Firefox saves your personal information such as bookmarks, passwords, and user preferences in a set of files called your, which is stored in a separate location from the Firefox program files. You can have multiple Firefox profiles, each containing a separate set of user information. The Profile Manager allows you to create, remove, rename, and switch profiles.
- If you have (or plan to have) multiple installations of Firefox on one computer, see Dedicated profiles per Firefox installation.
- If you are troubleshooting a problem with Firefox: The Refresh Firefox feature can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its default state while saving your essential information. Consider using it before going through a lengthy troubleshooting process.
Table of Contents
Starting the Profile Manager
Manage profiles when Firefox is open
Type about: profiles into the address bar and press the EnterReturn key. This will open the About Profiles page.
The following options are available:
To manage profiles, find the profile you want to change and choose from these buttons underneath that profile:
- Rename Click this to change the name of a profile in the Profile Manager. Note: The folder containing the files for the profile is not renamed.
- Set as default profile This option allows you to switch profiles. Click this to make Firefox use this profile by default at startup.
- Launch profile in new browser When you click this, another Firefox window will open using that profile.
Start the Profile Manager when Firefox is closed
Note: Another way to start the Profile Manager is from the Search box in the Windows Start menu. Close Firefox (if open), press, type firefox.exe -P and press enter.
If the above instructions do not work or if you have multiple installations of Firefox, use the following instructions instead.
Multiple Firefox installations
You can have multiple Firefox programs installed in different locations. To start the Profile Manager for a specific Firefox installation, replace firefox.exe in the above instructions with the full path to the Firefox program, enclose that line in quotes, then add a space followed by -P.
Examples:
Firefox (32-bit) on 64-bit Windows
"C: \ Program Files (x86) \ Mozilla Firefox \ firefox.exe" -P
Removing a profile
After starting the Profile Manager as explained above, you can remove an existing profile as follows:
Renaming a profile
After starting the Profile Manager as explained above, you can rename a profile as follows:
- In the Profile Manager, select the profile to rename, and then click Rename Profile ....
- Enter the new name for the profile. Type in the new profile name, and click on OK.
- Note: The folder containing the files for the profile is not renamed.
Options
Work Offline
Choosing this option loads the selected profile and starts Firefox without connecting to the Internet. You can view previously viewed web pages and experiment with your profile.
Use the selected profile without asking at startup
When you have multiple profiles, this option tells Firefox what to do at startup:
- If you check this option, Firefox will automatically load the selected profile at startup. To access other profiles, you must start the Profile Manager first.
- If you uncheck this option, Firefox will show you the Profile Manager each time you start Firefox, so that you can select a profile to use.
Use Sync with a new profile
When you first open Firefox in a new profile, a Welcome to Firefox page will open, with a space to enter your email address.
What are profiles in Mozilla Firefox? This is a set of settings, user information. Firefox can be launched with a specific profile and then Firefox will have its own settings, plugins, external display, and more. It's almost like having Firefox installed and configured separately.
This way you can create profiles for different users or for one user, but for different tasks.
For example, I needed profiles:
- for everyday work on the Internet - social networks, authorization on the necessary sites, the necessary bookmarks, your own visit history;
- for work - this is authorization, remembering authorization on specific sites. Authorization of other accounts in social networks, etc.
- for mom 🙂 Link to classmates in bookmarks in the most conspicuous place and authorization with memorization on the same site 🙂
The application can be different.
So what exactly is stored in the profiles:
- Bookmarks and browsing history
- Passwords
- Special site settings
- Search engines
- Personal dictionary
- Autocomplete fields
- Cookies / Cookies
- Security certificate settings
- File type management
- User styles
Also, for each profile, you can install your own design and add-ons installed in Firefox in the current profile will also be available only in this profile.
How do I manage Firefox profiles?
To do this, you need to start Firefox with the parameter. You can do this, Start -> Run and then enter (before that you will need to close all open Firefox windows, otherwise the following command will simply launch the browser, and not the profile manager)
firefox.exe -ProfileManager
I just want to note that the checkboxes in the window affect the current launch of the browser. Work offline - means that the browser will work autonomously (with) CEP.
