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Firefox windows finally gets 64-bit

by on16 December 2015


Mozilla wakes up

Mozilla has finally delivered a 64-bit version of Firefox.

Firefox 43 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android went live this morning. Notable additions to the browser include a 64-bit version for Windows and a new stricter blocklist for the browser’s tracking protection feature.

Users should be able to upgrade to it automatically and the Android version on Google Play.

This new version works on Windows 7 and above, meaning it should work on about 80 percent of Windows computers. You can download Firefox 64-bithere.
If you get it you can run larger applications, get quicker execution, and increased security.

Mozilla says 64-bit Firefox is faster because it can access new hardware registers and instructions. This significantly speeds up how quickly JavaScript code can run.

The increased address space also lets Firefox use hardware memory protection and improves the effectiveness of ASLR (address space layout randomization). The end result means it is harder for malicious web content to exploit the browser.

The only downside is that there is a limited support for plugins, but since Firefox is thinking of dropping support for NPAPI plugins in Firefox by the end of next year that might not be an issue.
A 64-bit Firefox for Mac OS X and Linux has been available for years, but on Windows the feature never made it past the Nightly channel.

In November 2014, the company promised to ship Firefox 64-bit for Windows “soon.” In March, the company launched a 64-bit version of Firefox Developer Edition. Now a stable release is finally available.

In this build Firefox has also gained a new blocklist. Firefox 42 added tracking protection to the browser’s Private Browsing mode.

The default protection list in Firefox’s Private Browsing blocks many advertising, analytics, and social trackers. Just like in Focus, Firefox now allows you to choose a “strict” protection blocklist that blocks additional content trackers.

This is only for the privacy-conscious user as it will break many sites completely.

Last modified on 16 December 2015
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