BLUF: Success with updating to version 3.0 via PC/USB/Flashdrive after using MS Edge instead of Firefox as my browser to download the file(s).
Details: What a goatrope! Decided to troubleshoot the website going in to an infinite search mode with the spinning circle. I was using Firefox so did everything I could think of with security software, ad blocker, etc to no avail. I let the system search/spin for over 15 minutes without it ever doing anything else. So I tried MS Edge; it worked! I used a 128GBSanDisk USB thumbdrive for the job. You'll likely need some computer skills since the Ford instructions on how to download the file which is zipped aren't all inclusive. You may have to manually extract the files from the zipped file, but the Ford site indicates that will all happen automatically; mine did not. In the end, you'll want these items on your USB drive and I recommend nothing else: a folder named "SyncMyRide" and 2 files named "autoinstall.lst" and "DONTINX.MSA". Once you finally get those, head to the car and fire it up outside. My infotainment system was booted, on, and playing music from another USB drive in the compartment under the system control head.
Plugged my drive in the the USB port inside the console armrest. Initially, nothing happened. At the 2:30 (minutes:seconds) point, a message appeared at the top of the screen saying "Updating System Software...". Everything else (phone, music, and nav) kept working through the install, so you could do this while driving if desired, except for the last step. The instructions say the step that took me 2.5 minutes could take up to 5. No changes until the 20:30 (yes that's over 20 minutes and the instructions say it could take up to 30) when a new window popped up on the screen saying "You may now remove your USB device. Updates will take effect the next time you start your vehicle" with an option to close that window near the bottom. Shut off system, shut off vehicle, opened and closed door, started vehicle and then checked the Sync page; it shows Version 3.0 build 18093. If only I knew what it updated.... I did notice they moved the steering wheel heat icon to the home page underneath the phone information, but otherwise, I have no idea what updates were made.
So to close out this process, you're supposed to bring the USB drive in and upload a file from it back to the site where you downloaded the updates from. This was somewhat comical. I have no idea why, but even after a PC restart and independent of which browser I use, that website seems to be stuck in some loop where it just autocycles through various pages. I have no problems with any other websites that I routinely use, so I was unable to upload the file to tell the system I now have 3.0 loaded in my vehicle.
In the end, I have trouble imagining anything further from "automatic" in terms of updates and cringe thinking about all my relatives and friends driving these vehicles who quite frankly, wouldn't have any idea where to start to get it to update. Maybe this will all be easier when Skynet becomes self aware (Terminator movie).