Official 64-bit Firefox

[CougTek]

https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/42.0/win64/

While it's still not linked on the main download page, this isn't a beta version. I've been using it for the past hour and so far, so good. It's also a good idea to browse the Net throw a 64-bit browser since Windows is more vulnerable when running 32-bit applications.

 

[Mercutio]

Here's where I'm at with any new install of Firefox:
1. Change default search to not-Yahoo. Google or DuckDuckGo. Fine. But not Yahoo. And then do the same for the homepage.
2. Remove the useless commercial third-party crap from the default toolbar. I'm convinced that no one in the history of time has used Pocket for anything.
3. Use about:config to set Mycroft back to the old view and behavior.
4. If it's an end-user's PC, put a Print icon on the toolbar because, even though almost browsers all use something like the Hamburger menu on the top right, no one can ever find Print now and I'm sick of being asked about it.
5. Install and configure Adblocking and privacy add-ons.
6. Turn off the ad-supported New Tab page.

Granted that step #5 is fixed and I'll always be doing that, but that's too much default undesirable behavior. I've largely fixed it by just using Mozbackup to restore the profile the way I want it, but then I have to question the sanity of depending on a third party tool because the app defaults are just that bad.

Compare that to Palemoon:
1. Switch the default search, maybe.
2. Install/Configure ad blocking and privacy addons, which can be done with the same Mozbackup file as Firefox (Palemoon will automatically say "Hey, you tried to install ABP, here's our thing instead.")

At this point I think Firefox is a lost cause.

 

[Tea]

^ Fully agree with Merc. In my case, I vary the procedure to this:

Pale Moon:
1: Turn on menu bar
2: Turn off the stupid bookmarks bar
3: Set the home page to something suitable for the user
4: Decide whether to leave DuckDuckGo as the default search engine or switch it to Google (depends on the user) (well, on my opinion of the user really)
5: Install AdBlock Lattitude


Firefox:
1: Turn on menu bar
2: Turn off the stupid bookmarks bar
3: Set the home page to something suitable for the user
4: No need to change the search page, it's already Google in every market except the USA.
5: I don't do anything else. There is a whole stack of stuff that Firefox needs to make it usable, but why bother? If the user has enough brain to come in out of the rain, she will be using PaleMoon anyway. If not, she will probably like Firefox, in which case that's not my problem.

For my own use, or for anyone I look after for love rather than money (family and etc.), I'll also set About:Config browser.tabs.closeButtons = 3, of course. In Firefox, I'll probably just tell then to use Pale Moon but I might stretch a point and install CTR.

On my own machines, I load Firefox down with all the crappy extensions I want once in a while; keep Pale Moon practically clean. Surf as routine with Pale Moon (also with real Opera and Sea Monkey, of course), just copy-paste addresses into Firefox if I want to do something weird like use a special-purpose extension.