Compare Revisions

restore retrieve files information

If you need to create a new Firefox profile, find out how to recover information like bookmarks, history and passwords from an old one.

A Firefox [[Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data|profile]] stores all of your important data, such as your bookmarks, history, cookies, and passwords. This article explains how to copy the files to a new profile, lists important files in the profile and describes what information is stored in these files. {for not fx13} If you are having a problem with Firefox then sometimes, rather than trying to find and fix the exact cause of the problem, it is easier just to make a new Firefox profile and copy your most important data over to it. Making a new Firefox profile and then copying over certain files gives you a fresh start while retaining your important personal data. {/for} {for fx13} If you are having a problem with Firefox then sometimes, rather than trying to find and fix the exact cause of the problem, it is easier just to make a new Firefox profile and copy your most important data over to it. {for not fx35}'''[[Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings|The Reset Firefox feature]] will do this for you automatically.'''{/for}{for fx35}'''[[Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings|The Refresh Firefox feature]] will do this for you automatically.'''{/for} {/for} {note}'''Note:''' Because your preferences and extensions are often the causes of problems, this article does not explain how to copy these between profiles. Therefore, if you follow the steps in this article, you will have to reinstall your extensions and reconfigure your Firefox preferences afterward.{/note} __TOC__ = Back up your current profile = Before starting it is recommended that you make a complete backup of your existing Firefox profile in case something goes wrong. Please read the [[Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles]] article for instructions on how to do this. = Create a new Firefox profile = For information on how to create a brand new Firefox profile, please read the [[Use the Profile Manager to create and remove Firefox profiles]] article, paying specific attention to the '''Creating a profile''' section. = Copying files between profile folders = {note}'''Note:''' Firefox <u>must</u> be closed down while copying files between profile folders.{/note} # [[T:profileFolder]] # [[T:closeFirefox]] # [[T:contextmenu]] on a file you want to copy and choose {menu Copy}. # Open the new Firefox profile folder. # [[T:contextmenu]] inside the profile folder and choose {menu Paste{for mac} Item{/for}}. Repeat steps 4-6 for each file you wish to transfer over to your new profile folder. While copying your personal data from an old Firefox profile to a new Firefox profile, it is possible that you could copy over the file that is causing the problem you are trying to get rid of! The more files you copy over, the greater the chance of this happening. It is therefore recommended that: * You copy over only the minimal amount of files that contain your most important data that you simply can't live without. * You copy over a few files at a time, and then check that the problem you are trying to get rid of hasn't returned. = Your important data and their files = {for not fx26} == Bookmarks and Browsing History == * {filepath places.sqlite} This file contains all your Firefox bookmarks and the list of websites you have previously visited. For more information see [[Create bookmarks to save your favorite webpages]]. {/for} {for fx26} == Bookmarks, Downloads and Browsing History == * {filepath places.sqlite} This file contains all your Firefox bookmarks and lists of files you have downloaded and of websites you have previously visited. For more information see [[Create bookmarks to save your favorite webpages]]. {/for} == Passwords == Your passwords are stored in two different files, both of which are required: * {filepath key3.db} - This file stores your key database for your passwords. To transfer saved passwords, you must copy this file along with the following file. * {for not fx32}{filepath signons.sqlite}{/for}{for fx32}{filepath logins.json}{/for} - Saved passwords. For more information see [[Password manager - Remember, delete and change saved passwords in Firefox]]. == Site-specific preferences == * {filepath permissions.sqlite} This file stores many of your Firefox permissions that are decided on a per-site basis. For example, it stores which sites are allowed to, or blocked from setting cookies, installing extensions, showing images, displaying popups, etc. == Search engines == {for not fx24} * {filepath search.sqlite} * {filepath \searchplugins\} folder If you have installed any extra search engines then they will be in the {filepath \searchplugins\} folder. The {filepath search.sqlite} file stores the order that your search engines appear in Firefox. For more information see [[Search bar - Easily choose your favorite search engine]]. {/for} {for fx24} * {filepath search.json} This file stores the search engine data. For more information see [[Search bar - Easily choose your favorite search engine]]. {/for} == Personal dictionary == * {filepath persdict.dat} This file stores any custom words you have added to Firefox's dictionary. If you have never added a custom word to the Firefox dictionary, then you will not have this file. For more information see [[How do I use the Firefox spell checker?]]. == Autocomplete history == * {filepath formhistory.sqlite} This file remembers what you have searched for in the Firefox search bar and what information you have entered into forms on websites. For more information see [[Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms with your information]]. == Cookies == * {filepath cookies.sqlite} [[Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer|Cookies]] are used by websites for a variety of reasons, some of which include keeping you logged in to a website you have previously logged in to, remembering any preferences a website has allowed you to set, authenticating you as a person who has visited a specific website before, etc. == Security certificate settings == * {filepath cert8.db} This file stores all your security certificate settings and any SSL certificates you have imported into Firefox. == File types and download actions == * {filepath mimeTypes.rdf} This file stores your preferences with respect to what Firefox does when it comes across known file types, such as whether you want to save a file or open it with a specific application. For more information see [[Change what Firefox does when you click on or download a file]]. {for not fx26} == Download history== * {filepath downloads.sqlite} This file stores information about the files you've downloaded. For more information, see [[Use the Downloads window to manage downloaded files]]. {/for} <!-- MZ credit --> <br/> <br/> '''''Based on information from [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox Transferring data to a new profile - Firefox (mozillaZine KB)]'''''