Have you noticed that Firefox is coming out with a new version every few weeks? Some issues may arise with these quick changes.

What's up with Rapid Releases?
Firefox 3 was released in 2008, and Firefox 4 came out in March of 2011--a lifespan of 3 years. We're now up to version 10, and you know 11 will be here in a few weeks; releases are planned every six weeks! This is all part of a new rapid release strategy, prompted in part by an effort to stay competitive with Google Chrome.

Pros and Cons of Rapid Release
A rapid release schedule is great for releasing bug fixes and feature updates quickly to users. Unfortunately, many releases also introduce new bugs, and new features sometimes cause compatibility problems. Firefox allows many add-ons, and as each new release comes out it's likely to break add-ons. Web pages, too, may behave differently in different versions of the browser.

Issues we Know About, and What you can Do

• Some extensions, including AVG Safe Search, are not compatible with new versions of Firefox.
  Until a version of Firefox comes out that works correctly, there's not much to do about this. If you're used to relying on Safe Search (the green stars that appear next to safe websites), just take extra care when searching online.
• Some screens in WebUI don't work correctly.
  Switch to the Chrome browser (download at http://www.google.com/chrome ).
• Firefox gets stuck while downloading the update.
  Sometimes Firefox doesn't successfully download an update. To fix this, go to www.mozilla.org and download it manually, then double-click the download and follow instructions.
• On a Mac, you get an error saying that you don't have privileges sufficient to replace the copy of Firefox you have.
  The Mac version of Firefox comes down not as an installer, but as an application that you drag into your application folder. If you get this error, just throw out the version of Firefox currently in your folder, and drag the new one in.
• Your computer doesn't meet the technical specs for installing the current version of Firefox.
  Just don't install it! If you have installed an incompatible version, you can download version 3 at http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all-older.html .

If you have other browser problems not covered here, try the IT help desk at helpdesk@hampshire.edu or x5418.