Spoofstick, a useful toobar

Hi I got this link to download Spoofstick , a toolbar, presumably for Firefox1.0, which worked fine with NS7.1 and 7.2. It tells you the site that you are in, and, not the one which looks like you are in. I downloaded the .xpi file which can then be used for installation.
It would not install in Mozilla1.7.3 from the downloaded file, but it would work directly from the website.
A couple of errors were reported, but the toolbar showed up fine.

 

Westside,
I tried downloading it a couple of times (for Firefox 1.0), but when it comes time to install it, I'm not having any luck. The installation instructions say:

1. Download spoofstick-firefox.xpi and save it in a local directory.
2. In Firefox, go to File->Open File and open the spoofstick-firefox.xpi file from where you saved it.

When I click to download the program, I don't get asked where to save it, and I don't know where it's going. My extensions folder in Firefox is empty. A search for "spoofstick-firefox.xpi" consistently comes up blank.
The "extensions" popup screen says: <SpoofSick 1.04 -- This item will be installed after you restart Firefox>, but when I restart the browser, there's no change in my toolbar.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Rebecca

 

Hi Rebecca,

You're not actually downloading SpoofStick.xpi the way you're doing it. Instead, right-click on the download link and select Save Link As.... A "Save As" requester will open, and you can save the file wherever you like.

Close Firefox and, in Windows Explorer, navigate to where you saved SpoofStick.xpi. Double-click on the file and, when asked what program you want to open it with, choose, or navigate to, Firefox. Firefox should open and install SpoofStick.

After closing FF and reopening it, SpoofStick should be available.

 

I have had this problem before.

I finally noticed a notice had appeared just below the navigation bar that I had to click on in order to add the download domain.

After I did that I had no further problem just clicking on the download link and my install now window opened for installation.

The "save link as" is great if you want a permanent copy of the .xpi archived on your computer.

 

I have installed Spoofstick two different ways, in the different browsers which I have. I installed it directly from the website just like any extention, when the install query came up. In the case of Firefox, I did pretty much what Jim said, except that I drag and drop the icon into the Firefox shortcut. That worked like a selection by double clicking. Dragging and dropping leaves the icon on the desktop. It did not work for Moz1.7.3 where I had to do it internally.

 

Hi again, Jim!
Well, things looked more promising as I was following your instructions, but when it asked what program I wanted to open the file with and I clicked on Firefox (I do have version 1.0, not PR, so that shouldn't be the problem), the Firefox extension popup showed up again, this time saying: "SpoofStick 1.04 -- this item will be uninstalled after you restart Firefox" (the italics are mine). I rebooted the computer (to make sure it wasn't some glitch left over from when I kept clicking on "download now" thinking that was doing the trick) and tried installing it again, but the same thing keeps happening.
Thought maybe I could clear out the contents of my Extensions popup (which just has JSLib and SpoofStick 1.04 in it), but no go on that either. When I highlight SpoofStick 1.04, the "uninstall ", "update" and "options" buttons are all grayed out.
Care to venture any other possible solutions?
Thanks,
Rebecca

 

Rebecca,
I don't know since I did not do it Jim's way. In may case, when I double clicked on the icon, it tried to open NS7.1. This has happened a couple of times. NS7.2 is my default browser, but 7.1 is requested (I have separted the 7.1 from the 7.2 profile , and tries to install into it.
Ihave now the spoofstick into NS7.1, 7.2, Firefox0.9.3, Firefox 1.0 final.
I have had problems with Moz1.8a.x, but it they have been incompatible with a number of extentions.

 

Post edited to remove erroneous information.

 

Bill ...

I always save copies of the .xpi files (extensions) I use, primarily because it's sometimes necessary to reinstall them, and some of them are almost impossible to locate, given the dearth of information on the Firefox/Tbird default extensions pages.

I've just discovered a new resource, though, the Extensions Mirror site, which is a great portal for all sorts of information about Firefox/Tbird. Its Firefox Extensions and Thunderbird Extensions pages contain just about every extension you could think of, or want.

 

Great links, Jim.

However, when I try to install from the link or from a downloaded .xpi, I get a popup that says the extension is not compatable with Firefox. I tried three of them and the same thing happened on all of them.

I changed the open with program from Firefox to Thunderbird but then I don't get the popup. Just sits there doing nothing.

 

Hmmm, The only thing that occurs to me is that the ones you're trying to install haven't been upgraded to be compatible with 1.0.

