A couple of years ago we heard clear feedback from folks that they wanted to enable a very clean experience with launching a ClickOnce app from FireFox. James Dobson published FFClickOnce and got very good reviews, but we had many customers that wanted ClickOnce support for Firefox built into the framework… so in .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 we added ClickOnce support for Firefox! This made ClickOnce apps much more accessible to a wide range of customers.
We added this support at the machine level in order to enable the feature for all users on the machine. Seems reasonable right? Well, turns out that enabling this functionality at the machine level, rather than at the user level means that the "Uninstall" button is grayed out in the Firefox Add-ons menu because standard users are not permitted to uninstall machine-level components.
Clearly this is a bit frustrating for some users that wanted an easy way to uninstall the Clickonce Support for Firefox. But good news! We have a fix in place (enabling each user to uninstall the feature for themselves) and our testing team is making sure that is rock-solid now.. I expect that to be out in the next few weeks. I’ll be sure to post more information on that when I have it.
Update (5/2009): We just release an update to .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 that makes the firefox plug in a per-user component. This makes uninstall a LOT cleaner.. none of the steps below are required once this update is installed.
Update to .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 for the .NET Framework Assistant 1.0 for Firefox
In .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, the .NET Framework Assistant enables Firefox to use the ClickOnce technology that is included in the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework Assistant is added at the machine-level to enable its functionality for all users on the machine. As a result, the Uninstall button is shown as unavailable in the Firefox Add-ons list because standard users are not permitted to uninstall machine-level components. In this update for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and in Windows 7, the .NET Framework Assistant will be installed on a per-user basis. As a result, the Uninstall button will be functional in the Firefox Add-ons list. This update will also make this version of the .NET Framework Assistant for Firefox compatible with future versions of the Firefox browser. Updates to the .NET Framework Assistant may include updates to the Windows Presentation Foundation Plug-in for Firefox causing it to be enabled upon its initial update.
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In the meantime, if you want to disable the Clickonce Support for Firefox here are the steps directly from the dev in charge..
Stop-gap Solution To uninstall the ClickOnce support for Firefox from your machine
1) Delete the registry key for the extension
i. From an account with Administrator permissions, go to the Start Menu, and choose 'Run...' or go to the Start Search box on Windows Vista
ii. Type in 'regedit' and hit Enter or click 'OK' to open Registry Editor
iii. For x86 machines, Go to the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Mozilla > Firefox > Extensions
For x64 machines, Go to the folder HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Wow6432Node > Mozilla > Firefox > Extensions
iv. Delete key name '{20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}'
OR alternatively
i. Open a command prompt window (must be 'run as Administrator' on Vista and later)
ii. Copy and paste the appropriate command below and hit 'Enter'
For x86 machines: reg DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions" /v "{20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}" /f
For x64 machines: reg DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions" /v "{20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b}" /f
2) Reset the changes made to the Firefox user agent
i. Launch Firefox, go to the Firefox address bar and type in 'about:config'
ii. Scroll down or use 'Filter' to find Preference name 'general.useragent.extra.microsoftdotnet'
iii. Right-click on the item and select 'reset'
iv. Restart Firefox
3) Remove the .NET Framework extension files
i. Go to the Start Menu, and choose 'Run...' or go to the Start Search box on Windows Vista
ii. Type in 'explorer' and hit Enter or click 'OK'
ii. Go to '%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\Windows Presentation Foundation\DotNetAssistantExtension\'
iii. Delete the 'DotNetAssistantExtension' folder and all its contents
How do I install the Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant?
I installed .net 3.5 SP1 on my machine before I installed Firefox, which means that Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant is not present as an add-on in Firefox.
Can anybody help?
Link Listing - February 26, 2009
Podcasts Recording of Sebastien Lambla @ E-VAN 25 February 2009 [Via: Jan Van Ryswyck ] DNN Change...
A couple of years ago we heard clear feedback from folks that they wanted to enable a very clean experience
The right way would have been to just publish the add-on at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
Εξεζητημένο, αλλά ας βρίσκεται.
I agree with Seth, you did something quite irritating and that personally reduced more my trust in Microsoft.
People just need to chill out. It happened, it's being fixed. The better way would have made it an optional update or an opt-in checkbox on the SP1 install.
Thank you for submitting this cool story - Trackback from DotNetShoutout
Adam, I think you missed the point. This addon should never have been installed in the first place, and it is that issue that Seth and Javier C is most likely commenting on.
The auto installation borders on malware. In fact, I now regularly check my Firefox addins after installing Microsoft products, just for the pleasure of disabling them:
2007 Microsoft Office system
Windows Presentation Foundation
...just to name the two 'addons' installed on my machine that have ABSOLUTELY no place in firefox.
I agree that trust in Microsoft is dwindling rapidly.
FYI. I have been developing products for windows since windows 3.0.
I have both IE and FF installed and use FF unless I absolutely have to use IE.
My question is, if I follow the delete info given above to "uninstall the ClickOnce support for Firefox" (NET.framework), does this mean the NET.framework support for IE will also be gone?
Thanks.
BT SHaw
These uninstall steps are a joke.
I agree with Seth. MS can certainly make an addon available like everybody else or else directly negotiate with the Firefox developers to make it part of the standard install. Just adding it to another program without user authorization certainly crosses the line.
Again this is an example of MS not respecting it's users and simply doing whatever it wants.
Paw - THe .NET Framework Assistant is installed as part of the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 install. If you don't see it you can do a repair on the .NET Framework 3.5 install. the order of install of FireFox and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 should not mater.
btshaw - The CO support for IE will NOT be uninstalled by following these steps, so you should be OK
Yet once again MS is TOO big for it's britches.
I prefer that I get to decide what gets added to my Firefox installation. WTF were you folks thinking?!
Show some respect before you go mucking about with a non-Microsoft application.
You have the right to Fup any of your apps but you've crossed the line here (yet again)
It's bordering on malware all right. On the wrong side of the border.
Installing this garbage without the user's permission is simply inexcusable. The fact that this ClickOnce functionality allows the installation of native apps from a web browser makes it a security hole to be banned from my systems like ActiveX, not something to be desired.
Are you trying to get Adobe to join in on the "hit the MS pinata at the European Commission" bandwagon? With this action, they can make the case that MS is leveraging the Windows monopoly to compete unfairly with Flash and in the RIA space. In fact, if they did, they would have a good likelihood of succeeding.