I have been using Firefox Portable on Windows for years, set as the system's default browser.
A few days ago I updated to version 67 (Developer edition), and I noticed the following:
when I click on a link from another application (for example a Thunderbird email) then Firefox starts but it uses a new profile (instead of my profile).
This is annoying beacuse I don't have access to bookmarks/extensions in this profile. In previous versions it would get launched with my profile.
Does it happens to you guys? Any workaround?
--
EDIT: I'm adding here a cleaner explaination of the issue.
Let's suppose your Firefox Portable (v66 or less) is already running in your taskbar.
Now, if you launch Thunderbird and click on a link (in an email) it would open it inside the already running Firefox Portable.
Starting from version 67, this does not happen. The link gets open in a new Firefox window alongside the other, and using a default Firefox profile (with no bookmarks / extensions).
--
UPDATE: a few workarounds from the replies below:
- Using a default program association tool for Firefox Portable: https://portableapps.com/comment/240241#comment-240241
(worked nicely for me)
- Using a file association tool for Portable Apps: https://portableapps.com/comment/240221#comment-240221
- Edit Windows Registry: https://portableapps.com/comment/240229#comment-240229
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If you associate Firefox with anything, it associates it with the standard Firefox install within Firefox Portable, not with Firefox Portable. You need to use a third party utility.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Ok, you are right, let me add something I forgot.
Let's suppose your Firefox Portable (v66 or less) is already running in your taskbar.
Now, if you launch Thunderbird and click on a link (in an email) it would open it inside the already running Firefox Portable.
Starting from version 67, this does not happen. The link gets open in a new Firefox window alongside the other, and using a default Firefox profile.
This profile does not contain any bookmark or extension.
Hello,
I was going to post a similar topic, so I have the same problem with Firefox 67.0 (64 bits) on Windows
I use it in a Portable version via your software and it is by default in the options.
But when I click on a link in a program, for example, it opens Firefox for me, but in a new profile, not the one I currently use.
I don't see where the error comes from, does anyone have any idea?
I have this error since the last version, the stable 67.0.
Sincerely
Hi Kryptux, I see you noticed this issue as I did.
We both forgot to say that Firefox Portable needs to be already running in the background, in order to reproduce / understand the issue.
Yes, of course.
I think PortableApps need to be resolve this problem.
I confirm all precedent description of the problem.
I add that it is a problem specially related to the portable version of the Firefox 67.
I have an installed version of FF 67 under kubuntu and it work well as usual.
I noticed the exact same issue, thank you for reporting !
It's even more annoying as I use Firefox to open PDF files and organize them next to related websites...
In order to open HTML files/URLs from other apps in Firefox Portable, you must use a third party utility to have FirefoxPortable.exe added to the registry as a browser and then manually set it within the Windows Control Panel. You can not associate within Firefox itself. This applies to all portable apps that use launchers to fully be portable and has always been the case with Firefox Portable as well.
Previously, Firefox would 'fallback' to a running instance if you opened any file with any firefox.exe, so it happened to work previously if you associated within Firefox itself inside Firefox Portable and had Firefox Portable already running even though this was neither supported nor recommended. This behavior changed in Firefox 67 as it sets up default profiles per installed (or not installed) instance of Firefox. You must use a third party utility to manually register FirefoxPortable.exe as a browser and then select it as your default.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Thank you very much John for the detailed explanation !
Which utility can you recommend to achieve this ? (I didn't find any in the PortableApps repository unfortunately)
I found this excellent open source app to register PortableApps : https://ystr.github.io/types
Can you explain how to use it?
Thank you
Select the file type you want to associate to Firefox Portable (e.g. html) -> double click on it -> Actions tab -> open -> Select program (folder icon on the lower right) -> ...\FirefoxPortable.exe
Seems it can't edit protocols. Which diminishes its usability.
I prefer this one: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/file_types_manager.html
Thank you very much for your recommendation !
