Why is routine update is not working?

Question

For several days now I have had difficulty opening Firefox. It seems to be taking a long time to open. When it eventually responds I usually get a window headed: "Update failed". The window reads: "There were problems checking for, downloading or installing this update. Firefox could not be updated because: The Update could not be installed (patch apply failed). You can update Firefox manually by vistiing this link and downloading the latest version: http://www.firefox.com
The link takes me to a Firefox for Android page. I am working from a desktop.
I have tracked it down to a file called updater.exe (from memory) that is in a file called 0. When I delete this file it is quickly redownloaded and continues to cause a problem.
How can I get rid of it?
And does it have anything to do with the disappearance of my Norton toolbar?

Answer 1

Certain Firefox problems can be solved by performing a ''Clean reinstall''. This means you remove Firefox and any leftover program files and then reinstall Firefox. Please follow these steps one by one:
#Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org and save the setup file to your computer.
#After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (click Exit from the Firefox or File menu) and confirm all upcoming messages.
#Now, uninstall Firefox by following the steps mentioned in the [[Uninstall Firefox from your computer#w_uninstall-firefox|Uninstall Firefox]] article.
'''IMPORTANT:''' On Windows, the uninstaller has the option to remove your personal data and settings. Make sure that you do '''not''' check this option; otherwise all of your bookmarks, passwords, extensions, user customizations and other Firefox [[Profiles|user profile data]] will be removed from your computer.
After uninstalling Firefox on Windows, delete the "Mozilla Firefox" program folder, located by default in one of these locations:
* '''(On 32-bit Windows)''' ''C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox''
* '''(On 64-bit Windows)''' ''C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox''
#Go to the Windows Start menu and click on "Computer".
#In the Explorer window that opens, double click Local Disk (C:) to open the C:\ drive.
#Find the "Program Files (x86)" folder or "Program Files" folder.
#* On 32-bit Windows, double-click the '''Program Files''' folder to open it.
#* On 64-bit Windows, you will see a "Program Files (x86)" folder AND a "Program Files" folder. Open the '''Program Files (x86)''' folder.
#Look for a '''Mozilla Firefox''' folder. If you find one, right-click it and select ''Delete'' and confirm that you want to move the folder to the Recycle Bin.
Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
#Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
#Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.
Please report back to see if this helped you!