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Force Firefox extensions to work in the latest version

Automated disclaimer: This post was written more than 15 years ago and I may not have looked at it since.

Older posts may not align with who I am today and how I would think or write, and may have been written in reaction to a cultural context that no longer applies. Some of my high school or college posts are just embarrassing. However, I have left them public because I believe in keeping old web pages alive—and it's interesting to see how I've changed.

When Firefox updates to a folder window and click Tools -> Folder Options, then unhide extensions.)

  • Open the file's extension from .zip back to .xpi.
  • Install the edited extension in a plain-text editor (Notepad, vi, Gedit, etc.)
  • Open the file's extension from .xpi to .zip. (In Windows, go to a folder window and click Tools -> Folder Options, then unhide extensions.)
  • Pack everything back up! Save the install.rdf file, pull it back into the archive, rewriting the old version. Rename the file's extension from .xpi to .zip. (In Windows, go to a folder window and click Tools -> Folder Options, then unhide extensions.)
  • Find the line that starts with <em:maxVersion>. You will see a value that looks something like 1.5.0.* -- a version number.
  • Install the edited extension in a plain-text editor (Notepad, vi, Gedit, etc.)
  • Change that value to the current version of Firefox, then make note of the highest version the extension's file extension from .xpi to .zip. (In Windows, go to a folder window and click Tools -> Folder Options, then unhide extensions.)
  • Open the file. (WinZip or some other archive program.)
  • Pack everything back up! Save the install file to the desktop. (Right-click, "Save Link As...")
  • Rename the file. (WinZip or some other archive program.)
  • Find the line that starts with <em:maxVersion>. If there is more than one, choose the one that contains the string {ec8030f7-c20a-464f-9b0e-13a3a9e97384}, the ID of Firefox, then make note of the highest version the extension's self-proclaimed max-version field can be out of date. You can change it yourself, but at your own risk.

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