Install and setup Firefox – Windows

Step #1: Download and install Firefox

1. Go to Firefox’s website and click on the green Firefox Free Download button.
   
2. Save the Firefox Setup # .exe setup file to your computer’s desktop for easy access.
   
3. Double-click the Firefox Setup #.exe file.
   
4. Click the Run button to begin the installation.
   
5. You will see the window below while the Firefox files are extracted.
   
6. Windows Vista’s and 7′s User Account Control (UAC) security feature will prompt you to allow the Firefox Installer to continue. Click the Yes button.
   
7. When the files have been extracted, click the Next button to start the wizard.
   
8. Choose the Standard installation radio button. Check or uncheck the check box labeled Use Firefox as my default web browser depending on whether or not you would like Firefox to be the default web browser on your computer. Making Firefox the default browser won’t remove your currently installed browser(s), it will just make Firefox open whenever your computer is looking for a browser application to open a web page. Click the Install button.
   
9. You will see the window below while the files are being installed on your computer.
   
10. When the installation completes, click the Finish button. Leave the Launch Firefox now check box checked if you wish to launch Firefox immediately.
    

Step #2: Configure Firefox options

1. You will now see two tabs at the top of the browser window. The Welcome to Firefox and Mozilla Firefox Start Page tabs. To close one of the tabs, click the X button on the right-side of the tab. Either tab can be closed.
   
2. Click the orange Firefox button in the upper left-hand corner of your browser. Mouse over Options > and then click on Options.
   
3. This will open the Firefox Options window. Click the General icon if it isn’t already selected. In the screen shot below are some sample options that you can set for your Firefox browser.
   
4. Click the Content icon.
   
5. Click the Exceptions button which is situated to the right of the Block pop-up windows check box.
   
6. In the Address of website text box type vista.bu.edu and click the Allow button.
7. In the Address of website text box type sas.elluminate.com and click the Allow button.
8. In the Address of website text box type bu.wimba.com and click the Allow button.
   
9. Click the Close button to close this window.
10. Click the Privacy icon.
    
11. Click the link labeled clear your recent history.
    
12. For the drop down menu labeled Time range to clear select the option labeled Everything.
13. Click the Details arrow to expose the check box options below. Ensure that at least the following check boxes are selected: Cache, Active Logins and Offline Website Data. Do NOT select the Site Preferences check box as this will reset some browser settings that are needed to access your online course.
    
14. Click the Clear Now button to close this window.
15. Still on the Privacy tab, click on the drop-down menu to the immediate right of Firefox will: and select the Use custom settings for history option.
16. Click the Clear history when Firefox closes check box and then click on the Settings… button located to the right.
    
17. In the Settings for Clearing History window, ensure that at least Active Logins, Cache and Offline Website Data are checked. Again, do NOT check the Site Preferences check box as this will reset some browser settings that are needed to access your online course. Click the OK button to close this window.
    
18. Click the Security icon.
    
19. In the Passwords section, clear the check box labeled Remember passwords for sites.
    
20. Click the Advanced icon.
    
21. On the Advanced screen there are two options to review.
    

    The first is the Warn me when websites try to redirect or reload the page option. This is a security feature. If left checked you’ll see the following window when you attempt to log into your online course

    

    Click the Allow button to continue on to your online course.

    The second item to review is the Always check to see if Firefox is the default browser on startup. Check this check box if you want Firefox to always check to make sure that it is your computer’s default browser. Clear the check box if you do not want this check to be performed. Click the Check Now button to see if it is set as your default web browser.

22. Click the OK button to close out the Firefox Options window.

Step #3: Install the Flash player plugin

1. With your Firefox browser go to Adobe’s home page and click on the Adobe Flash Player icon.
   
2. On the next page, clear the check box labeled Yes, install McAfee Security Scan Plus – optional and then click the Download now button.
   
3. In the small window that appears, click the Save File button.
   
4. Save the file to your computer’s Desktop.
   
5. Depending on your Internet connection speed, you may or may not see the following Firefox Downloads window while the Adobe Flash plug-in is saved to your computer’s desktop.
   
6. Locate the install_flash_player.exe file on your computer’s Desktop. Double-click the file to begin the installation.
   
7. Click the Run button.
   
8. Windows Vista’s and 7′s User Account Control (UAC) security feature will prompt you to allow the installation to continue. Click the Yes button.
   
9. You will see the following window when the installation is complete. Click the Finish button.
   
10. Your computer’s default web browser will open to the Adobe Flash Player page letting you know that the installation was successful.
    
11. Delete the install_firefox_player.exe and Firefox Setup 3.0.15 files from your computer’s Desktop.
     
12. You will see a Mozilla Firefox short cut on your computer’s desktop which you can use to launch your Firefox web browser.
    
13. Open your Firefox browser.

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