The Mozilla Firefox web browser has a really annoying safety feature where the version control system for Add-Ons (aka Extensions) won’t allow them to be installed on a higher version of Firefox than they’ve been tested on and approved for.

In theory this is a very good idea. The thought is that when new versions of Firefox come out, older versions of Add-Ons may not be compatible with the changes in the browser, and may then cause errors or system instability.

In reality most of the changes to the browser itself in dot releases (eg. from 3.0 to 3.1) are relatively benign and they rarely change anything related to most Add-Ons. This is not an issue if you only use add-ons created by proactive developers because they are generally quick to release compatible versions shortly after the browser update is released. But not all the time!

I have discovered two ways that you can get around this problem, and in my experience doing this over the past two years, I have never yet had an add-on that is marked as incompatible that didn’t work with the latest official and beta Firefox releases.

Here’s how you can do it yourself:

1. Install the Add-on Compatibility Reporter: “After installing this Add-On your incompatible extensions will become enabled for you to test whether they still work with the version of Firefox or Thunderbird that you’re using”. You can also report back to Mozilla whether there are any problems or not. This is a quick and easy way to make officially incompatible extensions work with your version of Firefox. I have only just started using this tool, so I don’t yet have any good data on how well it works.
2. Hack your Add-Ons: The Add-Ons available from the Mozilla Add-On Repository are simply container files (similar to .zip or .msi files) that contain a bunch of other files. You can use 7zip to open those containers, and then use a text editor to edit the “install.rdf” file contained within to change the version control information. Here’s a step by step tutorial:
   • Find your desired add-on from https://addons.mozilla.org/
   • Right click on the “Add to Firefox” link and save the file to your desktop
   • Install 7zip
   • Right click on the .xpi file you downloaded to your desktop, choose “7zip”, then choose “Open Archive”
   • Right click on the file “install.rdf” in the 7zip window, choose “Edit”
   • In your text editor search for some code that looks like “3.0.*“.
   • The number indicates the maximum version of Firefox that the add-on is officially compatible with. Edit this number to be something larger than the version you are trying to use it with. For example, if you are using Firefox 3.5, change this code to “3.5.*“
   • Save the file and close the 7zip window. Choose yes when you are asked if you want to update the archive.
   • Drag and Drop the .xpi file onto a Firefox window, and follow the prompts as required.

That’s it, you’re done. After restarting Firefox you should now have your favorite extension up and running again!

Note that while I have never had a problem in over two years of doing this, there is a risk that you could corrupt your installation of Firefox. You do so at your own risk and please don’t hate me if you have problems!

Good luck and be sure to let me know how it works out for you!

I love my Popcorn Hour PCH-A110 media player and I use it all the time to watch TV Shows and Movies. This is just one of a class of devices known as a Networked Media Tank, or NMT. I can save my shows on a hard drive or USB device that I’ve installed in or connected to the player, or watch content from any of my other computers that are connected via my home network.

If you want to learn more about this kind of device, I’ve reviewed my PCH-A110 previously on this site.

This is an incredibly useful device, and recently I found a couple of tricks to make the user experience even better!

• MediatankController 1.0 for Adobe AIR – browse and control your NMT from your PC. This is a remote control application for your that runs on any PC desktop. This is actually a cross platform App (built using Adobe Air) that can be installed on almost any computer. It provides a fully functional remote control that sits on your computer. You can also browse the media files available to your Popcorn Hour from a slick window on the desktop. Better yet, the popcorn hour responds faster to the controls on your desktop than it does using the remote, and the app provides keyboard support as well, which is far better than trying to type using the numeric keypad on the remote. This is a must have tool for any NMT owner. Although the app was built and tested on the PCH-A110, it should work on any NMT device.
• MediatankController 1.0 for iPhone – browse and control your NMT from your phone (or your iPod Touch). I actually haven’t been able to get this one to work yet, but many other people have, so I’m sure I just didn’t configure it properly. It promises essentially the same functionality as the the similarly named PC desktop app, but built as web based app formatted for the iPhone. This app has also been tested on the iPod Touch and the Android phone, so any web enabled gadget or computer with a web browser should also work just as well.
• Pure Web Remote Control. This one is a little bit less functional than the others, and a whole lot less pretty. It is a web based app that provides some of the same functionality as the two apps above. The main difference is that its design goal was to provide access to content on the NMT, via a browser based remote control, so that the user could listen to audio with TV switched off. This app also works on any web enabled phone, computer, or other gadget, and I had no problem accessing it with my iPod Touch. I have to say that it’s really ugly, but it works very well. When you consider it within the context that it was designed, it’s actually a pretty cool little app.

This is just one more way to make my life faster and easier. If you know of any other great improvements to make your Popcorn Hour media player (or any other NMT for that matter) even better, please drop me a comment and let me know about it!