I have several extensions installed, and had no difficulty with any except TabBrowser Extensions (TBE), which always is difficult to install, but which I cannot be without . I've found it best to install whatever version of TBE I can (that's compatible with the version of FF I'm using), then upgrade to the current version via the Extensions module.

 

Went into my FF profile folder and the Extension folder therein. There were/are two extension subfolders with { } names, as you mentioned. Then there was a third subfolder, called Temp -- I double-clicked on that and within it is another folder with a { } name. Inside that folder is an .xpi file, that's all. Tried deleting the Temp folder there altogether and then reinstalling SpoofStick, but it was the same ol' story: a new Temp folder was created, and I still got the same Extension popup screen telling me that when I restart FF, SpoofStick will be uninstalled.
Incidentally, there are no chrome folders within my extension subfolders -- only one item shows up in each of my two existing subfolders: "install.rdf ".
Think it might do any good to use System Restore to go back a day and then try installing SpoofStick again?
Thanks,
Rebecca

 

Hi Rebecca,

Try this, instead. Close Firefox, and move all of the subfolders in your profile's Extensions folder to a temporary location. Open the profile's Chrome folder and move the chrome.rdf file, as well.

If you open Firefox, it should be a plain vanilla installation, with no extensions.

Now, close Firefox and double-click on your saved spoofstick.xpi file; Firefox will open and install it.

Note: I just tried installing it with Firefox already open, and it didn't work.​

Do the same with any other extensions you wish to install. When you're satisfied that everything is as you want it, you can delete the files/folders in the temporary location.

 

Tried what you suggested (with FF closed) - extensions popup came up, I clicked on "install now ", and got the same "SpoofStick will be uninstalled when you restart FF ".
Think I might try the System Restore route just for the hell of it, since nothing else seems to be working -- but before I do that, should I put those extensions subfolders and chrome file back whence they came?
I'm going to keep at this until it works, by golly! Now it's becoming a matter of principle!

Rebecca

 

Before you do that, I should have mentioned that the extensions.rdf file in the Extensions folder should be moved, as well.

Basically, you should be starting with your Extensions folder empty, and the chrome.rdf file removed from your Chrome folder.

Try it one more time before resorting to SR. If you start clean, you shouldn't be getting the uninstall message, and I don't understand why you are.

 

Well at least the result was something different, for a change!
I moved the Extensions.rdf file to a temporary location as well, then tried reinstalling SpoofStick, and this time when the FF extension popup showed up, it was just a blank box: no more JSLib or SpoofStick 1.04 listed in it. The "update" box in the Extensions popup is clickable now, but that obviously doesn't accomplish anything, since there's no specific item listed in the box for an update to be searched for!
Deleted my original download in case it was defective, but got the same results when I downloaded anew and tried to install again.
As it stands, within my profile folder, my Extension folder now contains a new Extensions.rdf file and my Chrome folder is still empty.
Try SR now? If I move my original Extensions.rdf file back into my Extensions folder, then I'll have 2 files with the same name. Should I move the files/folders back or leave them be?
Thanks for bearing with me!
Rebecca

 

Is the Install button clickable? If it is, click on it and navigate to where your spoofstick.xpi file is located, and open it from there.

You can't have two files with the same name in the same location ... Windows won't allow it. Every file/folder on your computer has a unique pathname. You'd have to either replace it by copying over it, or rename one of the two.

It really doesn't matter much. They probably won't be recreated during a System Restoration because they're not system files (but I wouldn't bet my life on it without trying it myself ). Actually, you're better off without them, as something in one or more of them is munged, and they will be created anew if and when you successfully install your extensions.

Hey, I figure that anyone willing to live with the polar bears needs all the help she can get. Besides, even though I should be wrapping Christmas gifts, I've learned something from this exchange, too.

 

SR didn't work either...
I'll try back again tomorrow!
Thanks,
Rebecca

 

I ended up reinstalling Firefox altogether, and was able to get SpoofStick installed right away without any trouble. Should've just thought to do that in the first place, it certainly was way quicker!
Thanks for all your help,
Rebecca

 

That would have been my next suggestion. I went through this whole business a couple of weeks ago (this thread, particularly messages #10 and 16) ... in my case, the problem was in one of the files in my profile, which is why I was steering you in that direction.

Anyway, I'm glad you've solved your problem. As it turns out, SpoofStick hasn't been all that helpful ... so far, it hasn't shown a thing that hasn't also appeared on the address/location/URL window.