Mozilla › Firefox
Background updater
Supported on Firefox 90 or later, Firefox 78.12 ESR or later
Shown as of 3.9, 9 May 2022. See it in the latest templates.
What it does
If this policy disabled, the application will not try to install updates when the application is not running. If this policy is enabled or not configured, application updates may be installed (without user approval) in the background, even when the application is not running. The operating system might still require approval.
What it writes
- Hive
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKEY_CURRENT_USER
- Registry key
Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox- Value name
BackgroundAppUpdate- When enabled
- DWORD 1
- When disabled
- DWORD 0
Configure and deploy
Choose a state; the output below is generated from the template for exactly that.
Enabled · Computer · template defaults
Registry file (.reg)
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox]
"BackgroundAppUpdate"=dword:00000001
PowerShell
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
function Set-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
}
New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}
function Remove-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return
}
foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Background updater
# Name: BackgroundAppUpdate
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: firefox.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox' -Name 'BackgroundAppUpdate' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1
- The OMA-URI is an inferred ADMX-backed Policy CSP candidate derived from the source ADMX file name and policy name.
- Some Microsoft policies use built-in Policy CSP pages whose area names don't match the ADMX file name, so verify the candidate against Microsoft Learn before deployment.
ADMX profile candidate (OMA-URI)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_firefox/BackgroundAppUpdateADMX SyncML candidate
<SyncML xmlns="SYNCML:SYNCML1.2">
<SyncBody>
<Replace>
<CmdID>1</CmdID>
<Item>
<Meta>
<Format>chr</Format>
<Type>text/plain</Type>
</Meta>
<Target>
<LocURI>./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_firefox/BackgroundAppUpdate</LocURI>
</Target>
<Data><enabled/></Data>
</Item>
</Replace>
<Final/>
</SyncBody>
</SyncML>Intune remediation scripts
Detection
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$reasons = [System.Collections.Generic.List[string]]::new()
function Test-RegistryValueExists {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return $false
}
return $null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
}
function Test-RegistryValueEquals {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Kind,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Expected
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return $false
}
$valueObject = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($null -eq $valueObject) {
return $false
}
$actual = $valueObject.$Name
switch ($Kind) {
'String' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
'ExpandString' { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
'DWord' { return [uint32]$actual -eq [uint32]$Expected }
'QWord' { return [uint64]$actual -eq [uint64]$Expected }
'MultiString' {
$actualArray = @($actual)
$expectedArray = @($Expected)
if ($actualArray.Count -ne $expectedArray.Count) { return $false }
for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Count; $index++) {
if ([string]$actualArray[$index] -cne [string]$expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
'Binary' {
$actualArray = [byte[]]$actual
$expectedArray = [byte[]]$Expected
if ($actualArray.Length -ne $expectedArray.Length) { return $false }
for ($index = 0; $index -lt $actualArray.Length; $index++) {
if ($actualArray[$index] -ne $expectedArray[$index]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
default { return [string]$actual -ceq [string]$Expected }
}
}
# Policy: Background updater
# Name: BackgroundAppUpdate
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: firefox.admx
$isMatch = Test-RegistryValueEquals -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox' -Name 'BackgroundAppUpdate' -Kind 'DWord' -Expected 1
if (-not $isMatch) {
$reasons.Add('Value mismatch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\BackgroundAppUpdate') | Out-Null
}
if ($reasons.Count -eq 0) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
$reasons | ForEach-Object { Write-Output $_ }
exit 1
Remediation
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
function Set-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $PropertyType,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][object] $Value
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
}
New-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -PropertyType $PropertyType -Value $Value -Force | Out-Null
}
function Remove-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Name
)
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
function Clear-RegistryKeyValues {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string] $Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
return
}
foreach ($propertyName in (Get-Item -LiteralPath $Path).Property) {
Remove-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $propertyName -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
# Policy: Background updater
# Name: BackgroundAppUpdate
# Scope: Machine
# State: Enabled
# Source: firefox.admx
Set-RegistryValue -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox' -Name 'BackgroundAppUpdate' -PropertyType 'DWord' -Value 1
History 85 retained releases
- 7.220 Aug 2025
- Description
If this policy [added: is ]disabled, the application will not try to install updates when the application …
Whole description, marked
If this policy [added: is ]disabled, the application will not try to install updates when the application is not running. If this policy is enabled or not configured, application updates may be installed (without user approval) in the background, even when the application is not running. The operating system might still require approval.
- Description
If this policy [added: is ]disabled, the application will not try to install updates when the application …
- 6.69 Jan 2025
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 6.526 Nov 2024
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 6.011 Jul 2024
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 4.418 Oct 2022
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 3.48 Dec 2021
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 3.18 Sep 2021
- Translations changed; choose a language above to compare its wording.
- 2.1213 Jul 2021
- Added in this release.
50 later releases left it unchanged.
Template
- Internal name
BackgroundAppUpdate- Namespace
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox- Template file
firefox.admx- Release
- Mozilla Firefox 3.9 · file set
46eea69011fff735…
Definition, editor controls and support
Definition
<policy class="Both" displayName="$(string.BackgroundAppUpdate)" explainText="$(string.BackgroundAppUpdate_Explain)" key="Software\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox" name="BackgroundAppUpdate" valueName="BackgroundAppUpdate" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox" />
<supportedOn ref="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:SUPPORTED_FF90" />
<enabledValue>
<decimal value="1" />
</enabledValue>
<disabledValue>
<decimal value="0" />
</disabledValue>
</policy>Editor controls
Supported platforms and category
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:firefox
<category displayName="$(string.firefox)" name="firefox" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies:Cat_Mozilla" />
</category>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:definition:SUPPORTED_FF90
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_FF90)" name="SUPPORTED_FF90" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Mozilla.Policies:category:Cat_Mozilla
<category displayName="$(string.mozilla)" name="Cat_Mozilla" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:category:firefox
<category displayName="$(string.firefox)" name="firefox" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions">
<parentCategory ref="Mozilla.Policies:Cat_Mozilla" />
</category>
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:firefox">Firefox</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:definition:SUPPORTED_FF90
<definition displayName="$(string.SUPPORTED_FF90)" name="SUPPORTED_FF90" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies.Firefox:SUPPORTED_FF90">Firefox 90 or later, Firefox 78.12 ESR or later</string></strings>
Mozilla.Policies:category:Cat_Mozilla
<category displayName="$(string.mozilla)" name="Cat_Mozilla" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/GroupPolicy/2006/07/PolicyDefinitions" />
<strings><string id="Mozilla.Policies:mozilla">Mozilla</string></strings>