I was going to post a similar thread, as I had quite come to like the previous behavior of it opening any associated file or link in an already running window of FF portable, allowing me to depend on it, as if it were installed directly on the machine. THAT is how portable apps should behave. Does anyone know of ANY way to disable this portion of the update or roll back the functionality, somehow?
The comment directly above yours answers your question.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
For me it worked to open regedit and open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR) --> FirefoxURL-somestring --> shell\open\command
There you will find a default value which should point to ...\Firefoxportable\App\Firefox\firefox.exe ...
Change this value to "...\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe" -url "%1"
When you click on links they should open in the FirefoxPortable window now, no restart required.
You can make the same changes for HKCR\FirefoxHTML-somestring\shell\open\command, which will take care of opening .html files and other associated file types in FirefoxPortable.
Of course you can also use a third party program from the internet to make those changes, but why bother.
Sorry for the shameless plug but I wrote a registry file that I use to associate FF Portable with the various filetypes and protocols. You can find it here:
https://github.com/XJDHDR/xjdhdr-random-code/blob/master/Registry/Associ...
I found this tool for Registering Portable Firefox as browser, then you can select from Control Panel / Default Programs as default...
https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-defaul...
And I can confirm its working with links from Viber Desktop and Thunderbird Portable, with Firefox Portable 67
ad123
Worked for me.
Thank you all guys for your messages and feedback, especially John T. Haller.
I was able to apply one of the posted workarounds and it's working nicely (registerfp).
Looks like we have to deal with this from now on, as there is no way PortableApps could fix this.
I'm going to update the initial post and add some of your posted solutions.
Dear friends, maybe i don't understand completely your proposal.
If we have the system installed FF67 and the portable FF67 registered, then we can switch between the two FF67 as the default?
Normally, on this computer, was i use, the people use the system default FF. Only i work with PortableApps.
This means, if i start my session, i select the portable FF as the default. And after, i reselect the system installed FF.
Are your proposals the solution for the new FF67 behaviour problems?
Dear friends this is my last comment in forums mozillazine:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3050319&start=45
Dear friends,
in my specific environment, FF67 static and portable installed, every instance with one profile, i found the solution with registerfp.
https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-defaul...
This information i got from PortableApps forum:
https://portableapps.com/node/60315
With this tool i registered the portable version and with the win "defult program" i can change the default FF path. This works in all tested conditions, what i have. It is an old tool, only for portable FF. But i know, that the developer of PortableApps will include this function in a more general stile.
In the bugzilla thread Dave Townsend gave the link to 1554577.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1553815
"Actual results:
Firefox will now open the link in the default profile and if you have a custom profile loaded through the commandline it will be ignored. All shortcuts and saved settings will use the default profile instead of the one you already have opened."
In my situation, i use two FF67 registered installation and switch between. In your situation like katoda, with different versions and maybe different profiles for one version, you can manage the profile.ini-file, because the executable file is also included in the profile (pref.js?).
It would be more elegant to find the same method for static and portable installations. For the portable instance under Windows, the drive path can also change. But this is a task for the portableapps launcher.
But in general, a user defined switch should installed, that the running FF-instance is now the default. In all our disussions we see, we, the user, have to follow only the view of the developers. But this is not a good way and make every time problems with new logic definitions or consequent implementations of the old definition.
with thanks for all and many greetings, willi
Asuncion, Paraguay
I've tried all your solutions, none that work:(
Okay, I finally got the problem fixed.
So..:
Control Panel > Default Programs > Associating a file type or protocol with a program
Select all the file extensions you want to open with Firefox Portable, then search for Firefox Portable in the window that has just opened. There you go.
looks like options AllowMultipleInstances=false broken .