If you select any of the profiles and check the "Do not ask at startup" checkbox, then the next time you start the browser without specifying a profile, it will start with the selected profile. If you uncheck the box, then every time the browser is launched, the choice of a personal profile will be offered. If you checked the "Do not ask at startup" checkbox, but after that you needed to change the default profile, then you will need to start the profile manager again, as described above, and set the necessary settings.
Where is the profile stored? In my Windows XP, the files are stored here. One profile - one folder, for example zwv9xv8q.lampdevru.
C: \ Documents and Settings \ username \ Application Data \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles
C: \ Documents and Settings \ username \ Application Data \ Mozilla \ \ Profiles |
You can also open the profile folder by doing the following: select the menu item Help -> Troubleshooting Information or in a new tab in the address bar we write about: support, the page is loaded, we see the following
How do I launch Firefox with the correct profile?
To do this, the executable file must be run with the parameter -p profile name... For example, you can create a shortcut and write the following in the "Object" property
All of the changes you make in Firefox, like your home page, what toolbars you use, extensions you have installed, saved passwords and your bookmarks, are all stored in a special folder, called a profile... Your profile folder is stored in a separate place from the Firefox program so that, if something ever goes wrong with Firefox, your information will still be there. It also means you can uninstall Firefox without losing your settings and you don "t have to reinstall Firefox to clear your information or troubleshoot a problem.
Table of Contents
How do I find my profile?
Finding your profile without opening Firefox
Firefox your stores profile folder in this location on your computer, by default:
C: \ Users \
Windows hides the AppData folder by default but you can find your profile folder as follows:
- From the Start Screen, click the Desktop tile. The Desktop view will open.
- From the Desktop, hover in the lower right-hand corner to access the Charms.
- Select the Search charm. The Search sidebar will open.
- In the search box, type in:
% APPDATA% \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \
without pressing Enter. A list of profile folders will appear. - Click on the profile folder you wish to open (it will open in a window). If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name.
- Click the Finder icon in the dock. On the menu bar, click the Go menu, hold down the option or alt key and select Library. A window will open containing your Library folder.
- Open the Application Support folder, then open the Firefox folder, and then the Profiles folder.
- Your profile folder is within this folder. If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name.
- (Ubuntu) Click the Places menu on the top right of the screen and select Home Folder. A File Browser window will appear.
- Click the View menu and select Show Hidden Files if it isn "t already checked.
- Double click the folder marked .mozilla.
- Double click the folder marked firefox. Your profile folder is within this folder. If you only have one profile, its folder would have "default" in the name.
What information is stored in my profile?
Note: This is not a complete list. Only important information is described.
- Bookmarks, Downloads and Browsing History: The places.sqlite file contains all your Firefox bookmarks and lists of all the files you "ve downloaded and websites you've visited. The bookmarkbackups folder stores bookmark backup files, which can be used to restore your bookmarks. The favicons.sqlite file contains all of the favicons for your Firefox bookmarks. For more information, see Bookmarks in Firefox and Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer.
- Passwords: Your passwords are stored in the key4.db and logins.json files. For more information, see Password Manager - Remember, delete and edit logins and passwords in Firefox.
- Site-specific preferences: The permissions.sqlite and content-prefs.sqlite files store many of your Firefox permissions (for instance, which sites are allowed to display popups) or zoom levels that are set on a site-by-site basis (see Font size and zoom - increase the size of web pages).
- Search engines: The search.json.mozlz4 file stores user-installed search engines. For more information, see Add or remove a search engine in Firefox.
- Personal dictionary: The persdict.dat file stores any custom words you have added to Firefox "s dictionary. For more information, see How do I use the Firefox spell checker?.
- Autocomplete history: The formhistory.sqlite file remembers what you have searched for in the Firefox search bar and what information you’ve entered into forms on websites. For more information, see Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms.
- Cookies: A cookie is a bit of information stored on your computer by a website you’ve visited. Usually this is something like your site preferences or login status. Cookies are all stored in the cookies.sqlite file.
