Install Firefox as default browser, Pin to Start Menu & Taskbar, and Install uBlock Origin [W11]

cristhian2k47

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Download Firefox and install through post-setup tab with parameter /S

Go to registry tab and add firefox.reg (look inside the file to see what it does)
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Disable Firefox first run page
;Disable Firefox post-update "What's new" page
;Disable Firefox feature to save webpages to Pocket
;Disable Firefox Telemetry
;Prevent Firefox from running studies
;Disable Firefox creation of default bookmarks
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox]
"OverrideFirstRunPage"=""
"OverridePostUpdatePage"=""
"DisablePocket"=dword:00000001
"DisableTelemetry"=dword:00000001
"DisableFirefoxStudies"=dword:00000001
"NoDefaultBookmarks"=dword:00000001

;Disable Sponsored Top Sites in Firefox Home
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\FirefoxHome]
"SponsoredTopSites"=dword:00000000

;Install uBlock Origin in Firefox
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\Install]
"1"="https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/ublock-origin/latest.xpi"

;Pin Firefox, Settings & File Explorer to Start Menu
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\current\device\Start]
"ConfigureStartPins"="{\"pinnedList\":[{\"desktopAppId\":\"308046B0AF4A39CB\"},{\"packagedAppId\":\"windows.immersivecontrolpanel_cw5n1h2txyewy!microsoft.windows.immersivecontrolpanel\"},{\"desktopAppId\":\"Microsoft.Windows.Explorer\"}]}"
  • Go to image tab → Right click mounted image → Explore mount directory:
  • Put LayoutModification.xml inside Users\Default\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Shell (this will leave only file explorer and firefox pinned in taskbar)
  • Put OEMDefaultAssociations.xml inside Windows\System32 (this will put firefox as default browser)
  • Close mount directory
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LayoutModificationTemplate
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
xmlns:taskbar="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/TaskbarLayout"
Version="1">
<CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection PinListPlacement="Replace">
<defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
<taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="Microsoft.Windows.Explorer" />
<taskbar:DesktopApp DesktopApplicationID="308046B0AF4A39CB" />
</taskbar:TaskbarPinList>
</defaultlayout:TaskbarLayout>
</CustomTaskbarLayoutCollection>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<DefaultAssociations>
<Association Identifier=".htm" ProgId="FirefoxHTML-308046B0AF4A39CB" ApplicationName="Firefox" />
<Association Identifier=".html" ProgId="FirefoxHTML-308046B0AF4A39CB" ApplicationName="Firefox" />
<Association Identifier="http" ProgId="FirefoxURL-308046B0AF4A39CB" ApplicationName="Firefox" />
<Association Identifier="https" ProgId="FirefoxURL-308046B0AF4A39CB" ApplicationName="Firefox" />
</DefaultAssociations>
 

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1 Have you tried installing ublock from a previously downloaded/local source file?
2 Have you imported a ublock backed up setting file?
 
I wanted to point out that:
1) no problem for the "LayoutModification.xml" file;
2) while for the "OEMDefaultAssociations.xml" file, this will replace/cancel any previous association previously set by the user (e.g.: Association Identifier=".pdf" perhaps set with Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar). Better in my opinion to selectively append the new parameters to the existing OEMDefaultAssociations.xml
 
I wanted to point out that:
1) no problem for the "LayoutModification.xml" file;
2) while for the "OEMDefaultAssociations.xml" file, this will replace/cancel any previous association previously set by the user (e.g.: Association Identifier=".pdf" perhaps set with Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar). Better in my opinion to selectively append the new parameters to the existing OEMDefaultAssociations.xml
modified OEMDefaultAssociations.xml to avoid setting unnecessary associations, thanks!
 
modified OEMDefaultAssociations.xml to avoid setting unnecessary associations, thanks!
Despite the "cleaning" carried out in your new file, I continue to repeat that "replacing" your file with the existing one (Windows default standard) inevitably involves the "loss" of any associations previously saved/set by the user.

The new entries (set in your file) must be selectively added and/or modified in the original default file via a suitable script that adds (to the original) the missing entries and modifies (in the original) the already existing entries with those modified from your file.
 
ublock? install adguard, its the only one that can truly fight google/youtube ads.
 
ublock? install adguard, its the only one that can truly fight google/youtube ads.
you can install adguard with:
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions\Install]
"1"="https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/downloads/latest/adguard-adblocker/latest.xpi"
 
Despite the "cleaning" carried out in your new file, I continue to repeat that "replacing" your file with the existing one (Windows default standard) inevitably involves the "loss" of any associations previously saved/set by the user.

The new entries (set in your file) must be selectively added and/or modified in the original default file via a suitable script that adds (to the original) the missing entries and modifies (in the original) the already existing entries with those modified from your file.
any user that modifies this file to set their own associations knows this
 
Yes, it's true that replacing the default version instead of merging the changes will destroy the original file associations. User beware.

The alternative is to use SetUserFTA in Post-Setup, after reading about the new UCPD workaround.
 
cristhian2k47
Thank you! I was merely looking for the default associations and found the registry file I knew I needed but didn't expect to exist. It works flawlessly and you quite possibly saved me tons of time and nerve.
garlin
My testruns have so far not caused any trouble. I was able to set firefox and e.g. adobe reader as standard and so far have not had any trouble. So far you have been correct most of the time and I take your advice of caution seriously: What kinds of issues would you expect? How would you go about merging?
I used Dism /Online /Export-DefaultAppAssociations and manually copied the associations I wanted, making sure to not have any double extensions or protocols.
If issues present themselves after roll-out I am confident they might be fixable by replacing the xml and / or Dism importing
 
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