AllowMultipleInstances works as it always has. Running two right now.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
I am _completely_ stuck on this. I tried just about everything, and still the bl* choose profile box pops up and FF insists on opening a new window. I can not get links to open in an already opened firefox. And for some idiotic reason, I ihave 2 profiles upon clicking on http: links, yet none of these profiles are the one I am using in my normal browser.
the problem seems to be that http: and https: PROTOCOLS (so not filetypes) are linked to "C:\portable\FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1" . Yet they should be linked to "C:\portable\FirefoxPortable\firefoxportable.exe" -osint -url "%1". But when I dive into regedit and change this, I get an error (you have no profiles configured or something that looks like that). What am I doing wrong? How do I fix clicking on http: & https: actually works??? PLEASE help? This is extremely frustrating!
from first post, I tried these:
-The built in windows thing _only_ changes .htm & .html. Not http: & https:
-Using a default program association tool for Firefox Portable: still pops up the "choose profile" mess
- Using a file association tool for Portable Apps: install software to be able to install software???
- Edit Windows Registry: still pops up the profile requester
======edit=======
Thank you #Kryptux who wrote: Control Panel > Default Programs > Associating a file type or protocol with a program, Select all the file extensions you want to open with Firefox Portable, then search for Firefox Portable in the window that has just opened.
Last time I tried that firefoxPORTABLE was _not_ an option there (only firefox & explorer where a choice). I was so desperate I retried it over there again. Today firefoxportable was an option. So: One of the 4 sollutiuns tried here, mare firefoxportable an option ...
I had already run RegisterFirefoxPortable.exe years ago, and associated HTTP and HTTPS with Firefox Portable. As with the rest of you, it was working fine until recently (no doubt v. 67, although I was not keeping track). Just like novw said, the file type associations for HTTP and HTTPS were pointing to
"...\FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox64\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1", so I changed them to"...\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe" -osint -url "%1", and hoped that would solve it for me, but it didn't.I seem to have three differences from others on this thread:
(1) Links in Thunderbird Portable work fine. It's everywhere else that seems to fail, like links in the Windows settings area or various software's Help menu items that go to the web. (Yes, that includes other PA apps - I just tested FileZilla Portable's "what's new in this version", and it failed, too.)
(2) It doesn't matter whether Firefox Portable is already open or not - the behavior is the same.
(3) I do not have multiple installations of Firefox as some of you apparently do, but only the portable one (although it's on my C drive, not removable media). But there is a blank profile in
...\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\that is used every time it is called from other software (except Thunderbird Portable) - I don't know how that got there, but I assume that it would just reappear if I'd delete it."(3) I do not have multiple installations of Firefox as some of you apparently do, but only the portable one (although it's on my C drive, not removable media)."
It is bizarre that something which has worked for years no longer functions. My system does not use multiple profiles either, and only has Firefox Portable installed.
One would think little could go wrong but FF67 proved otherwise. Here is the history of what I tried, and the current status.
When this problem of a second instance opening when a link was clicked occurred, I checked about:profile and found there was a new and uninvited profile called C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default-release
I chose -release as the default, deleted my configured profile, configured -release, and was dismayed to discover it made no difference. FF67 does not launch links with the default profile, it launches with what is probably the template for the default profile.
Double click the shortcut and Firefox config opened, but click in Acrobat or DOC or... and Firefox virgin opens. The about:profiles for both is the same! One executable, one profile, and two instances?
I then checked the default vs shortcut and realized they were different:
Shortcut: PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe
Default: PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox\firefox.exe
To make them the same I used Nirsoft's FileTypesMan
I could not imagine how that could make things worse, but it did. Not only did three instances open for shortcut and thunderbird, but the virgins were not the same. Every instance had the same default profile.
RClk Shortcut/Open - One Firefox config, one virgin w/extension and one virgin w/o extension
CMD a.htm - "Your Firefox profile cannot be loaded, it may be missing or inaccessible"
DOC hyperlink - One Firefox virgin w/o extension
Thunderbird - One Firefox config, one virgin w/extension and one virgin w/o extension
PDF - One Firefox virgin w/o extension
Reverted to App\Firefox\firefox.exe for the default.
The following effort succeeded.
