Why does Firefox seize control of my PC "for updates" as soon as it is turned on? Leave me alone, for cryin' out loud!

Question

All I want to do is connect with MSNBC via Mozilla. But each time I click on the Mozilla icon, up comes Firefox with "updates." How can Firefox believe that it can force its way into my home, seize my computer, and then force me to sit here while waiting for you to do its thing? Leave us alone--if we need updates, allow us to do it AT OUR CHOOSING & not when it delights you!
== This happened ==
Every time Firefox opened
== Too numerous to remember

Answer 1

You can turn off all updates for Firefox if you wish. But first, read this: https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/forum/1/734822?#threadId734866
If you are talking about Add-ons updates, you can also turn those off but you face the same problem with missing important security and stability updates for your add-ons.
Turning off the updates would be like not keeping your Windows XP updated. You are on XP SP3, I hope, since XP SP2 is not longer supported. Also, do you update XP every month on the 2nd Tuesday?
If you decide to update Firefox and its add-ons manually, don't forget to manually check for updates occasionally (once per week, once per month). To turn off the automatic updates, Tools > Options > Advanced > Update tab; see: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Options+window+-+Advanced+panel#Update_tab