The machines local firefox profile folder shows signs of Firefox Portable activities:
C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Mozilla\Extensions-BackupByFirefoxPortable
C:\Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Mozilla\Crash Reports-BackupByFirefoxPortable
Is this a result of well-known update bug or some other issue?
Sounds like you have an extension to Firefox that is either non-compliant or has been configured incorrectly.
What extensions are you using?
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
I just noticed, this happen only during firefox is running.
These two folders no more present after having closed firefox.
*** Extensions (enabled: 17, disabled: 1; total: 18)
CookieSafe 3.0.5
Custom Toolbar Buttons 0.6.0.8
deskCut 0.6.0.0
Dictionary Switcher 1.0
DownThemAll! 1.1.7
FireFTP 1.0.6
Image Zoom 0.3.1
InfoLister 0.10.1
Java Quick Starter 1.0 [disabled]
NoScript 1.9.9.14
PageStyle2Tab 0.8.1
Polski slownik poprawnej pisowni 1.0.20090810
Print/Print Preview 0.6
ScrapBook 1.3.5
Tab Mix Plus 0.3.8.2
United States English Dictionary 4.0.0
URL Link 2.03.2
Wörterbuch Deutsch (de-DE), Hunspell-unterstützt 20090905
*** Themes (2)
Default [selected]
Noia 2.0 (eXtreme)
*** Plugins
DivX Player Netscape Plugin
DivX Web Player
Java(TM) Platform SE 6 U17
Microsoft® DRM
Microsoft® Windows Media Player Firefox Plugin
Mozilla Default Plug-in
Shockwave Flash
Shockwave for Director
Windows Media Player Plug-in Dynamic Link Library
How do you start the program?
Do you use the PortableApps menu?
Do you click on a link in another app to launch Firefox?
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
I start fx by invoking the firefox portable launcher exe file.
Firefox Portable is creating these directories for duration of its activity. As soon as firefox closed, these disappear.
Is it a bug or a feature?
It shouldn't ordinarily happen.
The folks over at mozillazine forums say that if all else fails, start over. Install a plain vanilla version of Firefox (in this case, download and reinstall FirefoxPortable into a NEW directory, such as FirefoxPortableTest) and use it with NO extensions. Please ask if you need help with this step.
If the problematic behavior stops, then slowly add extensions until you find the one that breaks your setup.
That's what I'd suggest to troubleshoot your installation.
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
I don't think that's the problem.
It's supposed to back it up like that while it's running... So that way it doesn't overwrite the other FF (sort of a dodge and replace). Then it puts them back after so that it doesn't mess anything up...
That's also why you can't run more than one instance of Firefox at a time.
Insert original signature here with Greasemonkey Script.
learn something new every day....
neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com
So it's not a bug, it's a feature.
Next question would be, is this a planned feature?
The entire point of the launcher is to make sure that anything that the app does is cleaned up when it finishes.
At PortableApps.com the devs don't alter the base application (Firefox), they just add a launcher/wrapper.
There are some things that Firefox does (such as crash report writing) that cannot be controlled from the profile or command line, so the only way to ensure that FireFoxPortable doesn't damage the installed settings of your local copy of Firefox is to back up the areas that might be written to by FirefoxPortable, so that when it exits, they can be restored.
So it is very definitely not a bug - it is the core functionality of the launcher.