RegisterFirefoxPortable.exe at https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-defaul... added Firefox Portable to the default programs. Firefox/Choose defaults had all boxes ticked, so clicked Portable Firefox/Choose defaults and ticked all the choices and this replaced Firefox.
Partial progress, one instance of Firefox config opens on shortcut/DOC/PDF/Thunderbird and if Firefox config is running the links from elsewhere are opening as tabs but...
- about:config 'Launch profile in new browser' opens a virgin w/o extension and wants to be the default
- double click for another instance under shortcut opens a virgin w/extension
The solution that worked for me:
- reduce to one profile
- use RegisterFirefoxPortable.exe for defaults
So, not back to normal, but a dramatic improvement over the original FF67 behavior.
portajon's final solution (which is good enough for me - I don't care about the two exceptions he named) doesn't sound any different from how I always set up new PCs (or thought I did). [It's amazing that RegisterFirefoxPortable.exe hasn't needed to be updated in nine years (the file timestamp is still 2010), but apparently there is no newer version.] But I decided to check it all thoroughly.
I have no idea what checkboxes he was talking about when he wrote, "Firefox/Choose defaults had all boxes ticked, so clicked Portable Firefox/Choose defaults and ticked all the choices and this replaced Firefox," but it didn't matter.
Here is what I did:
...FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox\firefox.exe(wrong, according to novw), but I pondered why that entry even existed, so I deleted it....\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profilesto "Profiles-XXX".Profiles. So I did that in both Local and Roaming, with a resulting path of...\Profiles\qfr061fk.default-XXX.The difference in how Windows responded in steps #4 and #6 is a mystery. In #4 it considered Firefox the default program (which then complained about the missing profile), but then in #6, after no changes to Windows settings, it considered the default program an open question. I will never understand the layers of Windows...
Since I didn't test each step, I'm not sure what change was the real fix in my case - perhaps removing the "Firefox URL" system file type, or perhaps removing the AppData profiles. But the behavior in testing wasn't logical with either one:
Another mystery is how FFP has been using profiles all along. I assumed it would use one and only one profile for all aspects - extensions, bookmarks, etc., as well as cache, cookies, and other automated whatnots. But although extensions, bookmarks, etc. are definitely only in the PA profile, I noticed that in
...\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qfr061fk.default\cache2\entriesthere were over 7000 files totally 245MB! The timestamps were in clumps - lots of files with a given date/time (e.g. the most recent clump was 57 files at 2019-06-30 9:52pm). Over 2000 of them are in a three-day timespan of 6/27-6/30, none in the three weeks prior to that, then more clumps on random dates going back to around the time I bought this PC two years ago. If those are cache, I don't know: ① why they are in AppData (the corresponding cache folder in the PA profile is empty), and ② why they don't appear every day with lots of different timestamps. What is that stuff? Can I safely remove it (and for that matter, the whole two...\Profiles\qfr061fk.default-XXXfolders)?Anyway, since my installation is now opening links correctly, perhaps my description of what I did will help someone else.
G'day
I am having this same issue:
win7
Always before, I open 'Firefoxportable' first then, 'Thunderbird portable"
then when I click a link in 'Thunderbirdportable' it opened in 'Firefoxportable'
Now when I click a link in an email it starts firefox.exe in a new window with no addons
this is new behaviour - something has changed
if it carn't be fixed it's a serious feature loss for me
remember it's supposed to be portable - I carn't try these fixs on every PC
If it matters, i don't have either forefox or thunderbird on my PC
As a work around I drag links and drop on a firefoxportable tab to open them.
This option mentioned above worked on my home pc
https://portableapps.com/comment/240241#comment-240241
Could this type of script be added into the PortableApps Options menus - maybe with options for :
PortableFirefox
PortableThunderbird
PortableSumatra
PortableLibreOffice
et al
maybe scan installed portableapps and offer suitable ones that could be made default
Or could somone make it as a PortableApp
That would be really usefull to many I think - I'd give another Donation for that
R. al'Thor
Windows 7 x64
FF Portable 68.0.1
No other FF installed
Since forever, when I used to click on a URL in my password manager when FF Portable was running, it opened in that instance of FF. As well, that happens on links in PDF readers and, for another example, links in programs' Help > About. I don't open links in emails from Thunderbird Portable, but I imagine I would have had the same result.
