How to Deploy Firefox with Group Policy (GPO)

Last updated: Nov 6, 2024

I previously showed you how to deploy Chrome using a Group Policy (GPO) and I blamed myself… To repair this infamy I'm going to show how to do the same thing but with Mozilla Firefox.

I've made it works for workstations and for users who don't have Administrator rights.

Downloading the msi file

The first thing to do is download the .msi file. In an Enterprise environment, I recommend downloading Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release). (Read this note: https://support.mozilla.org/).

Go to Firefox download page: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/:

Firefox ESR download page with options for version and installer type

Place the .msi file of the Firefox package in the NETLOGON share of your DC:

Network folder showing Firefox ESR setup file in Netlogon share

Create a Group Policy Object

Open the Active Directory Users and Computers console:

Windows Run dialog box with dsa.msc command for administrative privileges

Move computers to a OU (Organizational Unit):

Active Directory Users and Computers window showing Workstations organizational unit

Open the Group Policy Manager console:

Windows Run dialog box with gpmc.msc command to open Group Policy Management Console

Create a GPO:

Group Policy Management window with option to create and link a new GPO in the domain

Give the GPO a name:

New GPO creation dialog box with name 'Deploy - Firefox' entered

Edit the GPO:

Group Policy Management window with option to edit the 'Deploy - Firefox' GPO

Go to Computer Configuration > Policies > Software Settings > Software Installation > Right click > New > Package...

Group Policy Management editor with option to create a new software installation package

Choose the previously downloaded Firefox msi package:

Open dialog selecting Firefox MSI setup file from Netlogon share

Leave Assigned as deployment method:

Deploy Software dialog with Assigned deployment method selected

Errors

As with Chrome, this didn't work and I could see the same list of in the Event Viewer.

The assignment of application Mozilla Firefox from policy install failed. The error was: %%1274

The removal of the assignment of application Mozilla Firefox from policy Deploy - Firefox failed. The error was: %%2

Failed to apply changes to software installation settings. The installation of software deployed through Group Policy for this user has been delayed until the next logon because the changes must be applied before the user logon. The error was: %%1274

Specify startup policy processing wait time

Thanks to this article: https://serverfault.com/ I was able to solve the problem.

Modify the policy: Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy > Specify startup policy wait time

Group Policy Management editor with 'Specify startup policy processing wait time' policy highlighted

And set the Amount of time to wait at 120:

Group Policy setting for specifying startup policy processing wait time

Result

Restart and …

Now you should now feel better about yourself…

Wayne from Wayne's World making a surprised reaction