Firefox causing windows to report unauthorised version

Question

The next boot after upgrading the Firefox version to 33.1.1, my machine reported that the version of windows installed is unauthorised" - despite being dealer bought, and authenticated on installation by Microsoft some years ago.
I waited out the unauthorised windows message (white text and a black screen before the windows balls appear) and the machine did boot without apparent error. And It has done so for another 2 boot cycles. One hopes it continues to do so. And then went looking for a reason.
I trolled the Microsoft Answers website for a cause, and a common thread began to emerge. Many users reported the conditions I experienced, and the 1st question asked of them was "what have you installed or upgraded immediately prior to the event" and there's a lengthy lengthy list of users with Firefox as the change causing item over quite a few years. Which was when I realised that I too had just done that (upgrade FF).
A track record of causing unauthorised version issues with windows is really something no software product wants to have. Yet the number of events listing FF in this respect on the MS sites makes it seem pretty conclusive. And every time someone like me has this sort of event and finds that data eats your product' credibility. Firefox has been pushing their 3 month upgrade cycle. A bit more care and attention to basic issues is more desirable than any great rush to get a new marginally better version on the streets. Every 6 months for a version release would be more than acceptable if it was tested properly against the platform it must run on and avoided this sort of problem.
Davidk03

Answer 1

Phillipp,
Originally, I thought this was a windows problem. I went to http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us, logged in and searched on 'unauthorised version of windows".
You asked for a thread. There isn't one in particular, just a '''pattern''' in the many responses to that search term that are there. You'll need to read more than just a few of the entries to see it.
The search turned up lots of user entries with statements like "I've used a fully activated windows for years and suddenly it's telling me the windows version is unauthorised. why?" A common question by MS in reply is what did you last install or upgrade before the event, and many of the users replied Firefox. . . . The MS suggestions seemed to usually involve safe mode and uninstall actions.
I haven't done any of that - no need to yet - the unauthorised version message hasn't re-appeared, but once bitten several times shy. I know several users who have not had the problem also, so it looks to be very irregular, however the list of users with the unauthorised version problem citing firefox are not isolated cases either. My reaction on reading those posts would have been - if I did not already use FF - don't go near it. Software relies on reputation and those who have a bad experience with a program often do not advise the programmers of that - just steer clear and tell others to do the same. So I am telling you about it . . . .
The reality of FF being implicated in some way in these unauthorised version messages is clear in the entries on the MS website. It's possible that Mozilla has never seen them or heard of the issue, but that doesn't make the problem non-existent. The point of my message is that Mozilla needs to get its act together in this space, identify what can cause that message (talk to MS??) and ensure that it does not happen during new version testing.
You guys have a better link to the developers than any other I have seen. Pass this along.
Davidk03