Watch your language. I have reported the post and a Moderator will edit for profanity. See: https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Forum+and+Chat+Rules+and+Guidelines

I do not know where the auto update originated from. The release of Firefox 3.6.9 is scheduled for Tuesday and I am unable to find a final version of it on the servers. Only a release candidate appears on the servers as has been the case for a few days and that version is not being sent out as an auto update, unless your about:config preference app.update.channel is set for to beta which would include release candidates. See:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/App.update.channel
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config

As for your Bookmarks, see: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Lost+Bookmarks (for Bookmark backups, see the last item).

You may have been hit by a fake update notice. Did you see anything like the image in this article while browsing a site: http://free-7.blogspot.com/2010/08/malware-looks-like-firefox-update-fake.html OR this http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=1452

If so do a thorough malware check: Download, install and update as many of the following as possible until your infections are cleaned.

1. The free versions of these scanners will detect infections and clean your system; no need to purchase
2. Different malware scanners detect some malware that other scanners do not.
3. Some stubborn malware will need to be removed in Windows Safe Mode with Networking

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware - http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php
• SuperAntispyware - http://www.superantispyware.com/
• AdAware - http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/
• Spybot Search & Destroy - http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html
• Windows Defender - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx
• Dr. Web Cureit - http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/

If these don't find or can't clear the infection(s), post in one of these forums for specialized malware removal help:

1. Read and follow their rules for posting
2. Follow their instructions to the letter
3. Be patient; you are put in a queue and you will get a response when they get to your post

• http://bleepingcomputer.com
• http://www.spywareinfoforum.com/
• http://www.spywarewarrior.com/index.php
• http://forum.aumha.org/

edited my original post to lose the salty language...but i am still angry. I didnt ask how i get all my various things back...what in the funny bunny is the point of doing all that if its possible that firefox will do this again???

i said i already had to go thru several steps...as if i am some sort of programmer or something to fix my bookmarks...but i asked why it happened "why"? not just how to fix it.... i am on the beta list...and it was clicked..but what does that have to do with an update washing out me completely...i even lost every single cookie and password...and just going in to bank showed i lost all fields that were saved... ..so if someone else can point out why it never did this before and has now...so i can choose to keep this version or either go back to an older one...or just go back to IE...that is what i was asking...dont want to dig around like a programmer.

well..i see you edited your original post and i have too. my language is not salty. i see you actually added some helpful stuff. if your original post had all this i wouldnt have been so upset. i did not see any fake stuff...it did it on its own. i fired up my browser and voila...everything was gone.

Dis you check the pref setting that I mentioned????

Hi, i am sorry, are you referring to the auto updates? I did check and saw that it was checked to automatically update on its own whenever one was available and i have disabled that? If you are referring to the about config thingy..i am not that good and technical minded..i do know that after the update it said as a beta tester etc etc ..so i am in the category. sorry otherwise, not sure what to check. I am finding out my entire cache and cookies are all gone...i am going to my sites and having to dig out all kinds of normally saved info..and starting from scratch.

No, I am referring to the 2nd paragraph in my post concerning app.update.channel:

• Look at the article http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config as to how to use about:config and
• the article http://kb.mozillazine.org/App.update.channel for possible settings.

You were angry when you first posted!!
You language was not salty, it was OBSCENE!!!

For your edification,

• We are all uncompensated volunteers here.
• Respect us, we will respect you.
• Disrespect will get you no answers. I skipped over your question the first time, then went back to it, thinking "This guy needs help".
• In the future, I will consider responding to such posts a third or fourth time before responding.

Look my initial vulgarities were not directed at you..when i first posted i was the first to post right? So if i had frustration and curses it was directed at whoever developed and allowed an update to screw me. Which it did. I find that mozilla and things like firefox are like android vs apple...you get all kinds of freedome and customization..but then you also get crap. Like the update thrown my way that lost everything i had. It wasnt at you...it wasnt at anyone on this forum ...so i apologize, but can we move on?

The suggestions you had are too much for me. I read them...i even typed about config into my browser and i am not the type to know how..or even want to know...how to go thru a couple thousand booleans? positive negative etc ..whatever values ...i got lost two minutes in.

I just want to click and save bookmarks..i just want to add a theme...and browse. in return for that..if mozilla asks that i get rolled over by having all of it disappear..and have to go thru jumping hoops to get it all back. Forget it.

Why can they not have an update that retains bookmarks? that retains your them unless incompatable. it didnt even say that it was incompatable or that it was under review or nothing.

I am not technical minded enough to mess around with things called booleans.

