Mozilla Firefox is a free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation. This article will serve as an informative guide and give you a clear understanding of how to perform a silent installation of Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR from the command line using both EXE & MSI installers.
How to Install Firefox Silently
Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (32-bit) Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win32/en-US/
- Download the EXE to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
- Enter the following command: “Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe” -ms
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Firefox Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (x86) |
| Vendor: | Mozilla |
| Version: | 68.9.0 |
| Architecture: | 32-bit |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe" -ms |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (32-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (64-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win32/en-US/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/mozilla-firefox-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (64-bit) Silent Install (EXE)
- Navigate to: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win64/en-US/
- Download the EXE to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
- Enter the following command: “Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe” -ms
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Firefox Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (x64) |
| Vendor: | Mozilla |
| Version: | 68.9.0 |
| Architecture: | 64-bit |
| Installer Type: | EXE |
| Silent Install Switch: | "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe" -ms |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | "%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win64/en-US/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/mozilla-firefox-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (32-bit) Silent Install (MSI)
- Navigate to: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win32/en-US/
- Download the MSI to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
- Enter the following command: MsiExec.exe /i “Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi” /qn
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Firefox Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (x86) |
| Vendor: | Mozilla |
| Version: | 68.9.0 |
| Architecture: | 32-bit |
| Installer Type: | MSI |
| Silent Install Switch: | MsiExec.exe /i "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi" /qn |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (32-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
| Silent Uninstall Switch (64-bit System) | "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win32/en-US/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/mozilla-firefox-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (64-bit) Silent Install (MSI)
- Navigate to: https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win64/en-US/
- Download the MSI to a folder created at (C:\Downloads)
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Navigate to the C:\Downloads folder
- Enter the following command: MsiExec.exe /i “Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi” /qn
- Press Enter
After a few moments you should see the Firefox Desktop Shortcut appear. You will also find entries in the Start Menu, Installation Directory, and Programs and Features in the Control Panel.
| Software Title: | Mozilla Firefox 68.9.0 ESR (x64) |
| Vendor: | Mozilla |
| Version: | 68.9.0 |
| Architecture: | 64-bit |
| Installer Type: | MSI |
| Silent Install Switch: | MsiExec.exe /i "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi" /qn |
| Silent Uninstall Switch: | "%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
| Download Link: | https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/68.9.0esr/win64/en-US/ |
| PowerShell Script: | https://silentinstallhq.com/mozilla-firefox-install-and-uninstall-powershell/ |
The information above provides a quick overview of the software title, vendor, silent install, and silent uninstall switches. The download links provided take you directly to the vendors website. Continue reading if you are interested in additional details and configurations.
Additional Configurations
Create an Installation Log File
The MSI installer offers the option to generate a log file during installation to assist with troubleshooting should any problems arise. You can use the following commands to create a verbose log file with details about the installation.
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (MSI) Silent Install with Logging
MsiExec.exe /i "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi" /qn /L*v "%WINDIR%\Temp\Firefox-Install.log" |
Skip Mozilla Maintenance Service Install
The Mozilla Maintenance Service is used for silent updates and may be used for other maintenance related tasks. It is an optional component and the installation can be skipped by running the following command line switch.
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (EXE) Disable Mozilla Maintenance Service Install
"Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe" -ms /MaintenanceService=false |
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (MSI) Disable Mozilla Maintenance Service Install
MsiExec.exe /i "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi" INSTALL_MAINTENANCE_SERVICE=false /qn |
Exclude Desktop Shortcut During Install
The Mozilla Firefox installer creates a desktop shortcut by default. If you don’t want the desktop shortcut, then you can run the following command line switch to exclude it.
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (EXE) Silent Install No Desktop Shortcut
"Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe" -ms /DesktopShortcut=false |
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (MSI) Silent Install No Desktop Shortcut
MsiExec.exe /i "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi" DESKTOP_SHORTCUT=false /qn |
Exclude Taskbar Shortcut During Install
The Mozilla Firefox installer creates a shortcut on the taskbar by default. If you don’t want the shortcut to appear on the taskbar, then you can run the following command line switch to exclude it.
