Fig 1.0 Click on the FREE DOWNLOAD button to download (save) the Firefox setup.exe file (Installation Wizard)
Fig 1.1 Click on the SAVE button to continue
| DOWNLOAD FIREFOX |
In these next two sections I will show you how to download and install the web browser called Firefox as well as how to install Firefox add-ons. Firefox
is currently enjoying success as being the second most popular web browser to Internet Explorer (internet explorer 6 and 7 combined). Programmers and
Users are beginning to realise that Firefox is more flexible than Internet Explorer in the way it operates. The ability to download and manage ADD-ONs
(Extension programs/tools) is one example and more precisely the ability to pick out ADD-ONs that cater for their needs. For example. There are many
extensions that cater for the website designer/master - Extensions that allow them to check their coding, do word counts and so on. There are also
extensions for different Audio/Video formats and you can switch off web page elements (i.e. block flash movies, disable javascript and so on).
At the time of writing the current version of Firefox is 3.0.11. If when you read this section the current version is 8.9.5 for example, unless there
are changes in the Firefox installation process you can take the installation process below as being applicable to that newer version of Firefox.
To download Firefox take your current web browser to http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/
(or your country's equivalent) and then click on the FREE DOWNLOAD button. From there, click on the SAVE button of the File Download security requester
that appears (Fig 1.1).
After clicking on the SAVE button (above) a Save As file requester will appear (below) that wants to know where it should save the setup file called Firefox Setup 3.0.11.exe. The default folder for saving files into is the DOWNLOADS folder, on Windows Vista, but you can navigate the Save As file requester to a different folder if you wish. You can even rename the setup file but I would keep its original name if I were you and just click on the SAVE button to continue. Clicking on the RUN button is also a bad idea because it does not give you the flexibility to reinstall Firefox whenever you like. For example. You may decide to uninstall Firefox and later reinstall it, for whatever reason(s), using the downloaded setup file whereas if you use RUN and later uninstall Firefox you need an internet connection and so on again. It is much easier just to double click on the saved setup file. Anyway. In this example just click on the SAVE button to save the setup file into the DOWNLOADS folder.
When the setup file has finished downloading open your DOWNLOADS folder and you should see the setup file there. It should be approximately 7.03MB and be called Firefox Setup 3.0.11.exe. If one of these are not true your download might not of completed properly, in which case you need to download the setup file again.
| INSTALL FIREFOX |
With the setup file downloaded, saved inside your DOWNLOADS folder, the next step is to install Firefox. The setup file contains both Firefox and the
files needed to install it - the Installation Wizard. Double click on the setup file to begin the installation process. Doing so will bring up a standard
security requester (Fig 2.1 below) that asks you if it is okay to RUN (execute/launch) the set up file. If you trust the Mozilla Corporation click on the
RUN button to continue, otherwise cancel everything by clicking on the CANCEL button.
The installation wizard in this example is a whole download, which means the software (firefox) and
the installation wizard (set up files/instructions) have been built side-by-side, as one file, for
downloading. This is because Mozilla can afford the bandwidth (download units) needed for each
download. Many companies these days have decided it is best to download the installation wizard
separately so that it can carry out eligibility checks first - Is your computer running Windows? Do
you have enough Memory and so on. Therefore avoiding a whole download (bandwidth costs to them and you).
Normally you RUN an installation wizard because you want to download the software straight away.
However. There may be times when you want the software downloaded later and only want the installation
wizard saved now (i.e. you might only want to carry out the eligibility checks, perhaps on your computer
and a businessman's computer - Remember though. Eligibility checks may need an internet connection and
therefore may not be possible otherwise. Hence why it is best to RUN the installation wizard at the
time and not later. In other words, the SAVEd installation wizard file might not work as mentioned if
it needs a constant internet connection to the software's server throughout the installation process
for example). With Mozilla allowing you to download firefox as one file (a whole download) you have the
benefit of installing it on multiple computers, with the same downloaded file (i.e. you could download
it from an internet cafe onto your flash drive and then install it on the businessman's computer later).
After clicking on the RUN button (Fig 2.1 above) the set up file extracts the installation instructions/components for the installation wizard and
firefox. So the set up file in this case is really a compressed (shrunk) file that needs to be decompressed (expanded), like a .zip file. Once it has
decompressed the above UAC (User Account Control) security requester appears - Click on its CONTINUE button to continue.
User Account Control (UAC) is a feature of Windows Vista that helps to prevent unauthorized changes to
the computer, such as deleting a system file or installing software. When attempting to install Firefox
the UAC security requester above appears and automatically blocks you off, because it wants to know if
you are the one attempting to install Firefox and not a piece of malicious software for example. In the
above case simply click on the CONTINUE button to continue, or on the CANCEL button to cancel the
installation process.