- DOM storage: DOM Storage is designed to provide a larger, more secure, and easier-to-use alternative to storing information in cookies. Information is stored in the webappsstore.sqlite file for websites and in the chromeappsstore.sqlite for about: * pages.
- Extensions: The extensions folder, if it exists, stores files for any extensions you have installed. To learn more about Firefox extensions and other add-ons, see Find and install add-ons to add features to Firefox.
- Security certificate settings: The cert9.db file stores all your security certificate settings and any SSL certificates you have imported into Firefox.
- Security device settings: The pkcs11.txt file stores security module configuration.
- Download actions: The handlers.json file stores your preferences that tell Firefox what to do when it comes across a particular type of file. For example, these are the settings that tell Firefox to open a PDF file with Acrobat Reader when you click on it. For more information, see Change what Firefox does when you click on or download a file.
- Stored session: The sessionstore.jsonlz4 file stores the currently open tabs and windows. For more information, see Restore previous session - Configure when Firefox shows your most recent tabs and windows.
- Toolbar customization: The xulstore.json file stores toolbar and window size / position settings. For more information, see Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars.
- User preferences: The prefs.js file stores customized user preference settings, such as changes you make in Firefox Options Preferences dialogs. The optional user.js file, if one exists, will override any modified preferences.
All changes made in Firefox such as Homepage panels used, extensions that you installed, your bookmarks and saved passwords are stored in a special folder called "profile". Your profile folder is kept separate from executable files Firefox, so if something goes wrong with Firefox, your information will always be saved. It also means that you can uninstall Firefox without losing your settings, and that you don't need to reinstall Firefox to remove information or fix a problem.
How can I find my profile?
How to find a profile without launching Firefox
Firefox saves your profile folder on your computer, by default in this location:
C: \ Users \
Windows hides the AppData folder by default, but you can find your profile folder as follows:
Click the icon Finder in the dock. On the menu bar, click the Go menu, and hold down the option or alt key and choose Library. A window will open containing your Library folder.
- Open the Application Support folder, in it open the Firefox folder, and in it the Profiles folder.
- Your profile folder is inside this folder. If you have only one profile, its folder will be named "default".
- (Ubuntu) Open the Go menu at the top left of the screen and select Home. The File Browser window will appear.
- Open the View menu and select Show hidden files if not already checked.
- Double click on the .mozilla folder.
- If you have only one profile, its folder will be named "default".
What information is stored in my profile?
Note: This is not a complete list. Only important information is provided.
- Bookmarks, downloads and browsing history: The places.sqlite file contains all of your Firefox bookmarks, lists of all the files you've downloaded, and all the websites you've visited. The bookmarkbackups folder stores bookmark backup files that can be used to restore bookmarks. The favicons.sqlite file contains the favicons for your Firefox bookmarks. For more information, see How to use bookmarks to remember and organize your favorite sites and Restore bookmarks from a backup or transfer them to another computer.
- Passwords: Your passwords are stored in key4.db and logins.json files. For more information, see Saved Passwords - Remember, Delete, Edit Passwords in Firefox.
- Site-specific settings: The permissions.sqlite and content-prefs.sqlite files store multiple Firefox permissions (such as which sites are allowed to open pop-ups) or site-specific zoom levels (see Font size and page scale - increase the size of web pages).
- Search engines: The search.json.mozlz4 file contains the search engines installed by the user. For more information, see Add or remove search engines in Firefox.
- Personal dictionary: The persdict.dat file contains any additional words that you added to the Firefox dictionary. For more information, see How do I check spelling in Firefox? ...
- Autocomplete fields: The file formhistory.sqlite remembers what you searched for in the Firefox search bar and what information you entered in the fields on the sites. For more information, see the article Manage Firefox Automatically Fill In Forms.
- Cookies: Cookies are small pieces of data stored on your computer by the websites you visit. This is usually something like site settings or login status. All cookies are stored in the cookies.sqlite file.
- DOM storage: DOM storage is intended to provide a larger, safer, and easier-to-use alternative to storing information in cookies. The information is stored in the webappsstore.sqlite file for websites and in the chromeappsstore.sqlite file for about: * pages.
