:support after the package update Mozilla’s Windows enterprise checks do not apply to a Linux distribution package
Microsoft Store installation The Microsoft Store Open Firefox’s About Firefox window or about:support after the Store update Use the Store and your organization’s Windows inventory tools rather than assuming the Mozilla installer’s updater is responsible

If you are unsure, the presence or absence of Firefox’s own update controls is a useful clue. Mozilla notes that Linux distribution packages may not show update controls in Firefox settings because the distribution controls the package. A Microsoft Store copy likewise receives updates through the Store.

Update Firefox installed directly from Mozilla

1. Open the About Firefox window

  1. Open Firefox.
  2. Select the application menu.
  3. Choose Help.
  4. Select About Firefox.

Opening this window starts an update check by default. The window also identifies the installed version, but read that number again after the restart when you are verifying a newly applied fix.

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2. Let Firefox complete its check and download

Firefox reports whether an update is available. If one is available, it downloads the update while the About window is open. Keep the window available long enough for the download to finish; the control you need appears only when Firefox has a package ready to apply.

There is an important status caveat: Mozilla cautions that a download can continue in the background even when the About window says Firefox is up to date. Therefore, “up to date” in that moment is not conclusive evidence that the newest downloaded files have already been applied to the running browser. The decisive action is the restart, followed by a fresh version check.

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3. Restart to apply the package

When the download is complete, select Restart to update Firefox. Firefox closes and relaunches. Save work in other tabs or web applications before selecting the restart command because the browser session is being closed and reopened.

Do not treat the beginning of the download as the end of the procedure. Until Firefox has restarted, the running process can still be the previous build. If the About window offers a restart command, use it rather than postponing the update indefinitely.

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4. Confirm that Firefox relaunched

Wait for Firefox to open again, then use the About window or about:support to verify the installed version. If the browser did not relaunch, open it normally before checking. A successful download without a subsequent restart is an incomplete update, not a failed security fix.

Verify the installed version after the restart

Use About Firefox

  1. Open the application menu.
  2. Choose Help → About Firefox.
  3. Read the version shown below the Firefox name.

Opening About Firefox performs an update check by default, so the window serves two purposes: it can start the update process and it displays the version currently installed. Record the number after the restart if you need an audit trail or want to compare several computers.

Use about:support

  1. Open a new Firefox tab.
  2. Enter about:support in the address bar and press Enter.
  3. In the Application Basics section, find the installed Firefox version.

about:support is useful when you want the version in a diagnostic page rather than in the compact About dialog. The version shown there is the same installed application version that you see in About Firefox. Use one location for a quick check and the other when collecting troubleshooting information.

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What the version proves—and what it does not

The displayed version proves which Firefox build is installed on that computer after the browser has restarted. It does not prove that every add-on, operating-system component, or website has been updated; those are separate maintenance tasks. For the Firefox security update itself, the post-restart application version is the relevant user-level evidence.

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Update a Linux distribution package

If Firefox came from a Linux distribution rather than from Mozilla’s installer, the distribution’s package manager controls updates. Mozilla notes that this type of Firefox may not show update controls in its settings.

  1. Open the package-management tool provided by your Linux distribution.
  2. Check for available package updates.
  3. Install the Firefox package update through that tool.
  4. Launch or restart Firefox as directed by the distribution’s package manager.
  5. Open Help → About Firefox or visit about:support.
  6. Read the version under the Firefox name or in Application Basics.

The exact package-manager interface and commands vary by distribution, so use the distribution’s own update workflow rather than expecting the Mozilla installer’s restart button to appear. The verification step remains the same: check the Firefox version after the package update and after any required browser restart.

If About Firefox does not offer a download or restart control on this installation, that absence is not, by itself, evidence of a missing security update. It can simply indicate that the distribution owns the update channel.

Update a Microsoft Store installation

Firefox installed through the Microsoft Store receives updates through the Store. Start the update from the Store rather than assuming that the Mozilla installer’s updater is managing the installation.

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  1. Open the Microsoft Store.
  2. Use the Store’s update function to check for and install available Firefox updates.
  3. After the Store reports that the update is installed, open or restart Firefox if required.
  4. In Firefox, open Help → About Firefox and record the version, or check about:support → Application Basics.

