Mozilla has released an important new update to Firefox — v3.5.1.
If you’re a Firefox user then you should definitely implement this upgrade ASAP, as it addresses certain security flaws that you really don’t want to be exposed to any longer than necessary.
Upgrading is as simple as opening Firefox, clicking the Help menu, then selecting Check for Updates from the drop-down list.
If your operating system is Windows and you’re NOT a Firefox user, you should be.
Firefox is cleaner, faster and safer than Internet Explorer, is completely free and there are is no problem with having multiple browsers installed at the same time. I have Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Firefox all installed on my personal PC, with Firefox as my main day-to-day Web browser.
To download Firefox from scratch just go to http://www.mozilla.com and follow the prompts.
And remember…
ALWAYS reboot your computer before and after any software installation, regardless of whether or not the install process tells you to do so. It’s not always absolutely necessary, but making it a habit will save you grief in the long run.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Why?
not being facetious I just want to know why this is a good habit to have.
What are the implications if I don’t do this and the newly installed software hasn’t prompted?
cheers
Hi Dave.
When you install a new software package the changes to your system in general, and to your Windows Registry in particular, can range from minor to extensive. Rarely will anyone but the developer know in advance just how extensive the changes will be.
The other thing you will almost never know is what “stuff” is hanging around in memory from previous operations, just waiting to get in the way.
You can get a clue as to just how complex and even intrusive some installations can be from the fact that some install routines even tell you to disable your anti-virus program while the installation is processed. Unless you haven’t done your homework and you’re loading something very risky, this isn’t a trick or an idle request. An anti-virus program is constantly “live” in memory and might cause some aspect of the installation to fail, and if that’s a possibility the developer should warn you.
I’m not suggesting you should always disable your anti-virus program before installing software. That’s an extreme precaution that the developers should advise you on if they believe it is necessary. But if they tell you to do it then it would be risky to ignore the advice.
Anyone who has ever installed a Microsoft patch or update will have frequently been prompted to reboot afterwards. In fact in most such instances Microsoft considers the reboot important enough to nag you about it with repetitive pop-up reminders if you initially decline.
More often than not changes to the Registry will not take effect until the system has been restarted. And before one of the clever geeky people point out that you can restart the registry without restarting the computer, I’ll point out that such a shortcut doesn’t solve the problem of clearing memory, so why not do it properly?
Even a fairly benign installation can be damaged by what you do subsequent to the installation, but before you next reboot. For example…
One very useful tool I use regularly is a Registry Cleaner. Registry Cleaners are, by their very nature, quite intrusive. After all, they do go ferreting around inside your Windows Registry, eliminating redundancies and attempting to fix any anomalies they find.
On a number of occasions I’ve seen people run their computers for days without a reboot, installing and uninstalling software in the meantime, then deciding to run their Registry Cleaner to “clean up” before they perform a reboot. Then when problems surface after the restart they blame the Registry Cleaner, or the last program they installed. But what about all those system changes that never got properly “bedded in” before they let the Registry Cleaner loose to “clean up”?
In summary, you’ll never be punished for doing a clean restart before and after a software installation. But if you don’t adopt that policy with installations there’s a good chance you’ll pay for your impetuosity sooner or later.
It’s just one of those little habits that separate the people who always seem to have problems from those who almost never do.
Ta Bill
that all makes complete sense – now I’ve just got to do the right thing every time