Features/Desktop/Firefox reset option on reinstall

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Status

Firefox_reset_option_on_reinstall
Stage	Feature Inbox
Status	In progress
Release target	`
Health	OK
Status note	Firefox approach ready to proceed. NSIS approach dependent on the stub installer and would require new mockups for it.

{{#set:Feature name=Firefox_reset_option_on_reinstall

|Feature stage=Feature Inbox |Feature status=In progress |Feature version=` |Feature health=OK |Feature status note=Firefox approach ready to proceed. NSIS approach dependent on the stub installer and would require new mockups for it. }}

Team

Product manager	Asa Dotzler
Directly Responsible Individual	Michael Verdi
Lead engineer	Robert Strong
Security lead	`
Privacy lead	`
Localization lead	`
Accessibility lead	`
QA lead	`
UX lead	Madhava Enros
Product marketing lead	`
Operations lead	`
Additional members	Matthew Noorenberghe

{{#set:Feature product manager=Asa Dotzler

|Feature feature manager=Michael Verdi |Feature lead engineer=Robert Strong |Feature security lead=` |Feature privacy lead=` |Feature localization lead=` |Feature accessibility lead=` |Feature qa lead=` |Feature ux lead=Madhava Enros |Feature product marketing lead=` |Feature operations lead=` |Feature additional members=Matthew Noorenberghe }}

Open issues/risks

Decide on one of the two approaches in stage 3.

Stage 1: Definition

1. Feature overview

The Firefox Reset is effective in fixing many issues involving the profile folder including removing unwanted add-ons and resetting the preferences that they have changed. Currently this feature is hidden in about:support and making it discoverable without a trip to the support site could help millions of Firefox users recover from issues that make Firefox unusable.

A bug has been filed for this work: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=750979

More info here: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Support/Firefox_Features/Clean_up_user_profile

2. Users & use cases

A user determines that "something" is wrong with Firefox, so they attempt to fix it by reinstalling. When Firefox (or the installer) detects that the same version of Firefox already exists on the computer it will offer the option to repair Firefox by resetting it to its default state.

3. Dependencies

`

4. Requirements

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Non-goals

`

Stage 2: Design

5. Functional specification

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6. User experience design

`

Stage 3: Planning

7. Implementation plan

There are two major approaches:

1. Firefox itself detects the re-install. (Cross-platform and written in JS)
   • Firefox can remember file modification times and the last version used to detect a re-install.
2. The Windows installer detects the re-install. (Windows-only using NSIS)

8. Reviews

Security review

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Privacy review

`

Localization review

`

Accessibility

`

Quality Assurance review

`

Operations review

`

Stage 4: Development

9. Implementation

`

Stage 5: Release

10. Landing criteria

` {{#set:Feature open issues and risks=Decide on one of the two approaches in stage 3. |Feature overview=The Firefox Reset is effective in fixing many issues involving the profile folder including removing unwanted add-ons and resetting the preferences that they have changed. Currently this feature is hidden in about:support and making it discoverable without a trip to the support site could help millions of Firefox users recover from issues that make Firefox unusable.

A bug has been filed for this work: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=750979

More info here: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Support/Firefox_Features/Clean_up_user_profile |Feature users and use cases=A user determines that "something" is wrong with Firefox, so they attempt to fix it by reinstalling. When Firefox (or the installer) detects that the same version of Firefox already exists on the computer it will offer the option to repair Firefox by resetting it to its default state. |Feature dependencies=` |Feature requirements=` |Feature non-goals=` |Feature functional spec=` |Feature ux design=` |Feature implementation plan=There are two major approaches:

1. Firefox itself detects the re-install. (Cross-platform and written in JS)
   • Firefox can remember file modification times and the last version used to detect a re-install.
2. The Windows installer detects the re-install. (Windows-only using NSIS)

|Feature security review=` |Feature privacy review=` |Feature localization review=` |Feature accessibility review=` |Feature qa review=` |Feature operations review=` |Feature implementation notes=` |Feature landing criteria=` }}

Feature details

Priority	Unprioritized
Rank	999
Theme / Goal	`
Roadmap	`
Secondary roadmap	`
Feature list	`
Project	`
Engineering team	`

{{#set:Feature priority=Unprioritized

|Feature rank=999 |Feature theme=` |Feature roadmap=` |Feature secondary roadmap=` |Feature list=` |Feature project=` |Feature engineering team=` }}

Team status notes

	status	notes
Products	`	`
Engineering	`	`
Security	`	`
Privacy	`	`
Localization	`	`
Accessibility	`	`
Quality assurance	`	`
User experience	`	`
Product marketing	`	`
Operations	`	`

{{#set:Feature products status=`

|Feature products notes=` |Feature engineering status=` |Feature engineering notes=` |Feature security status=` |Feature security health=` |Feature security notes=` |Feature privacy status=` |Feature privacy notes=` |Feature localization status=` |Feature localization notes=` |Feature accessibility status=` |Feature accessibility notes=` |Feature qa status=` |Feature qa notes=` |Feature ux status=` |Feature ux notes=` |Feature product marketing status=` |Feature product marketing notes=` |Feature operations status=` |Feature operations notes=` }}