Now, as is the focus of this thread, those will open in a separate instance from D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox64 while plastering those nasty folders in AppData and ProgramData.
Since this behavior showed up, I dealt with it by copying the URL address and pasting it in the browser.
Now I'm wanting to overcome that. Using the vast resources of teh webbuhnetz and this forum, I set to task.
First I manually associated "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" from "Firefox" to files where needed. There was no "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" for the "open with" in Protocols, so with no choice, I left that as is.
No fix. Still opens another instance from D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox64.
Then I ran registerfirefoxportable.exe which added "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" to the Protocols "open with" where it did not exist previously and changed the three protocols to it from "Firefox." I verified all files were still properly associated.
Now I get a "Close Firefox" dialogue: "Firefox is already running, but is not responding. The old Firefox process must be closed to open a new window."
I copied FirefoxPortable.ini from the Source folder and changed AllowMultipleInstances to true (lowercase).
No fix. I still get the "Close Firefox" dialogue.
In scouring the registry, I found two settings each for Firefox, two with a UID and two without.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxPortableURL\shell\open
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxPortableHTML\shell\open
(Default) REG_SZ "D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe" -url "%1"
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxURL-FE5Axxxxxxxx8BEA\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxHTML-FE5xxxxxxxx8BEA\shell\open\command
(Default) REG_SZ "D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\App\Firefox64\firefox.exe" -osint -url "%1"
Both of which I changed to "D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe" -url "%1"
No fix. I still get the "Close Firefox" dialogue.
Of the 397 registry keys containing "firefox," 65 of them still path to \App\Firefox64\ most of which I don't care to mess with.
Other than the tedium of purging all registry and files Firefox/Mozilla related from the system and running "for the first time" FF Portable...
What now?? Something simple I'm missing, maybe?? Thank you.
Hi Dallas7
I may be missing something but did you see any software applications in Protocols? I think of them as being TCP, IP, etc.
https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/register-firefox-portable-with-defaul... improved matters for me after I used 'choose defaults for this program' to make Portable the default. NOTE: This did not stick, when I checked defaults after 68.0.1 was installed, Firefox was the default again, not Portable.
Either 68 changed something or my purge and re-install cured some of 67's strange behavior e.g. opening multiple instances of FirefoxPortable now opens instances of FirefoxPortable instead of Firefox.exe. The profiles have been aligned for both.
FirefoxPortable.exe uses FirefoxPortable\Data\profile
Firefox.exe uses c:\users\%username%\appdata\local\mozilla\firefox\profiles\xxxxxxxx.default-release
FWIW, the Menu\Options page aka about:preferences are similar but different.
You may have muddled things on your system with Registry and .ini changes. I certainly did when trying to fight the problems on 67, so I would suggest:
- Clear the cache
- Copy FirefoxPortable\Data\profile to another partition, and to a USB stick JIC.
- Uninstall PortableFirefox
- Purge the registry of Firefox
- Re-boot and verify that as much of Firefox as you can see has been culled
- Install PortableFirefox
- Rename FirefoxPortable\Data\profile to profile.new
- Copy \profile to FirefoxPortable\Data\
- Shortcut FirefoxPortable.exe
- Open the shortcut and you should be back to where you were
- Open Firefox.exe and about:preferences
- Change the settings to be the same as those for FirefoxPortable
The way things are now after doing the above:
- Shortcut opens FirefoxPortable.exe
- If an application opens the default browser, it opens an instance of Firefox.exe
I have not tried changing the defaults to FirefoxPortable to see if that stops Firefox.exe opening, because since the two profiles are now aligned it does not bother me.
