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Try Out Firefox 3 Risk-Free with a Portable Version
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 2:00 AM on December 13, 2007
Windows only: Eager to check out all the new hotness in the Firefox 3 beta but don't want to scuff up your perfect Firefox 2 setup? Web log Digital Inspiration points to an elegant solution:
1. Download the Firefox 3 Portable edition.This worked perfectly for me, but it's probably a good idea to back up your Firefox 2 user profile, in case you accidentally open them both or something goes awry. For tips on doing that and more, check out Gina's guide to managing multiple profiles.
2. Extract this Firefox 3 installer to some new folder like C:\Firefox3
3. Close your Firefox 2 browser and run the FirefoxPortable.exe file available in the above folder. That's it.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
sumocat
Posted 10:25 AM 12/12/07
@sumocat: "I was running Firefox 2.5 from my flash drive way before an official PortableApps version was available" -- I just realized I got the .5 mixed up. I bumped up to 2.0 from 1.5 before the PA version was released, not 2.5 from 2.0. Currently running 2.0.0.11.
sumocat
JrezIN
Posted 9:43 AM 12/12/07
I've switched for Opera because of memory leaks e poor performance, but I can attest that the *portable* version of Firefox 3 (beta 1 in case) is MUCH better, at least for me, than previous interactions of the program... it's running for days without restart already and didn't consume all my ram memory (or even all page file). Also, response time for the menus are much nicer too.
By the way, you CAN run this version concurrent with your already installed on, just google for the text edit you need to do. (allow_concurrent).
Also, I'm putting emphasis in the *portable* here because I've already hear reports of the portable version been less memory hungry (maybe its loader?!) then the normal one.
JrezIN
gpzbc
Posted 9:18 AM 12/12/07
I tried it and it worked fine.
I only poked around for a minute, but I really didn't see much that was different from Firefox 2. Hmm.. maybe I missed it.
gpzbc
photoben
Posted 9:12 AM 12/12/07
@Robert J. Walker: Works fine here!
photoben
photoben
Posted 9:09 AM 12/12/07
@Robert J. Walker: Works fine here.
photoben
photoben
Posted 9:08 AM 12/12/07
"in case you accidentally open run them both"
It tells you if you do, and asks you to close the open instance. John T. Haller is very smart when he makes these portable launchers.
photoben
Robert J. Walker
Posted 8:58 AM 12/12/07
Looks like the page has been slashd... I mean lifehacked. :)
Robert J. Walker
sumocat
Posted 8:27 AM 12/12/07
@Therevan: Can't fault you for that. One more thing I discovered: Firefox Portable can be updated using "Check for Updates" in the help menu. I don't know if this will work for beta versions, but I was running Firefox 2.5 from my flash drive way before an official PortableApps version was available.
sumocat
Therevan
Posted 8:18 AM 12/12/07
@sumocat: Thanks for the confirmation. I just tend to err on the side of "just in case," as I can only test these tips on my own systems and don't want to see other users get burned!
Therevan
sumocat
Posted 7:15 AM 12/12/07
The PortableApps version of Firefox cannot run concurrently with another version of Firefox nor does it access a profile other than the one on the flash drive. I swap between installed and portable versions of Firefox regularly and have yet to encounter a conflict.
sumocat
WhereForArt
Posted 2:03 PM 12/12/07
My "perfect" FF2 setup? I have had so many problems with the latest update of FF that I would welcome any change at this point. I can't get any of my add-ons to work and have been having other problems as well (sigh). Of course, nothing is bad enough to make me go back to IE.
WhereForArt
roadrage
Posted 9:10 PM 12/12/07
Just wanted to point out to my *nix brothers, actually Adam is now hackintrash, Doh!
You can also try out the FF beta on debian based distro's using the howto shown here...
[phorolinux.com]
go *nix, hey where did all those windows folk go...
They must have gone to reboot again.
--RR
roadrage
Lasse Rintakumpu
Posted 12:01 AM 13/12/07
I managed to install Firefox 3 without messing up my old FF2.something. I just wanted to try FF3 so I made a FEBE-backup of my old Firefox before installing.
Turned out that Firefox 3 didn't overwrite anything from my previous installation (I installed it on different directory, of course), so now the both versions are running smoothly side by side.
Lasse Rintakumpu