How can I prevent Firefox from ever automatically updating without my say so. It just did, and DESTROYED all bookmarks. I'm BUMMED about that

There were NO .json files saved anywhere in the 'puter. I need to be reliably OPTED OUT of automatic updating unless the auto destruction forces warn me aforehand to backup my cookies, bookmarks, email and etc. When I now click on Help, I get an automatic start of "downloading Firefox 3.6.6" WHAT KIND OF HELP IS THAT?

Your bookmarkbackups folder is your Profile folder which is normally a folder hidden by Windows.
See:
https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Lost+Bookmarks#Restoring_bookmark_backups
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Profiles#How_to_find_your_profile
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Show_hidden_files_and_folders
Everything indicates that you have Firefox 3.6.3; the current version is Firefox 3.6.6. To check your version at any time, click Help > About Mozilla Firefox.
You can manually check for updates by clicking Help > Check for Updates.
To change your options on Automatic Updates for Firefox: Tools > Options > Advanced > Update
See: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Options+window+-+Advanced+panel#Update_tab
I use the "Ask me what I want to do" option. It will still check, but ask you if you want to update '''IF''' you leave the check mark next to Firefox. Un-check Firefox and you run the risk of missing important security updates. With Firefox checked, it should check for updates, by default, once per day.
'''''Other Issues''''': ~~red:You have installed plug-ins with known security issues. You should update them immediately.~~
'''Update Java''': your ver. 1.6.0.17; current ver. 1.6.0.20 (important security update 04-15-2010)
(Firefox 3.6 and above requires Java 1.6.0.10 and above; see: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Java-related+issues#Java_does_not_work_in_Firefox_3_6 )
''(Windows users: Do the manual update; very easy.)''
~~red:Check your version here~~: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
See: '''[http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+Java+plugin+with+Firefox#Updates Updating Java]'''
Do the update with Firefox closed.
'''Update Shockwave for Director''': your ver. 10.1 (~~red:very old~~); current ver. 11.5.7.609 (important security update released 2010-05-11; see http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb10-12.html)
NOTE: this is not the same as Shockwave Flash; this installs the Shockwave Player.
~~red:Check your version here~~: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
SAVE the installer to your hard drive (Desktop is a good place so you can find it). When the download is complete, exit Firefox (File > Exit), locate and double-click in the installer you just downloaded, let the install complete.
IMPORTANT: I have found it wise to always restart your system after doing anything with Adobe products.
See: '''[http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+Shockwave+plugin+with+Firefox#_Installing_Shockwave Installing Shockwave]'''
'''You''' ~~red:'''MAY'''~~ '''need to Update Adobe Reader for Firefox''': your ver. N/A; current ver. 9.3.2
~~red:Check your version here~~: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
See: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Using+the+Adobe+Reader+plugin+with+Firefox#Installing_and_updating_Adobe_Reader
''You may be able to update from the Adobe Reader installed on your system'' instead of going to the Adobe site and downloading. Start > Program Files, find and click Adobe Reader to open, click Help, click Check for Updates.
''If you go to the Adobe site to download the current Adobe Reader:''
-'''use Firefox to download''' and '''SAVE to your hard drive''' (save to Desktop for easy access)
~~red:-See the images at the bottom left of this post to see the steps to take on the Adobe site~~
-exit Firefox (File > Exit)
-check to see that Firefox is completely closed (''Ctrl+Alt+Del, choose Task Manager, click Processes tab, if "firefox.exe" is on the list, right-click "firefox.exe" and choose End process, close the Task Manager window'')
-double-click on the Adobe Reader installer you just downloaded to install/update Adobe Reader
*'''NOTE: On Vista and Windows 7''' you may need to run the plugin installer as Administrator by starting the installer via the right-click context menu if you do not get an UAC prompt to ask for permission to continue (i.e nothing seems to happen). See this: http://vistasupport.mvps.org/run_as_administrator.htm
*'''NOTE for IE:''' Firefox and most other browsers use a Plugin. IE uses an ActiveX version. To install/update the IE ActiveX version, same instructions as above, except use IE to download the ActiveX installer.
*Also see: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Adobe_Reader ~~red:'''''AND'''''~~ [[How do I edit options to add Adobe to the list of allowed sites]]

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You can't prevent that. 
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Hello,
I am trying to prevent Firefox 28 from automatically updating to Firefox 29 (on OSX 10.7.5).
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I have set:
app.update.auto - false
app.update.enabled - false
app.update.silent - false
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To cor-el, thank you for your post.
To Mozilla, you have lost the plot.

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If only, if only! :)
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== I updated firefox to 3.5.10.

"Add-ons" is a mis-leading term, regarding what appears in the Add-ons Manager tab. "Addons" includes Extensions, Search Engines, Themes (Appearance), User Scripts, Styles, and Services - all of which the "Updates" can be controlled by Firefox preferences. "Plugins" are shown in the AOM too, but unlike the others, Firefox has no control over updates for Plugins. As James mentioned, Plugins aren't installed within Firefox as the other categories of "Add-Ons" are - and updates are controlled by the application that installed the Plugin that Firefox uses from each application's own set of folders or wherever in Windows files the Plugin is placed by the installer.
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At: “https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Menu+bar+is+missing Hidden menu bar:” the following appears. This reference was given in an earlier post here. My comments are added below inside << … >>>.
"If you're using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you now have an orange Firefox button that takes the most common functions and puts them in one menu." <<THIS CLEARLY SAYS “ORANGE BUTTON” AND THAT BUTTON SHOWS ON THE SCREEN SHOT, BUT THIS ORANGE BUTTON DOES NOT DO ANYTHING BUT OFFER “RESTORE, MINIMIZE, CLOSE”>>
"To temporarily show the old style menus, just press the Alt key. "<<THIS DOES NOT WORK AT ALL>>
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<<WHEN THE MENU BAR IS REMOVED, THERE IS A FIREFOX DROPDOWN MENU – NB NOT A BUTTON IN ANY NORMAL SENSE OF THAT WORD—BUT THE INVENTORY OF FUNCTIONS IS QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE MENU BAR’S INVENTORY AND THEREFORE NOT THE EQUIVALENT AT ALL.>>
<<IT MAY WELL BE THAT THE WRITERS HERE ARE USING “BUTTON” IN A SLOPPY, IMPRECISE WAY (RATHER, IN TWO QUITE DIFFERENT WAYS) AND THE ORANGE ”BUTTON” THEY ARE REFERRING TO IS SOMETIMES IN FACT THE DROPDOWN MENU TAB, AND NOT THE ORANGE BUTTON AT ALL, EVEN THOUGH THEY WRITE “ORANGE BUTTON” AND DISPLAY A SCREEN SHOT WITH AN ORANGE BUTTON. IN ANY CASE NOTHING IN THIS WHOLE MESS IS ACCURATELY DESCRIBED.>>

How can I stop firefox from asking to update EVERY DAY?

Firefox occasionally wants to update itself. Great. Sometimes I don't want to perform the update at that moment for any number of reasons, so I tell Firefox - Ask Later.
Firefox then asks again the next day, and the next day, and every day after. That's just annoying.
If I say "ask later", then ask no less than a week later. Better yet, give me the option to tell Firefox when to ask again.

Go to the Outbox and delete the mail.
The Outbox is under Local Folders.

How can I prevent Firefox from automatically filling in my passward in every site I visit? I have NO security now when others use computer.

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