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (EXE) Silent Install No Taskbar Shortcut
"Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.exe" -ms /TaskbarShortcut=false |
Mozilla Firefox 68 ESR (MSI) Silent Install No Taskbar Shortcut
MsiExec.exe /i "Firefox Setup 68.9.0esr.msi" TASKBAR_SHORTCUT=false /qn |
Disable Mozilla Firefox Updates
By default, Firefox will automatically check for application updates. If you are in an environment that requires more control over when updates are performed, you can follow the steps below.
- Open Notepad or your favorite text editor
- Add the following lines:
{
"policies": {
"DisableAppUpdate": true
}
}- Save the file and name it: policies.json
- Follow the “How to Install Firefox Silently” steps mentioned earlier in the article
- Create one of the following directories (if not present) based on Firefox installation location
- “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- Copy the policies.json file to the “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory or “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory depending on the operating system architecture and what version of Firefox (32-bit or 64-bit) you have installed
Disable the Refresh Firefox Button
This setting disables the Refresh Firefox button, as well as the prompt that displays offering to refresh Firefox when you haven’t used it in a while.
- Open Notepad or your favorite text editor
- Add the following lines:
{
"policies": {
"DisableProfileRefresh": true
}
}- Save the file and name it: policies.json
- Follow the “How to Install Firefox Silently” steps mentioned earlier in the article
- Create one of the following directories (if not present) based on Firefox installation location
- “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- Copy the policies.json file to the “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory or “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory depending on the operating system architecture and what version of Firefox (32-bit or 64-bit) you have installed
Disable Firefox Default Browser Check
This setting will prevent the default browser check at startup.
- Open Notepad or your favorite text editor
- Add the following lines:
{
"policies": {
"DontCheckDefaultBrowser": true
}
}- Save the file and name it: policies.json
- Follow the “How to Install Firefox Silently” steps mentioned earlier in the article
- Create one of the following directories (if not present) based on Firefox installation location
- “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- Copy the policies.json file to the “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory or “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory depending on the operating system architecture and what version of Firefox (32-bit or 64-bit) you have installed
Customizing Firefox Using JSON File
In this example, I am configuring the follow settings within the policies.json file:
- Disable Automatic Application Updates
- Disable Refresh Firefox Button
- Disable Telemetry
- Disable Default Browser Check
- Disable First Run Page
- Disable Post Update Page
- Configure Firefox Homepage
- Show Search
- Hide Top Sites
- Hide Highlights
- Hide Pocket
- Hide Snippets
Find Additional Policy Settings Here: https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates
- Open Notepad or your favorite text editor
- Add the following lines:
{
"policies": {
"DisableAppUpdate": true,
"DisableProfileRefresh": true,
"DisableTelemetry": true,
"DontCheckDefaultBrowser": true,
"OverrideFirstRunPage": "",
"OverridePostUpdatePage": "",
"FirefoxHome": {
"Search": true,
"TopSites": false,
"Highlights": false,
"Pocket": false,
"Snippets": false,
"Locked": false
}
}
}- Save the file and name it: policies.json
- Follow the “How to Install Firefox Silently” steps mentioned earlier in the article
- Create one of the following directories (if not present) based on Firefox installation location
- “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\”
- Copy the policies.json file to the “%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory or “%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\distribution\” directory depending on the operating system architecture and what version of Firefox (32-bit or 64-bit) you have installed
How to Uninstall Firefox Silently
- Open an Elevated Command Prompt by Right-Clicking on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator
- Enter one of the following commands:
Mozilla Firefox 32-bit Silent Uninstall on 32-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
Mozilla Firefox 32-bit Silent Uninstall on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
Mozilla Firefox 64-bit Silent Uninstall on 64-bit System
"%ProgramFiles%\Mozilla Firefox\uninstall\helper.exe" /S |
Always make sure to test everything in a development environment prior to implementing anything into production. The information in this article is provided “As Is” without warranty of any kind.