BTW, to avoid copying a huge profile because I forgot to clear the cache, cache is no longer in the profile:
about:config
Search browser.cache.disk.parent_directory
If no luck, rightclick on the page and choose New and String
Name it browser.cache.disk.parent_directory and name a directory e.g. d:\cacheFfx
Hope this helps.
I have the problem posted here https://portableapps.com/node/60893 -
To Quote-
Problem with having PortableApps start apps automatically
This problem started earlier this year after a PortableApps update. I didn't track which one, I just ignored it and worked around it thinking it would be fixed in the next update. Nope.
When having PortableApps start Firefox and Thunderbird automatically, and then clicking on a link from Thunderbird, PortableApps tries to open another Firefox and then gives the dreaded "Another instance of Firefox is already running" error box. The only times this occurs are when both are set to start automatically. If only one or the other is set to start automatically, and then the other is started manually, everything works. If only Thunderbird is set to autostart, then clinking on a link starts the other and works. if neither are set to start, and are started manually, it works. I even registered FirefoxPortable.exe with windows as the browser to use as posted a few other places but it had no effect.
The ONLY time I have the problem is when both are set to start automatically on startup of portable apps.
I have been unable to cause the problem with any other method of using the apps.
End Quote
I was redirected to this thread. I have tried every fix posted in this thread and still have the same problem.
I don't know if it's trying to open a default profile, there are no other firefox other than the one in portableapps.
I totally removed all references from the registry that pointed to firefox.exe
The only firefox references left point to "H:\Portable Apps\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe"
Any other help would be greatly appreciated.
----- @ jim g -----
See if there's anything in my reply to portajon that might help with respect to Extensions and Protocols.
I don't run PortbleApps, so I'm a help no-go for autostart. However, I have come to believe it now really matters in which root directory the ONE firefoxportable.ini file with AllowMultipleInstances=true switch is located. Until 67 came along, I never had to pay attention to that ini file.
Good luck.
Nope. No joy for me yet.
----- @ portajon -----
Thanks for your input. Some real-world issues kept me from the computer, hence the delay in getting back.
To answer your question about the Protocols, that was the focus of fifth and seventh paragraphs in my original Aug 13 post.
In greater detail, in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs\Set Associations...
Under Protocols there are FTP, HTTP and HTTPS (and LDAP, MMS, others - unrelated to this discussion). Each of those three is "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition."
In Extensions, Current default for all the Internet ones (.htm .html etc.) is "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition."
When I click on a link in another program (e.g. my password manager), if FF is not running, it'll open FF and open the link in a tab.
If FF is already running, it'll open a link in a new tab. No more separate stand-alone instances opening from D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox64 with those folders building in AppData and ProgramData and no more ""Firefox is already running..."
Which is just the way I want it for my day-to-day chores.
Finally, I can open Mozilla Firefox ESR Portable Edition while Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition is open, and vice versa, by having the FirefoxPortable.ini file with AllowMultipleInstances=true in the root directory of the former ONLY. No more "Another instance of..." even though I don't know how that came to be. Until 67, I never had to use that ini file.
Happy happy joy joy. This was an empirical fix. Empirical meaning, "I messed with it until it worked." A very popular method developed over 20 years in enterprise break-fix and admin.
(As an FYI: I run Thunderbird Portable in a VeraCrypt container which seems to isolate it from instances of Firefox Portable. In any event, I haven't used TB with any other rendering than plain text in a good ten years or so. If there is a link I need, I copy it and paste it into my remarkably hardened Firefox.)
I've been using the Mozilla Browser as my primary browser since it was Phoenix 0.5, then Foxfire, then Firefox. And Haller's Portable since day one, long enough ago for me to forget when he released that. (Thanks John!) And I just got around to noticing I joined this forum on 8/20/09.
These problem associated with opening other-app links from D:\PORTABLES\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox64 and "already running" and "another instance" have been the most annoying I've had to deal with to date. It apparently happened with 67.
