How to run Firefox when your profile is missing or inaccessible
Revision Information
- Revision id: 77677
- Created:
- