For Firefox users, Windows Update usually becomes the only time we are forced to run Internet Explorer. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Since Windows Update requires an ActiveX control in order to run, it’s impossible to exclude Internet Explorer completely, so you will need to install IETab first, the magical Firefox extension that lets you open a web page with Internet Explorer within Firefox in a couple of clicks.

Once it is installed, you will need to replace the Windows Update shortcut in the All Programs menu. To do this:

• Press Start. Select All Programs.
• Right-click on Windows Update menu item and select Properties.
• In the properties window, enter “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe” http://update.microsoft.com in the Target field. Make sure you enter the correct path for your Firefox install and if the path contains any blank space, enclose the path in double quotes.

Since IE Tab includes update.microsoft.com in its list of sites to render using IE, the next time you select Windows Update from the All Programs menu, it will launch in a Firefox tab.

Yet another alternative that doesn’t require IE or even IETab is WindizUpdate, an independent site that provides a Firefox plugin to detect and download patches your computer is missing. I haven’t tried it but according to comments I’ve read around it seems to be even smarter than Windows Update as it identifies what Windows components you have installed and only offers relevant patches.

Read More @  Update Windows within Firefox