The next window to appear (below) is the first Installation Wizard window - its Welcome message. Simply click on its NEXT button to begin the actual
installation of Firefox.
At any time throughout the installation process you can click on the Cancel button, if a Cancel button
is available of course. However. One thing to bare in mind is that even if you click on a Cancel button
the installation process might have gone too far for it to be stopped, cancelled and/or reversed. So
think very carefully before deciding to install any thing onto your computer.
After the Welcome message comes the above License Agreement where you must agree to the Terms &
Conditions before continuing.
Read the License Agreement carefully. Although these tend to contain useless information, they usually
explain Copyright issues or Usage issues that clarify who can use the software and who cannot. So if,
for example, you are told that a certain piece of software is Free and/or Free To Use you may want to
clarify this by reading the agreement. Some installation wizards do not allow you to continue, by
fading out the CONTINUE button, until you have read (scrolled down) the license agreement. With
Firefox, when you have read the agreement, if you agree with it simply put a tick next to I ACCEPT THE
TERMS IN THE LICENCE AGREEMENT before clicking on the NEXT button to continue.
The next window gives you a choice on whether or not you want to customize the installation with regards
to picking which Folder firefox uses for its installation files and future updated files and which icons
to create (Desktop icon, Quick Launch Toolbar icon and/or Start Menu folder). If you want the installation
wizard to decide these things for you simply leave the STANDARD option set and then click on the NEXT
button to continue (continue to Fig 2.9 below). In this example I will go through the two custom stages.
Another option to consider is whether or not to have Firefox as your default web browser. Leave the
USE FIREFOX AS MY DEFAULT WEB BROWSER option ticked if you want firefox to become your normally-used
(default) web browser, otherwise untick that option to leave your current web browser (i.e. Internet
Explorer) as your normally-used (default) web browser.
In Fig 2.7 above, you do not have to BROWSE for a different folder for the installation files just because
you chose to use the CUSTOM option. The above BROWSE option is simply giving you the choice. If there are
any custom options you do not want to change simply leave them as they are, on their default settings.
By default the options in Fig 2.8 below are all set (switched on/ticked). They are to do with where you
want the firefox shortcut links putting, if anywhere. You can have a shortcut link put on the Desktop,
in the Start Menu (ALL PROGRAMS) and/or on the Quick Launch Toolbar. If you do not want a shortcut link
creating in one of those places simply untick its option before clicking on the NEXT button to continue.
In Fig 2.9 above you are given a summary of the destination folder for the installation files, on the INSTALL window. That window appears regardless of the installation settings you chose in Fig 2.6 above. Meaning. If you chose a STANDARD installation instead of a CUSTOM installation either way you will end up on the INSTALL window. Click on its INSTALL button to continue. When firefox has finished installing click on the FINISH button (above) to complete the installation process. If you leave the LAUNCH FIREFOX NOW option ticked Firefox will be launched after clicking on the FINISH button.
| THE IMPORT WIZARD |
When firefox is launched for the first time you are greeted by the Import Wizard. This is a wizard launched
by Firefox, and not from the now completed Installation Wizard (set up file) which closed when you clicked
on the FINISH button in Fig 2.11 above. Therefore. Any options you change/apply or do not change/apply
using this import wizard cannot affect the firefox installation, because firefox is now installed.
The first option of the import wizard is the option to import settings from Internet Explorer, or Opera
if you have it installed. In this example I chose to import my Internet Explorer settings - Bookmarks
(Favorites), History, Passwords and so on. If I did not want to import any settings at all I would of
clicked on the DON'T IMPORT ANYTHING radio (circle) button before clicking on the NEXT button to continue.
The next option asks you what Home Page you want to use with firefox. The home page is the first web page that is downloaded and displayed when you open firefox. You can choose between the Firefox home page and the home page of the web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) you are importing from. In this I am importing from Internet Explorer and will therefore be importing www.google.com as my home page, because that is the home page (web page) I use (have set up) in internet explorer. When you have selected your home page option click on the NEXT button to begin the Import process.
When the import process has completed click on the FINISH button to close the Import Wizard window. Now firefox is ready for use without any more set up. Or is it? If you want to use WMV (Windows Video) files, for example, with firefox you will need to download and install the Windows Media Player firefox ADD-ON (Extension) first. ADD-ONs are explained and exampled in the next section along with other general usage examples.
Above is an example of firefox displaying this website's index page, with the HTML Code Validator ADD-ON installed. The ADD-ON displays a green tick mark in the bottom-right corner of the browser when a web page's code has passed the W3Schools (Internet) HTML Standard, which is a useful add-on that can be found on the firefox website.
All HTM, CSS, PHP and MySQL files in the websitecreationhelp.com folder and its sub-folders are (c) John White, 2009. All Rights Reserved. Email: John