Where to Download Firefox 52 ESR (52.3.0esr) — the Official Mozilla Archive
Banking software usually has its quirks: sometimes it needs an old Java, sometimes a new one. Sometimes the new Java turns out to be too new. Sometimes the browser supports Java plugins, and then newer versions drop them completely. It’s more about Java itself, but that’s the developers’ choice.
Once I was asked to find Firefox 52.3.0esr — that exact version and no other. Fine, I offered to help — and was pleasantly surprised.
The official archive of every Firefox version
Other teams could learn a thing or two from the Mozilla Firefox developers. Their site hosts folders with every version of Firefox — from 0.10 all the way to 69.0b9 (the newest one at the moment):
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/firefox/releases/
That’s the right approach: sometimes you need an older version of a program (for an old PC, say), and you end up digging through the internet. Links to the official site are long dead, and the files survive only on third-party sites where they may come bundled with malware. Here, everything is official.
Why it has to be Firefox 52 ESR
- The Java plugin. Firefox 52 ESR is the last version that runs NPAPI plugins, including Java. The regular Firefox 52 and every newer version have them disabled, so banking software built on Java applets won’t start there. Make sure to get the version with esr in its name.
- Older Windows. It’s also the last Firefox version for Windows XP and Vista.
How to download Firefox 52.3.0esr
- Open the version folder: releases/52.3.0esr/.
- Choose win32 (32-bit) or win64.
- Open your language folder — for US English it’s en-US.
- Download the installer Firefox Setup 52.3.0esr.exe.
Direct link to the 32-bit US English version: 52.3.0esr/win32/en-US/.
If your bank doesn’t require exactly 52.3.0, it’s better to get the last release of this branch — 52.9.0esr: it has more security fixes, and plugins work just the same.
32 or 64 bits? The browser and Java must have the same bitness. Banking software is usually built for 32-bit Java, so the safer choice is 32-bit Firefox (win32).
Turn off automatic updates
Otherwise Firefox will update itself to a newer version, and Java will stop working again. Right after installing, go to Options → Advanced → Update and choose “Never check for updates”.
A word on security
An old browser no longer gets fixes, so use it only for your banking software. Keep a separate, modern browser for everyday browsing.
Mozilla’s approach — keeping every version available — makes it quick, easy and safe to find exactly what you need!