How to Disable Frequent Updates in FileZilla FTP Client

12 comments

Like many other people, I use FileZilla as the FTP client to connect to various FTP servers and transfer files. But I do not use it very frequently. Recently, whenever I launch FileZilla, it starts to download the updated version and install it. This is alright if it happens once in a while, but if is happening every single time you launch FileZilla then it soon becomes very annoying. So if you do not want to bothered by the updates every few days in FileZilla, then you can disable the updates or change their frequency in the following manner:

Method 1: From FileZilla Settings

  1. Launch FileZilla, click on the Edit and then select Settings from the menubar.FileZilla Disable Updates
  2. In the Settings window, select Updates page from the left side list.
  3. On the updates page, you can change the updates frequency to never, once a day or once a week. For disabling the updates altogether, you should select Never. But it is suggested that you select Once a week, so that FileZilla does not check for the updates every day.FileZilla Disable Updates
  4. Click on the OK button to save the settings.

Method 2: Edit XML configuration file

Since the FileZilla client settings offer to change the update frequency to daily or weekly only, you have to edit the configuration files manually if you want a longer frequency for updates. Here is how:

  1. Install Notepad++ in your PC. It makes editing files easier. But you can use Windows Notepad too.
  2. Press the hotkey Win+R to open the Run dialog.
  3. Type %AppData%\FileZilla in the Run dialog and press Enter.
  4. Right-click on filezilla.xml file and select Edit with Notepad++ or Edit in case you want to use Windows Notepad.FileZilla Disable Updates
  5. Scroll down, find the setting Update Check and set its value to 1. This enabled the automatic updates.
  6. Similarly, find the setting Update Check Interval and set its value to number of days, e.g., 30. You can set the value to 7 for once a week, 1 for once every day, and so on.
  7. Press Ctrl + S to save the file.
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12 comments

  1. I changed *ALL* references in *.xml to “don’t check” and it still checks.

    Disable updates
    Check for updates
    Last update checked date
    Update frequency
    Current version
    Version to check for
    and on and on.

    Still checks for updates anyway. Filezilla definitely wants you do run the “install bloatware” version of their “better” software.

  2. The original article does NOT solve anything.
    Some of the comments seem to have the real solution, but they are written so poorly you can’t possible follow them.

    > That worked!!! (tells me nothing, because you didn’t say *WHAT* worked???)

    > 1. in your download folder, find and delete the new version installer

    What ‘download folder’? How do I “find” the new version installer?

    > 2. in the xml file, replace the block of lines beginning with and ending with with just one line

    Which xml file? What does “with with” mean?

  3. It doesn’t work for me. Every time I open FileZilla, there’s the update popup, everytime, and the install file is downloaded in the background. I want to STOP THIS.

  4. The frequent update nagging seems to be an enabler for adding new sneakware to their distribution. After my last update (just to get rid of the nagging) I all by sudden found Opera installed on my computer, plus that I had a warning from Symantec about installed malware.
    I think I am moving back to manual ftp or scp…

    Or do anybody know about any alternatives?

  5. Disabling Updates of a networked program is basically a bad idea.
    Filezilla should change their Update policy and not push out every minor update.
    last update was appearance of file-sort indicators

    1. > Disabling Updates of a networked program is basically a bad idea.

      You obviously don’t use Filezilla. The “updates” are loaded with forced ‘other software’ installers.

  6. Re: Trisha, February 14, 2016
    – Getting rid of the ‘update reminder’ (in my case Win7) every time FZ starts, delete the entire (long) setting line in filezilla.xml:
    *Setting name=”Update Check New Version”*nightly…etc
    Backup first(!)
    *=’greater/smaller than.

  8. Well illustrated, easy to follow instructions. Many thanks.
    Unfortunately, did not work for me.
    Found Update check already set to 0. Changed interval to 365. No help.
    Deleted all references (two of them, it turned out) to Inmotion in the registry. No help. Appears that my version of FileZilla (3.25.2) reaches out to Inmotion’s website and loads a window. Annoying (I update my personal website at least once a week) but not a show stopper.
    Ideas welcome, though.

    1. Steve, there are two steps to follow to prevent installing an already downloaded version of filezilla and fix your problem

      1. in your download folder, find and delete the new version installer
      2. in the xml file, replace the block of lines beginning with and ending with with just one line

      I had the same problem with the same filezilla version and I fixed this way.

      1. I try to write in another way, since my comment has been stripped and appeares with no quotation marks LESS-THAN and GREATER-THAN and without its content

        2. in the xml file, replace the block of lines beginning with

        LESS-THAN SIGN Setting name=”Update Check New Version” / GREATER-THAN SIGN and ending with with just one line

        LESS-THAN SIGN Setting name=”Update Check New Version” / GREATER-THAN SIGN

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