I guess i should not have even posted since the developers are not going to read or care about my comment. So why bother. Funny how change should be an improvement..and not just change for changes sake.

Your apology is accepted. In the future please post a question in an acceptable manner without raving.

I have used Firefox for many, many years (and Netscape before Firefox) and have never experienced the kind of problem you did today. I have never experienced a problem with updating, never lost bookmarks or anything else. Just in case, I keep all of my settings, bookmarks, everything backed up daily using an extension named FEBE; look on the add-ons site. I also keep an image of my hard drive in case of a catastrophic system failure.

If you are dissatisfied with your browser, there are others to choose.

For the pref setting:

• type about:config in the URL/location bar and press the Enter key
• accept the warning (promise to be careful)
• Filter = app.update.channel
• if the Value column is not release
  • right-click on the pref in the lower section of the window and choose Modify
  • in the small pop-up, type release (lower case)
  • click OK
  • close the about:config tab
  • you may need to restart Firefox
• if the Value column is "release", close the about:config tab; no change needed.

Hi sharkhark,

If you have feedback for the developers, please go to http://hendrix.mozilla.org/

Helper7677,

If you ever see rule breaking, it is best to just report it to a moderator and not to comment to the original poster about it. A moderator will do that if necessary.

Hi, thanks. Re the last suggestions re about config etc...it doesn under that section of app update channel have a value like you said. it says beta under that value sections. not sure what this means.

thanks for that. i was wrong for venting that way originally and re suggestions. I did do that already. It has a msg though warning you not to expect anything back and i dont...over the years i made just a couple suggestions and never did get a response, nor see a change...so dont expect it now..but i have sent it. i get more help around here or on the net than i would from the developers.

its like my current dilemma of new smart phone...go with android...freedom...along with balky software and unexpected and unexplained glitches... ..go with apple..and be totally controlled down to how your phone looks and acts...but get rock solid support and software.

i see firefox as an attractive IE alternative..but when it does something so frustratingly time consuming to fix like today.

it just beats you down. Literally spent four hours now fixing something that should never have been an issue in first place.

"...it says beta under that value sections. not sure what this means" Spend more time reading the responses to you and less time writing and you will discover the following.

My first post said, at the end of the 2nd paragraph:
"...unless your about:config preference app.update.channel is set to beta which would include release candidates."

In my post giving you the step-by-step instructions for about:config, look at the steps under:

• if the Value column is not release

Did you look at the article: http://kb.mozillazine.org/App.update.channel
Under "Possible values and their effects" it says

• "(The type of build you originally downloaded determines the default value of this pref.)"
• beta
  • Betas, release candidates, and final releases.

THAT IS THE REASON YOU GOT THE RELEASE CANDIDATE!

Could you specifically...not reply any more. I dont want to have to report you. But now you are using capital letters and shouting etc. You can quickly point out a few words i missed in a reply that was several paragraphs long..with several very technical instructions and links and..well...just plain stuff that i dont understand..nor do i want to go tinkering in things like a about config.

if it was meant for simple minded people like me it wouldnt have such a large warning not to go in there.

I would like suggestions from other people please, please accept thanks for trying to help, but please move on.

IF anyone else can help give me an answer to 'why' i lost all my bookmarks etc...all themes..i would appreciate it. I am being informed til my nose is rubbed in it..that some settings allowed it to update..i understood that four hours ago..what i did not understand is why i have had many many updates...most with word beta in them...and yet they never ever took everything away from me and wiped it completely clean.

Did i ever get a msg..."hey that theme is incompatable with this firefox version! Sure..no biggie...happened a few times. But did i ever have an update that took bookmarks away..themes away with no warning....basically all extensions...many of them well regarded and meant to work with any version.... ..no ..that never happened before.

and please...if you do reply with those answers...no shouting...got a headache. ps apologize in advance for being so low in technical knowledge....

Posted in error - my apologies!

Hi,

We use Firefox on all our business computers. This morning the auto upgrade took place from 3.6.8 to 3.6.9. Like the first user we lost all our cookies/passwords/auto complete. This resulted in frustrated users and complaints to our IT support.

So far this has not happened. My app.update.channel is set to release.

Recovery of our passwords would be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Update] Much to my surprise all passwords reappeared out of the blue. First I noticed just after submitting this post that at another site my username had suddenly appeared. Checking my passwords list also revealed all password for all my sites. Even better also at other computers passwords and auto complete worked again. I have no clue about the reason, but I am happy.

All I can say is Google Chrome is looking better by the minute. I lost all cookies/passwords/auto complete, as well.