- Extensions: The extensions folder, if it exists, stores the files for all the extensions you have installed. To learn more about Firefox extensions and other add-ons, see Find and install add-ons to add features to Firefox.
- Security certificate settings: The cert9.db file contains all of your security certificate settings and all SSL certificates that you imported into Firefox.
- Protection device settings: The pkcs11.txt file stores the configuration of the security modules.
- File upload actions: The handlers.json file contains your settings that tell Firefox what to do when it sees certain file types. For example, these settings tell Firefox to open PDF files with Acrobat Reader when you click on them. For more information, see the article Changing how Firefox behaves when a file is clicked or downloaded.
- Saved Session: The sessionstore.jsonlz4 file stores open ones in this moment tabs and windows. For more information, see Restore a Previous Session - Configure when Firefox displays your most recent tabs and windows.
- Toolbar settings: The xulstore.json file stores toolbar settings and window positions / sizes. Read the article for more information.
Hello everyone who came to the site for Internet beginners. On the pages of our resource, we talked about the Mozilla Firefox browser, how to install it, its settings, etc. For more details, see the dedicated to this topic. Today we will consider what a profile is, how to find it, what files are in it and what they are responsible for.
During the installation of the browser, a special folder is created in which all our information will be stored in the future: sessions, passwords, bookmarks, installed extensions, various panels and much more. This folder is called " profile».
It is stored separately from all browser program files. This means that you can safely uninstall, reinstall Mozilla Firefox. Your profile data will be saved. Or vice versa, if you have a problem, then you do not have to delete the browser, but simply delete the profile and thus solve your problem.
Where is the firefox profile
There are two ways to find out where the firefox profile folder is. Let's consider them.
Using a browser... Launch it, open the main menu and click on the small icon with a question mark.
This will open the Help Department.
And go to " Troubleshooting Information».
The details page about Mozilla Firefox will appear in front of us. In the column "" click on the button " Show folder". In a second, it will open in front of you. All your information from this browser is stored here.
You can go to this profile folder without opening Firefox - the keyboard shortcuts Win and R (Win + R). When using them, a window appears " Execute»
We enter the following command “ % APPDATA% \ Mozilla \ Firefox \ Profiles \"And click" Ok ". Explorer will open, where the profile folder will be indicated, in which the word default will be indicated, in approximately the following format (xxxxxxxxx.default-00000000000).
What's stored in a Mozilla Firefox profile
Now let's take a look at what exactly is stored in the profile folder.
Bookmarks, history, data about uploaded files are contained in the file places.sqlite
Everything backups your bookmarks are stored in the folder bookmarkbackups... In order to restore bookmarks from a backup copy, open the browser, click on the button Import and backups
You can use another way to save bookmarks -.
Data on passwords that you save in the browser are stored in files logins.json and key3.db
For sites such as: where and which pop-ups to show are in files permissions.sqlite and content-prefs.sqlite
List of installed search engines displays file search.json.mozlz4
File formhistory.sqlite contains data about the search or those that you entered on various sites. Created for autocomplete form fields on resources.
An alternative to cookies is storage DOM, it is larger in volume, safe. The file is responsible for storing information webappsstore.sqlite
Everything extension data that you installed in the browser are stored in the folder extensions
If you installed security and SSL certificates, then all their settings are stored in the file cert8.db
Database protection modules stored in secmod.db
File mimeTypes.rdf tells the browser which to execute boot actions this or that file. For example, open .pdf file in Acrobat Reader
All data about MIME types installed plugins are contained in the file pluginreg.dat
Location settings toolbars, sizes and positions of windows are stored in xulstore.json
All browser settings that we ourselves set in the Settings window are saved in the file prefs.js
We have covered the most important data for saving and restoring. So, today we learned what a profile is, where it is located and what is in it.
On this, let's finish today. Next time we'll talk about how to manage passwords in Mozilla Firefox. Until next time!
Everyone is unhappy just as much as he considers himself unhappy.
Giacomo Leopardi