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How do I replace 32-bit Firefox 3.6 with a 64-bit "current version"?

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  • Last reply by James

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Since my computer is a 64-bit system, I want to replace as much 32-bit software with 64-bit compilations and, as much as I can, abandon executables that can't be replaced.

Assuming that Mozilla has released a 64-bit compilation of Firefox, how do I identify it and obtain it?

"Firefox Setup 8.0.1.exe" doesn't tell me whether it installs 32-bit or 64-bit instead. The automagic Firefox Update sometimes wants to replace the 32-bit version 3.6 with a 32-bit "current version" that is not an actual update to 3.6.

One reason that I have continued running version 3.6 is that there is no compelling reason to replace an installed 32-bit application with some "upgrade" of the same 32-bit application on this computer. In fact, if Mozilla doesn't get off the dime and release a 64-bit compilation which it is willing to maintain, I will make the move the Chrome.

Since my computer is a 64-bit system, I want to replace as much 32-bit software with 64-bit compilations and, as much as I can, abandon executables that can't be replaced. Assuming that Mozilla has released a 64-bit compilation of Firefox, how do I identify it and obtain it? "Firefox Setup 8.0.1.exe" doesn't tell me whether it installs 32-bit or 64-bit instead. The automagic Firefox Update sometimes wants to replace the 32-bit version 3.6 with a 32-bit "current version" that is not an actual update to 3.6. One reason that I have continued running version 3.6 is that there is no compelling reason to replace an installed 32-bit application with some "upgrade" of the same 32-bit application on this computer. In fact, if Mozilla doesn't get off the dime and release a 64-bit compilation which it is willing to maintain, I will make the move the Chrome.

Chosen solution

Sorry, Mozilla hasn't released a 64-bit Windows version of Firefox yet. And from what I have read about the 64-bit versions being tested in recent months, the current 32-bit versions of Firefox are faster.

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Chosen Solution

Sorry, Mozilla hasn't released a 64-bit Windows version of Firefox yet. And from what I have read about the 64-bit versions being tested in recent months, the current 32-bit versions of Firefox are faster.

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At this point in development it looks like the earliest that Mozilla will have officially supported 64-bit Firefox releases (for Windows) will be Firefox 12.0.

There is still a fair bit of work yet to do to get stable win 64-bit Firefox releases. If it was so easy, then there would have been 64-bit builds for Windows as early as Firefox 4.0. It was targeted for Firefox 8.0 originally (at end of June) then probably at 10.0 (mid August) and now they hope to get it done for 12.0.

https://wiki.mozilla.org/Platform/2011-11-22

MSVC 2010 Migration (targeting Gecko 12) - khuey
Builders are ready to go.
Tests are green.
Perf numbers look good.
Client side updater requirements are done.

This was a big part in the steps to have 64-bit builds on Windows.

For reading as Bugzilla is not a forum.

Bug 471090 - (tracking_win64) [meta] Windows x64 build tracking bug
Bug 558448 - (support-win64) [Tracking bug] officially support Windows 64-bit builds

Modified by James

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Thank-you very much for the information. It sounds as though the 64-bit compilation will not be ready until it's ready .... whenever it's ready ... assuming that Mozilla doesn't decide to abandon it. (Would they make that decision public and well-known if they did?)

FYI, it is so difficult to develop such a compilation that Microsoft's 64-bit I.E. 8 was available during the Windows 7 public beta test. It has been installed on my computer with Windows 7 Professional (Full) since last April. Which is to say, it isn't that hard to develop a 64-bit compilation -- Mozilla is just 2+ years behind the innovators. Albeit, I don't like the I.E. 8 features -- or the lack of many that are useful -- and it's poor implementation of "tabbed browsing", in particular.

That said, I also don't like the Firefox 8.1 features, as installed -- especially the changes to "tabbed browsing" such as placing the tabs above the Location and Search toolbars. They aren't where my eyes are accustomed to finding them and I must move the mouse cursor further to interact with the tabs. Nothing gained, something lost. It looks as though many changes were made just for the sake of change. No change of which I've taken note so far is for the better, in my humble opinion.

It is sad to say, but it looks as though Mozilla no longer offers a browser that I want to use, after all these years since Netscape and Firefox 1.0. It used to be the truly alternative browser, now it is being redeveloped as the us-too browser. They failed miserably with Thunderbird 3 as well, such a harbinger!

So I am going to take another look at Chrome, and maybe at Opera.

Modified by Blacklisted

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Did you upgrade from Firefox 3.6.* to 8.0.1 as the way the Tabs are has not really changed since Firefox 4.0. You can easily bring the tab bar to bottom by unchecking Tabs on Top.

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So where do I find "Tabs on Top" to "uncheck"?? It is not on any page of the Firefox 8.0.1 Tools Menu > Options dialog. Isn't that supposed to be the feature with which the user can select options to configure Firefox?

Yes, I installed Firefox 8.0.1 from Firefox 3.26 and I might go back to 3.26 if I don't switch to Chrome or Opera instead. Yes, I know that Mozilla will stop supporting the people who want to continue using Firefox 3.26. And those people could well decide to stop supporting Mozilla, of course. It's unlikely to be an amicable divorce.

Modified by Blacklisted

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The Tab bar is a toolbar. A simple right-click on a toolbar or in View Menu will give the option to uncheck Tabs on top. You probably would have figured this out soon enough.