The Store’s installation status and Firefox’s displayed application version answer different questions. The Store indicates that the package was delivered through that channel; the Firefox version after launch verifies what the browser reports as installed.

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Windows enterprise verification

Organizations often need evidence beyond a user clicking an update button. Mozilla’s enterprise troubleshooting guidance identifies three checks for Windows-managed Firefox: the installed DisplayVersion, the current Firefox ESR release published by Mozilla, and the Firefox background-update task.

Compare DisplayVersion with the current Firefox ESR release

Use the organization’s approved Windows inventory or configuration-management method to read Firefox’s installed DisplayVersion. Compare that value with the current Firefox ESR release published by Mozilla. The comparison must use the same product channel: an ESR deployment should be compared with the current ESR release, not with an unrelated Firefox release line.

Because release numbers change, record the date of the comparison and the Mozilla-published ESR value used by the administrator. A version that matched at one point can become outdated when a later security release is published.

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Inspect the Firefox Background Update scheduled task

Mozilla also recommends checking the Windows Firefox Background Update scheduled task. Confirm all three conditions:

  • The task exists on the computer.
  • The task is enabled.
  • The task runs successfully without errors.

A missing or disabled task indicates that background-update automation is not operating as expected. A task that exists but records errors needs attention in the organization’s normal Windows troubleshooting process. These checks complement, rather than replace, the browser-level version check: the task explains whether background updating is functioning, while DisplayVersion and About Firefox show what is installed.

Troubleshoot common verification problems

What you see Likely interpretation What to do next
About Firefox says Firefox is up to date, but an update appears to be downloading The download may still be completing in the background Allow the download to finish, then restart Firefox. Verify the version only after Firefox relaunches.
An update was downloaded, but the version did not change The browser may not have restarted, or the version was checked in the wrong installation channel Restart Firefox with Restart to update Firefox when available. Reopen About Firefox and check about:support. If the copy came from Linux or the Microsoft Store, update through that channel.
There is no update control in Firefox settings The installation may be a Linux distribution package or another channel that owns updating outside Firefox Use the Linux package manager or Microsoft Store, then verify the version inside Firefox.
The Store says Firefox is updated, but you need browser-level proof Package-delivery status and the running browser’s reported version are separate checks Launch or restart Firefox and read the version in About Firefox or about:support.
A Windows administrator cannot confirm background updating The Firefox Background Update task may be missing, disabled, or failing Check that the task exists, is enabled, and completes without errors; also compare DisplayVersion with the current Firefox ESR release.
The version is correct in one place but not another You may be looking at a stale dialog or a different Firefox installation Close and reopen About Firefox, then check about:support in the same running browser. Confirm which installation channel the computer uses.

A repeatable security-update verification routine

For a personal computer, use this short routine whenever Firefox reports an update or a security release is expected:

  1. Identify whether Firefox came from Mozilla, a Linux distribution, or the Microsoft Store.
  2. Start the update in that channel.
  3. Wait for the download or package installation to finish.
  4. Restart Firefox when the channel or Firefox requests it.
  5. Open Help → About Firefox and read the version below the Firefox name.
  6. If you need a second record, open about:support and note the version in Application Basics.
  7. For a managed Windows ESR deployment, record DisplayVersion and check the Firefox Background Update task for existence, enabled status, and successful runs.

This sequence deliberately places the restart before the verification. It prevents a common mistake: treating an update download or a reassuring status message as proof that the running browser has already loaded the security-fixed build.

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What to record for support or compliance

When documenting an update, capture the installation channel, the date of the check, the version displayed after restart, and whether the update required a manual restart. On Windows enterprise systems, add the DisplayVersion comparison and the Background Update task’s state. These details distinguish a browser that is current from one that merely received update files or has an updater configured.

If a support technician asks for Firefox’s diagnostic information, about:support provides the Application Basics section where the installed version is listed. Share only the information permitted by your organization’s security policy.

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browser securityFirefoxLinuxMozilla Firefoxsoftware updatesWindows administration

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