I've pretty much always been able to bend Firefox to my will. Lately, that this has been becoming more difficult is due to the evolution of Firefox in both usability and security/privacy development as well as additional, enhanced feature sets.
I am fearful that Firefox one day might not be able to sustain portability. Or at the very least, fail to remain fully functional within a portable environment.
Cheers.
Hello,
just FYI the portable Firefox available on [illegal software site removed by mod JTH] *DOES* support link opening from external application.
I'm a bit surprised the portableapps.com version still doesn't.
So what 'official' method does the [removed link in response to moderation above] version use to allow associating it with links?
You can open links and html files from other apps just fine with Firefox Portable unless you have multiple instances enabled. I just tested and confirmed it. To test, do a fresh install of Firefox Portable. Run FirefoxPortable.exe. Then drag help.html onto FirefoxPortable.exe in the FirefoxPortable folder. You'll see it open in a new tab as expected.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Hello John, thanks for answering me.
My setup is the following: I have a normal installation of Firefox installed on the machine and configured as the default browser. I also have my own FF Portable (the one I'm actually using).
I just did what you described:
- installed a brand new FF portable instance
- started this new FF portable
- opened a link from an external application
And ... it opened the regular FF.
If I have the "illegal" FF portable opened, a new tab is opened in this instance.
Am I doing something wrong?
Links in external programs will open in whatever browser you have set as default. It doesn't matter what is already open. Since your "regular" FF is set as the default, your computer is doing exactly what you told it to do. If you want the links to open in FF Portable, you have to set FF Portable as the default - you can find instructions about doing that earlier in this thread.
I think you didn't get my point: before version 67 opening and external link was always done with the running instance of FF (regardless if it was a normal version or a portable one). Without having to change registry.
The thing is that the behavior suddenly changed (and seems to annoy some people, including me).
I can understand that FF's dev changed something and this old behavior can no longer work. However, as I've mentioned above, another portable version of Firefox (also running on top of FF 69.0.1.25) still handles external link opening the way it did before. Which I find much more convenient.
It would be nice if someone could revert the old behavior on the future versions of FF portable.
I had no idea that it ever worked the way you say it used to work. (My preferred browser is always the same as my default browser, so I never tried having a non-default browser open and wanting links to open there.) It has certainly never worked that way when opening document files (I know from experience), but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt about links. If that's true, it has to be Windows that changed, not Firefox, because it's the OS that decides what application to call when a file is opened, a link is clicked, etc. Until Windows calls a specific application, there is no way that application (or any other, except perhaps security software) can know what a user is doing in some other application.
Firefox itself no longer passes off to the running instance. This behavior is dependent on the instance you have associated, not the one contained in our package. If an illegal package of Firefox does not work this way, it could be modded.
All you have to do is manually associate FirefoxPortable.exe as your default browser with a third party utility as discussed above.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
had same problem on firefox 73. when firefox changed logo recently, i not only updated my firefox in "App\firefox64", also the portableapps launcher itself. that's when i start to encounter the problems discussed in the post
found that replacing the portableapps launcher with an older one, and associate it as default solve the whole problem. links opened in outlook opens seamlessly in the same running window without "portable firefox running" message
The PortableApps launcher is not yet offering to update FFP to v. 73. [EDIT: I misspoke about this point - I just now updated my launcher, and then it offered to update other apps. So I guess PA did have FFP ready.] I know that FF constantly asks permission to update itself, but you should resist the temptation. (See https://portableapps.com/comment/238972 and https://portableapps.com/node/59514 - if someone has an answer to my last post on that second thread, I'm all ears.) Just keep clicking "Not now" until the update is offered by the PortableApps launcher - it's annoying, but safer.
EDIT: Now that I have updated the launcher (to 16.1) and then FFP (to 73, via the launcher, not FF itself), I tested a link in email and in a Word document - still working fine for me. So perhaps something about doing them out of order (or giving in to FF's constant pestering) messed it up for you.