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I have been using NoScript and FlashGot on my two computers for over two years without an issue, until yesterday. One computer runs Windows XP SP3; the other runs Windows 2000 SP4 (as current as it can be with patches.) The problem I am having is that I no longer can update NoScript and FlashGot on the Win 2K computer; this is essentially important, as NoScript keeps me safer on this older box (along with a few other products.) I am running the latest FIrefox platform (version 24) using the SeaMonkey 2.21 software. I don't do automatic updates, as they don't always work. I go to "tools, addons" and run "check for updates." The software downloads (NoScript and FlashGot) but there is an error installing it ("a needed file is missing ...")

This is updating from NoScript 2.6.7 to 2.6.8 (I'm not sure if it is 2.6.8.1, which I have here at home, or your latest 2.6.8.2.)

Help would be appreciated; I have already gone to the MozillaZine site and it mentions install or plugin path, but the information is from 2009 and not applicable. Thanks.

Anything related in the Error Console? (Ctrl-Shift-J)

Neither Firefox nor Seamonkey are supporting Windows 2000 with the latest versions.
Maybe Mozilla isn't giving out addon-updates to unsupported platforms, too.

Elbart wrote:Maybe Mozilla isn't giving out addon-updates to unsupported platforms, too.

If that were true then the OP wouldn't be able to download the updates through Addons Manager -> Check for updates.
He/she wouldn't even know there were any addon-updates.

I have "patched" Windows 2000 to be able to install (but not automatically update with) SeaMonkey. See http://www.msfn.org/. The "unofficial Win2K SP v5.2" contains C++ library updates, including VC++ 2010. The "patch" is not like a true XP installation, but many DLLs are close, as added module functionality has been added. This has been running without issue for six (6) months, until now. When I updated to the latest version of SeaMonkey (2.21 / FF 24) the updates quit working. Perhaps something in the SeaMonkey/FF update process changed? Mr. Giorgio Maone, any suggestions? I'm sure that NoScript will still work fine for quite a while as version 2.6.7, but it would be nice to update it and FlashGot. Besides those two plugins, the SQLite Manager plugin wouldn't update either (at the same time.) However, I have a plugin called "Flagfox" which DID update at that time.

Gary

Try moving your profile upwards in the following manner:

• Install FEBE and take a backup of your extensions, themes, bookmarks etc. If extensions have some native method to take a backup of their individual settings (like NS has), take a backup using those options. (Do not select "Backup preferences" or "Backup Profile" in FEBE, since this will cause problems).
• Type "firefox -p" (or "seamonkey -p", as the case may be), without the quotes in the Run dialog (Windows key + R) to start the Profile Manager.
• Uncheck the option "Don't ask at startup" and create a new profile. Select a short profile location like "C:\firefoxprofile\" instead of something like "C:\Documents and settings\<username>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profilename>" (the long path is actually at the root of all this), and a profile name preferably without spaces.
• Start Firefox with the new profile. Restore all your extensions, themes, history etc.

Automatic updates (as well as manual updates) should work now.
Let us know how it goes.

@access2godzilla, thanks for the info. I will try this suggestion on Monday when I go back to work and access the Win2K computer. I'm going to try FEBE on my home installation for backup. Sounds like a great idea. Now, I just back up the whole "profile" folder, located in both PCs in C:\Documents and Settings\UNAME\Application Data\Mozilla\SeaMonkey\Profiles\PROFILE.NAME, just as you said. It will be easier to back up the whole profile folder in a folder closer to the root of C: drive.

(
You can always manually download the updates & install them.

http://noscript.net/getit
http://flashgot.net/getit
)

@therube, same error message when trying it that way: "NoScript could not be installed because SeaMonkey cannot modify the needed file." I'm sure that FlashGot will give me the same error message.

Also, @access2godzilla, the shortened path didn't help. I did it the quick way (profile move) using Tools/Switch Profile after copying my profile folder to a shortened name in the root of the drive. What's next? Anyone got any ideas?

What I was trying to get at earlier with checking for related messages in the Error Console is that we need to know *what* file is missing, and knowing that, you could try to get it from your XP SP3 machine & put it where SeaMonkey expects it to be on the Win2k machine. In my limited experience with Windows, I've found that generally Windows XP programs will run on any version of Win so there's a decent chance this will work.

Well, it's all moot. I uninstalled SM 2.21 (FF 24) and reinstalled SM 2.20. And, guess what? The updates were successful. ALL of them. So, it must be an issue with the newest release of the Mozilla platform. I did see somewhere in one of the Mozilla forums how they were changing the installed addon database from SQLite to .JSON format. I'm not sure that it said that exactly, but something like that. I think the "missing file" was an inaccurate warning. I think that it has to do with XPIProvider.jsm. That file is not on my PC. The following is an extract from the error log:

WARN addons.xpi: Failed to install: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsILocalFile.copyTo]" nsresult: "0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: resource://gre/modules/XPIProvider.jsm :: AI_startInstall :: line 5221" data: no]
Source File: resource://gre/modules/XPIProvider.jsm
Line: 5221

I looked at the code for the routine that calls this error -- it is a general "catch" error module. I don't really care; it just would be nice if they would quit tweaking these things in the product, and just improve security, speed, and memory usage. Why mess with something that can affect SOME of the addon updates? And, if XPIProvider.jsm is a "needed" file, why didn't the installation update routine (v2.20 to v2.21) install it where it was supposed to be??

--- could not be installed because [browser] cannot modify the needed file

When I hear stuff like that, my initial thought is something permissions related?
Though likely not in this case.


MIght try these?

Unable to install themes or extensions

Troubleshoot extensions, themes and hardware acceleration issues to solve common Firefox problems

Use the Profile Manager to create and remove Firefox profiles

XPIProvider.jsm. That file is not on my PC.

It is actually.
It is contained within the file, omni.ja.

uninstalled SM 2.21 (FF 24) and reinstalled SM 2.20. And, guess what? The updates were successful. ALL of them. So, it must be an issue with the newest release of the Mozilla platform.

Quite possible.

@therube, none of those suggestions work; I have tried most of them and looked into the rest. This problem looks like it is endemic to those who run the latest Firefox/SeaMonkey on Windows 2000 machines: See this link below in MSFN:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/167596- ... ollup-v11/

Changing the "extensions.alwaysunpack" to "true" (in about:config) was suggested above and in a related link in Mozilla. Still, it doesn't explain why addon updates work OK on my Windows XP machine, but not on the Win2K one (until I downgraded the browser one version.) I won't be able to test if this works until NoScript comes out with a new version, as all my addons are now up to date.

The answer to this problem seems to be a module added into the latest FF platform release -- see Bugzilla report:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=788212

So, unless the people at MSFN have a workaround, people that use Mozilla with Win2K will have update problems.