Firefox 53
Mozilla is expected to officially release Firefox 53 later today, but the Firefox 53 installer is already available on Mozilla's FTP servers, just in case some users can't wait to get their hands on the new release.
There are several new things in Firefox 53, but none more important than what's lacking, and that's support for Windows XP and Vista.
Mozilla Firefox (64-bit) - Mozilla Firefox is a fast, light and tidy open source web browser. At its public launch in 2004 Mozilla Firefox was the first browser to. Firefox 53.0.3 Free. Surf the Internet and access your bookmarks and passwords from all devices. 4.2 (41,137 votes) 87.0 Mozilla. Review Comments (712) Questions &. Index of /pub/firefox/releases/ Type Name Size Last Modified; Dir. Dir: 0.10.1/ Dir: 0.10/ Dir: 0.10rc/ Dir: 0.8/ Dir: 0.9.1/.
When I tried out FF 53, I discovered that some of my add-ons got disabled. The problem was with 'unsigned' add-ons. Usually these were legacy add-ons that continued to be maintained after Mozilla banned pre-WebEx add-ons, and thus could no longer get Mozilla to sign them. Index of /pub/firefox/releases/53.0/win64/ Type Name Size Last Modified; Dir. Dir: ach/ Dir: af/ Dir: an/ Dir: ar/ Dir: as/ Dir: ast/ Dir.
Mozilla was the last of the major browser vendors to support official versions for XP and Vista, operating systems that Microsoft officially retired.
XP & Vista Firefox users will get security updates for 6 months
In reality, Firefox 52 was the last official version to receive new features on XP and Vista. Firefox 53 is actually the first version with no XP and Vista support whatsoever.
Nonetheless, Firefox users on XP and Vista will receive security updates for six more months, which are also expected to stop after September 2017. These security updates won't be delivered via the official Firefox Stable versions, but via Firefox 52 ESR release, so any XP and Vista users should migrate to that release.
At this point, with no support from Microsoft or any of the major browser vendors, XP users have no choice but to update to a newer OS if they want to continue to be safe online.
Furthermore, Mozilla has also stopped supporting 32-bit versions Mac OS X, and the browser maker is advising OS X users to switch to Firefox ESR 52 to continue receiving security updates.
New Compact Themes
Moving on to new features in v53, the biggest update in terms of visuals is the addition of two new browser themes. Called 'Compact Themes,' these are the two themes that have been available for users of Firefox Developer Edition for the past years.
Their look and feel will remind some users of the Microsoft Edge interface, and they're a breath of fresh air compared to the same ol' Firefox UI we've been seeing for the past few years.
Other changes
Other changes in Firefox 53 include the addition of a new feature called 'Quantum Compositor' for Windows users, meant to improve the stability of the Firefox graphics package. According to tests, Quantum Compositor has reduced GPU driver-related crashes by 17%, which isn't a lot, but it's an improvement that adds to the many similar optimizations Mozilla has been adding to Firefox in recent releases.
A change meant to improve user privacy was made to the Firefox Site Permissions system, which now features improved graphics that stand out more and are harder to ignore, looking more like the permissions systems used with Chrome and Android.
Firefox 53 Windows Xp
Last but not least, there's also an improvement in Firefox's handling of multimedia content. According to the Firefox 53 changelog, Firefox will block all media playback on newly opened tabs until the user makes that tab visible. This change should prove quite useful on sites like Yahoo or Forbes, where videos are known to start without the user's consent.
Security updates are also included, but Mozilla will be disclosing more details in the following days, after most of the Firefox userbase has updated to the newer 53 branch.
Other, smaller changes include:
Lightweight themes are now applied in private browsing windows
Reader Mode now displays estimated reading time for the page
Windows 7+ users on 64-bit OS can select 32-bit or 64-bit versions in the stub installer
Ended Firefox Linux support for processors older than Pentium 4 and AMD Opteron
New visual design for audio and video controls
The last few characters of shortened tab titles fade out instead of being replaced by ellipses to keep more of the title visible
Firefox 53
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Users on 64-bit Windows who download Firefox can get our 64-bit version by default. That means you get a more secure version of Firefox, one that also crashes a whole lot less. How much less? In our tests so far, 64-bit Firefox reduced crashes by 39% on machines with 4GB of RAM or more.
What’s the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit?
Here’s the key thing to know: 64-bit applications can access more memory and are less likely to crash than 32-bit applications. Also, with the jump from 32 to 64 bits, a security feature called Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) works better to protect you from attackers. Linux and macOS users, fret not, you already enjoy a Firefox that’s optimized for 64-bit.
How do you get 64-bit Firefox?
If you’re running 64-bit Windows (here’s how to check), your Firefox may already be 64-bit. Check your Firefox version (in the “About Firefox” window) and look for “(32-bit)” or “(64-bit)” after the version number:
- If you see “(32-bit)” and you are running Firefox 56.0 or older, updating to the latest Firefox version should automatically upgrade you to 64-bit.
- If you see “(32-bit)” and are running Firefox 56.0.1 or newer, then your computer may not meet the minimum memory requirement for 64-bit (3 GB RAM or more). You can still manually install 64-bit Firefox, if you choose.