[Fix] Unable to Install Firefox in Windows 7

If you are having problems while trying to install Mozilla Firefox in Windows 7, this article will help you in fixing the issue and installing Firefox successfully.

PROBLEM SYMPTOM:

You have a Windows 7 computer and you are trying to install Firefox 100 or later version in your device. The setup installer fails and displays error messages such as “Installer encountered an error”, etc.

As soon as the error message occurs, the setup wizard is closed and you can’t install Firefox browser in your Windows 7 device.

Older versions of Firefox (released before version 100) do not cause any problem and can be installed without issues in Windows 7.

PROBLEM REASON:

It happens because the setup installer of Firefox newer versions (100+) is signed with SHA-2 code (also known as SHA-256 digest) and Windows 7 doesn’t support this signing code by default.

The SHA-2 is a Secure Hash Algorithm which provides better security compared to the older SHA-1 algorithm used by installers of older versions of Firefox. Both algorithm are used to authenticate that the product installer is genuine and coming directly from the real developer company and was not tempered with during download.

Now-a-days many software companies are implementing SHA-2 signing mechanism to provide more security to the end user. That’s why Firefox has also started signing installers of newer versions with more secure SHA-2 code.

By default, Windows 7 doesn’t contain support for the SHA-2 signature code and that’s why if you try to run Firefox or other software installer signed with SHA-2 code, you receive error messages and the installation fails.

PROBLEM SOLUTION:

Microsoft already released an update KB4474419 to add support for SHA-2 code to Windows 7 in 2019. All Windows 7 devices which are set to automatically receive Windows Updates, have received the required update and will not cause any error message while installing Firefox or other software which require SHA-2 signing mechanism.

But if a device was not updated automatically and automatic updates are disabled/turned off in the device, there are high chances that the required KB4474419 update was not installed in the device and that’s why the device will throw error message if the user tries to run Firefox or other software installer signed with SHA-2 code.

To fix the issue, you just need to download and install the required KB4474419 update in your Windows 7 device and then you’ll be able to install Firefox newer versions (100+) in your computer system without any problem.

You can run Windows Updates in your Windows 7 device and check for updates. It’ll take a few minutes in scanning for the available updates and will download and install them in your device.

OR you can manually download and install just the required KB4474419 update to bring SHA-2 code support in your Windows 7 device to fix Firefox installation problem.

For your convenience, we are providing the official Microsoft Update Catalog page link of the KB4474419 update so that you can download and install the update quickly and easily:

Following are the direct download links to download the required update for different versions of Windows 7:

After installing the update, restart your computer and after reboot, run Firefox installer. Now you’ll not face any issue and Firefox will be installed successfully in your Windows 7 device.

PS: Installing the above mentioned KB4474419 update will also solve many error messages and problems which you were facing while installing other 3rd party software such as Kaspersky, Norton, Malwarebytes, etc.

Also Check:

[Fix] Windows 7 Keeps Checking for Updates for Hours