Updates wipe history/settings

[Offsprung]

Is it me or every time FF or NoScript updates it wipes all of the stored always allows. Basically breaking every site and requiring us to re add them repeatedly.
This is a big deal when a site has MANY scripts and require testing to verify good from bad even if it has already been done.
Don't get me wrong love it, some sites claim REQUIRED and I often say these idiots are not worth visiting since they are not smart enough for a real noscript tag.

[Tom T.]

Is it me or every time FF or NoScript updates it wipes all of the stored always allows.

I think it's you...

By "always allows", you're referring to NoScript > Options > Whitelist, correct? I've never had a NoScript or Fx update change that.

However, if you do a fresh install of, say, Fx 8.0 (latest stable release ATM), and/or a fresh install of NS, it will come with the defaults.

Try doing these as upgrades -- being sure to overwrite the new version in the same folder as the old one. Does the problem still happen?

Not sure what was meant by "history" in the title. Temporarily-allowed sites will disappear, true. Most other history is Firefox, not NoScript.

[Offsprung]

Not sure what fx atm is or if whitelist is effected.
I am referring to FireFox and NoScript.
On the menu in FF notification area there is 2 options. Allow and Temporary Allow.
And yes obviously Temp allow is TEMP, But Allow (not temp means PERMANENT?) only lasts until either FF or NoScript updates via FF plugin update.
The whitelist seems long, but have never compared it to my Allow <page> or Allow All selections from FF notification menu.
By history/setting I mean the choices that I always allow+allow all from the notifications area.

So you are saying Allow means ADD TO WHITELIST and when FF finds a FF update or NoScript plugin update, I should not install, bup the whitelist, install update and restore the whitelist or the history of allows will be gone on purpose?

[Tom T.]

Not sure what fx atm is

Sorry. Fx is Mozilla's official abbreviation for Firefox. It's mentioned in Forum Rules #12, but I shouldn't have assumed that you read that, or knew the abbreviation.
ATM is a common web acronym for "at the moment", meaning "now", or "at this time". Again, apologies for assuming. Some advanced users complain of condescension if everything is spelled out for them ...

or if whitelist is effected.
I am referring to FireFox and NoScript.

Yes, I got that. And you were in fact describing the whitelist. No problem.

On the menu in FF notification area there is 2 options. Allow and Temporary Allow.

That would not be the Firefox menu, it would be the NoScript menu.

and yes obviously Temp allow is TEMP, But Allow (not temp means PERMANENT?)

Yes, it should be permanent.

only lasts until either FF or NoScript updates via FF plugin update.

That shouldn't happen. Do you use any kind of "virtual machine" or "sandbox" that would prevent new things from being stored on your hard drive? (Links have definitions and info on those terms.)

Do you have Administrative privilege on the machine in question? In other words, do you have an Administrator account, a limited user account, or a guest account? I can't help define those any better for you, but the Windows Control Panel should have a User Accounts icon. In Windows XP, you get there from the Start menu and click Control Panel, unless you have Classic menu enabled, in which case, it's Start > Settings > Control Panel.

I'm not so familiar with Vista/7 interface, but unless they've changed the program itself, you can also click Start, click Run, and in the Run box, type

nusrmgr.cpl (Click OK or Enter)

Then double-click User Accounts to see what level is your account.

The whitelist seems long, but have never compared it to my Allow <page> or Allow All selections from FF notification menu.

The Allow menu (in NoScript, not Firefox) will show only those scripts and objects that are currently being blocked by NoScript. The entire Whitelist, which is what you're referring to with the large Allow list, is in NoScript menu > Options > Whitelist.

By history/setting I mean the choices that I always allow+allow all from the notifications area.

OK, that's the Whitelist in NoScript > Options. In the NoScript menu, they'll show up in red if they're *allowed* to run at the moment (see how useful the acronym is? ), which gives you the chance to revoke their permission conveniently, should you wish to do so.

So you are saying Allow means ADD TO WHITELIST

Exactly.

and when FF finds a FF update or NoScript plugin update, I should not install, bup the whitelist, install update and restore the whitelist or the history of allows will be gone on purpose?

(Terminology: NoScript is an extension or add-on. Plug-in refers to things like Flash player, QuickTime player, etc.)
When Firefox advises you that an update is available for NoScript (or any other extension/add-on), then either it will install automatically or ask you what to do, depending on your settings in FIREFOX Tools > Options > Advanced > Update.

"Automatically check for updates to" -- check Firefox and Add-ons, at least. (Not a fan of the search-engine feature myself, but that's just a personal opinion.)

"When updates are found": Again a personal opinion, but I'd rather be asked what to do, because I might be in, say, an online banking session and don't want to be interrupted. Then I can install the update later, by checking manually. (Firefox Tools > Add-ons > Check for Updates). If installed automatically, it will prompt you to restart Firefox (not your entire computer), but you can click "Not now" if you want; then, it will be installed the next time Firefox is restarted. Or allow the restart to occur.

None of this should change your Whitelist, or anything else.

When Firefox finds an update for itself , there are two kinds:

1) Update to an existing version. I see that you have 3.6.24, as I do, so I assume that you updated it, or it updated itself, from 3.6.23. (Firefox Help > About Mozilla Firefox will show your current version.) Whether you let it auto-update as above, or choose to wait for a more convenient time (Firefox Help > Check for Updates) when you are able to restart, none of your settings should change, including the whitelist.

2) A brand new version. For example, recently Firefox 7.01 was replaced by Firefox 8.0.
Close version numbers usually don't change too many of your existing settings. But if you were to go from the current 3.6.24 to 8.0, there are so many changes that it might require new versions of your extensions (add-ons). The new version should automatically check for updated versions of these add-ons, or even just apply a "compatibility update". Again, your settings should be mostly preserved, including whitelist.

The situation where you would *not* keep your settings is:
You have Firefox 3.x in your Program Files folder (or equivalent) and you decide to *add* Firefox 8, rather than *replace* Firefox 3 with Firefox 8.
The reason is that you have to choose a new folder in which to store it, and a new profile must be added alongside the existing one. But it doesn't sound like that's what's happening here.

May I suggest that you peruse the NoScript Quick Start Guide, the NoScript FAQ, the NoScript "Features" Page, and the video tutorial at your leisure? Learning to drive a car or fly an airplane isn't an instantaneous process. Fortunately, NoScript isn't anywhere near that complicated, but like all excellent things, there's a brief learning curve. Believe it or not, after using it for a while, it will mostly become second nature.

I hope this helps. Let us know if we can assist further, especially if you have questions about the above guides.

[Offsprung]

What is with this guy?
Google at least suggest Firefox 8 for FF, nothing for Fx 8.
Seems no help anyway DAZZLE/BAFFLE?
Will go away until I read the rules more thotoughly and find the acronym rule.

On the menu in FF notification area there is 2 options. Allow and Temporary Allow.

THE MENU in FF NOTIFICATION AREA. Yes I realize it is the NOSCRIPT MENU

No VM or the like at moment.
Admin account but I never disable UAC.

The Allow menu (in NoScript, not Firefox) will show only those scripts and objects that are currently being blocked by NoScript. The entire Whitelist, which is what you're referring to with the large Allow list, is in NoScript menu > Options > Whitelist.

Not even sure how to reply to that. I said never compared my allows to what is actually added to the list.

OK, that's the Whitelist in NoScript > Options. In the NoScript menu, they'll show up in red if they're *allowed* to run at the moment (see how useful the acronym is? ), which gives you the chance to revoke their permission conveniently, should you wish to do so.

See no acronym whatsoever.

I should not install

This means it ASKS

So none of those apply and NoScript (which I have used for 2 years) keeps losing its settings at EVERY update and has not been doing that forever.
Am I at adobe? It is always the user?

And pardon the F out of me for calling it a plugin OMG

Do not want to be guilty baffling also!

Will go away now.....

[Tom T.]

What is with this guy?

This guy is an unpaid volunteer, as all Support Team members are, who is donating some of his spare time to trying to help you and other users.
If the help isn't appreciated, there are certainly other things that could be done with the time.

Google at least suggest Firefox 8 for FF, nothing for Fx 8.

I prefer to search via https://ssl.scroogle.org, but the results come from Google anyway.
Searching "Fx abbreviation", the eighth link was Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Release Notes
Clicking that brought up this FAQ:

8. How do I capitalize Firefox? How do I abbreviate it?
Only the first letter is capitalized (so it's Firefox, not FireFox.) The preferred abbreviation is "Fx" or "fx".

The top link was http://www.acronymfinder.com/FX.html
The sixth meaning of "Fx" there was

Firefox (open source browser from Mozilla Corporation)

So "Fx" goes back a very long way, and was readily accessible. More later.

Seems no help anyway DAZZLE/BAFFLE?

It's not possible to help someone who isn't using the same terms to mean the same thing. There is no shame in being a novice user. The only shame is in asking for help, refusing it, and criticizing those who offer it.

Will go away until I read the rules more thotoughly and find the acronym rule.

Actually, at the top of this forum (NoScript Support), in huge capital letters, the *top* entry is
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST! -- FORUM RULES AND GUIDELINES

Almost every forum I've ever visited has a set of rules and guidelines for using that forum. Certainly a lot of us skip them -- no spam, no (cough) profanity (cough), etc. But when referring to tech support, the rules here clearly would have made your first post much more productive, and my reply more useful to you.

And as mentioned, the various guides, FAQ, and tutorials would have answered many of your questions.
Many support people would merely have referred you there, and let it go at that. I'm sorry that I took extra time to help a novice user. It *will* happen again, but not in this thread.

On the menu in FF notification area there is 2 options. Allow and Temporary Allow.

THE MENU in FF NOTIFICATION AREA. Yes I realize it is the NOSCRIPT MENU

You don't need to shout. I can hear and read just fine, thank you.

"FF Notification area" is vague. There is a Firefox Tools menu in the top bar, pop-up-blocker notifications, redirect warnings, a Firefox Error Console ("notification" of page errors), and there is a NoScript menu, and those are all completely different. (with a bit of overlap at times)

You were using the terms interchangeably and vaguely, and they needed to be specified. Once again, can't help if we're not using the same term to mean the same thing.

No VM or the like at moment.
Admin account but I never disable UAC.

Some actually-useful information, thank you.

The Allow menu (in NoScript, not Firefox) will show only those scripts and objects that are currently being blocked by NoScript. The entire Whitelist, which is what you're referring to with the large Allow list, is in NoScript menu > Options > Whitelist.

Not even sure how to reply to that. I said never compared my allows to what is actually added to the list.

So I explained the two, since it wasn't clear that you understood them. Especially since the whitelist was referred to as "history/settings", which are two (not one) entirely different things from the whitelist or the NS Menu or Allow list. Again, FAQ would have provided "whitelist", not "history/settings". But I didn't know *which* settings were being referred to.

Yes, "Terminology matters."
If you don't know, don't be mad at having someone try to enhance your knowledge.

OK, that's the Whitelist in NoScript > Options. In the NoScript menu, they'll show up in red if they're *allowed* to run at the moment (see how useful the acronym is? ), which gives you the chance to revoke their permission conveniently, should you wish to do so.

See no acronym whatsoever.

Earlier, you complained of not knowing what "ATM" means

Not sure what fx atm is

although I wrote it in CAPS, which often indicates an acronym, and you cited it in lower case.
In any event, that acronym.

I should not install

This means it ASKS

That quote had very little context. I had to search the page to find what was being discussed there.
*As said before*, you may have Firefox updates and extension updates configured to install automatically, in which case, it will do so, and prompt you to restart Firefox to complete the installation. (Some recent versions of add-ons don't require the restart). Or you may have them configured to notify you and ask you what to do: Install now, or install later, at a time of your choosing.

So none of those apply and NoScript (which I have used for 2 years) keeps losing its settings at EVERY update and has not been doing that forever.

It hasn't ever done it, *that I am aware of*. To diagnose the issue, we need information, and to get information, we need to speak the same language.

Am I at adobe?

Hardly. Adobe is one of the chief targets of evildoers from which NoScript protects you.

It is always the user?

Not always, but sometimes it is. A lot of actual reported bugs have been fixed. But to determine whether something is a bug, the best way is for us to be able to reproduce the same outcome, which requires specific information... n/m, already said that...

And pardon me for calling it a plugin OMG

Please keep your language civil. (Yes, that's another of the Forum Rules).
I edited out the expletive here, but left it in your post so that what was edited would be apparent.

There is a reason for the distinction between the two groups: Extensions/add-ons are very different from plug--ins, and diagnosing or prescribing requires ... n/m, said that already, too.
You were not chastised or insulted, only educated. Rather than accept the education, you insulted him who tried to help you become more knowledgeable.

Do not want to be guilty baffling also!
Will go away now.....

We'd like to solve your problem, but I get that you'd rather it not be I who solves it. No problem -- there are plenty of other users who are glad to receive assistance. But please do be specific in providing examples of a specific string of actions that you took which resulted in losing your whitelist, so that whoever takes my place can actually help you.

Regards,
Tom

[dontim]

Hi Tom

Thank you for your patient reply to Offsprungs issue with the white list. I have had the exact same problem ever since i started using Nosctipt years ago, so I always assumed it was supposed to be that way.

Recently I've tried searching for a solution to the problem in Noscript Troubleshooting, Google, and Noscipt forums, but to no avail.

The issue with the whitelist resetting on every update has persisted on 4 different computers using different OS (Visata and Win 7) and different Antivirus (Avast, AVG, Microsft security essentials). I currently have the problem on both my laptop and desktop

Hope you can be of assistance.

Tim

[Tom T.]

Hi Tom

Thank you for your patient reply to Offsprungs issue with the white list. I have had the exact same problem ever since i started using Nosctipt years ago, so I always assumed it was supposed to be that way.

Recently I've tried searching for a solution to the problem in Noscript Troubleshooting, Google, and Noscipt forums, but to no avail.

The issue with the whitelist resetting on every update has persisted on 4 different computers using different OS (Visata and Win 7) and different Antivirus (Avast, AVG, Microsft security essentials). I currently have the problem on both my laptop and desktop

Hope you can be of assistance.

Tim

Whoever is available at the time will be happy to help you, but let's start with some of the same questions:

1) Is everything else preserved when you update? Firefox preferences in the Tools > Options menu? Other NoScript settings besides the whitelist?

2) If "no" to any of the above, can you please list what does save and what gets reset, in either Firefox or NoScript?

3) Do you have any type of sandbox or virtual machine (VM), or anything else that places restrictions on what Fx and NoScript can write to the hard drive?

4) Are you running as Administrator, or as a Limited User, Guest, or other restricted account? (probably restricted by default in newer OSs)

5) Do you get a UAC prompt (User Account Control) when installing updates, changing settings, etc.? If so, what does it say, and what do you do?

6) On which of the following events does this symptom occur?

1. Updates of Firefox within the same branch, e. g. 3.6.23 to 3.6.24, or 8.0 to 8.01
   Updates of Firefox to a new first-digit branch, e. g. 3.x to 4.+, or 7.x to 8.x
   Auto-updates of NoScript stable release from Firefox Add-ons
   Updating NoScript latest development build

Also, please try the Standard Diagnostic. Or for a shortcut version of that, create a clean profile from scratch. Install no other add-ons, but install an older version of NoScript, 2.2.1, using this link. Because this is an outdated version, please do not browse anywhere else, for your own safety.

Now, make some Whitelist changes. Be sure to click OK after you have completed the changes. (They can be nonsense. qxxcrsi.com, etc.)
As a test, close and restart Firefox. Did the changes stick?
If so, reboot the computer, unless circumstances make that undesirable. Did the changes stick?

If "yes" to both, then update NoScript, either via auto-update, or by using https://secure.informaction.com/downloa ... -2.2.3.xpi.
Do the changes stick, or does the whitelist reset to the defaults?

You may also go back to the obsolete version, make whitelist changes, and then try the latest development build. Does this produce a different result?

With the answer to these questions, we should be able to narrow down the problem, if not identify it.

There is probably little on the Web because this has hardly ever been reported, other than various user issues:
sandbox,
write permissions,
*forgetting to click OK after adding or deleting whitelist entries*. This is a natural-enough error, but I just now verified, to be sure: I added a whitelist item, then clicked the X in the upper right of the dialog box *without* clicking OK. Immediately re-opening the Options > Whitelist, the change was gone -- not even restarting the browser.

Perhaps this will be the thread that will become the Web search result for anyone else who encounters this.

Take your time. I need to log off now, probably for 12-24 hours, but someone else may assist in the meantime. If not, I look forward to the diagnostic results.