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Internet Shortcuts saved on Desktop open new instance of Firefox 3.6 using clean profile--how can I make it open all shortcuts using current profile?

AnonymousUser
AnonymousUser
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I rely heavily on Firefox's profiling ability to assist me in my web design projects. Lately, using Firefox 3.6, I have run into some problems with how it opens Internet Shortcuts that are saved locally (i.e.- shortcuts that reside on my Desktop). When I double-click on one of these shortcuts, a new instance of Firefox 3.6 is loaded with the saved website from the shortcut, but it's also initialized a fresh profile (i.e.- my bookmarks are gone, no add-ons, etc.--it's as if it uses some sort of "hidden" clean slate to load the shortcuts).

Is there any way to force Firefox to load all shortcuts into whatever profile I'm currently using at that given moment? I think the reason this has happened to begin with is because of the fact that I did some stuff to Internet Explorer awhile back that caused some problems with the Internet Shortcut associations and it all led to this eventuality.

I'm running Windows XP Pro and have the following profiles with my Firefox versions: "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 3.6\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p Firefox3.6 "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox N\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p FirefoxN "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 3\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p Firefox3 "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 2\firefox.exe" --no-remote -p Firefox2

When I go into the "Folder Options / File Types" and double-click on "Internet Shortcut", I have the following within the "Advanced" settings (for the "open" action):

Action: open Application used to perform action: rundll32.exe shdocvw.dll,OpenURL %l "Use DDE" is checked... "DDE Message" is blank... "Application" is "shdocvw"... "DDE Application Not Running" is blank... "Topic" is "System"

Again, I think the root problem here is to do with the profiles and how they're handled when being opened with Firefox but I can't discern how to apply a fix with all this as I've obviously goobered this up a bit. I would really appreciate some professional knowledge on this and would prefer to avoid any reinstalls of anything if possible.

I rely heavily on Firefox's profiling ability to assist me in my web design projects. Lately, using Firefox 3.6, I have run into some problems with how it opens Internet Shortcuts that are saved locally (i.e.- shortcuts that reside on my Desktop). When I double-click on one of these shortcuts, a new instance of Firefox 3.6 is loaded with the saved website from the shortcut, but it's also initialized a fresh profile (i.e.- my bookmarks are gone, no add-ons, etc.--it's as if it uses some sort of "hidden" clean slate to load the shortcuts). Is there any way to force Firefox to load all shortcuts into whatever profile I'm currently using at that given moment? I think the reason this has happened to begin with is because of the fact that I did some stuff to Internet Explorer awhile back that caused some problems with the Internet Shortcut associations and it all led to this eventuality. I'm running Windows XP Pro and have the following profiles with my Firefox versions: "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 3.6\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p Firefox3.6 "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox N\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p FirefoxN "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 3\firefox.exe" -no-remote -p Firefox3 "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 2\firefox.exe" --no-remote -p Firefox2 When I go into the "Folder Options / File Types" and double-click on "Internet Shortcut", I have the following within the "Advanced" settings (for the "open" action): Action: open Application used to perform action: rundll32.exe shdocvw.dll,OpenURL %l "Use DDE" is checked... "DDE Message" is blank... "Application" is "shdocvw"... "DDE Application Not Running" is blank... "Topic" is "System" Again, I think the root problem here is to do with the profiles and how they're handled when being opened with Firefox but I can't discern how to apply a fix with all this as I've obviously goobered this up a bit. I would really appreciate some professional knowledge on this and would prefer to avoid any reinstalls of anything if possible.

All Replies (2)

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
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To save your sanity with this issue, my advice is to find a method other than desktop shortcuts to open those URL's.

1. Desktop shortcuts are going to open the Default Browser. a. With multiple versions of Firefox installed that would be the last version that was installed when you have Firefox set as the Default Browser in Windows.. b. The Default Browser is going to use the Profile that shows a Default=1 in the profiles.ini file. c. The Default Browser with the Default Profile isn't going to open if you have any other versions of Firefox already running, and the -no-remote command line parameter doesn't work in this situation.

2. The use of multiple Profiles and multiple versions isn't officially supported by Mozilla, and all the Bug reports that I have ever read about Requests for Enhancement have been WONTFIX'd by the developers. Basically we have to work with the limitations in Firefox and maybe improvise work arounds by ourselves. I've even seen a few threats about removing Profiles altogether in RFE Bug reports about Profiles.

I have had so many problems over the years with this Default Browser / Default Profile thing over the years that personally I find it easier to just set Opera as the Default Browser in Windows rather than have a Profile get b0rked because some other program I am using decides it wants to open the Default Browser unexpectedly. I don't use Opera for much, but it is a lot better than IE for purposes of being the Default Browser, considering the quirks I have seen with Firefox and multiple Profiles.

I have written a number of postings over at the MozillaZine Builds forum over the years about installing multiple versions of Firefox and using multiple Profiles. There's a lot of tips and comments provided by other multiple Profile users in one of those threads. Why don't you read those threads and see if it gives you some ideas or solutions I haven't thought of.

http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1062975 http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=613873 http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=462431 The last thread listed has a lot of comments offered by other users, the first two threads were locked as a How-to sticky thread.

AnonymousUser
AnonymousUser Question owner
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...why am I not surprised about any of this...

  • Walks off shaking head... *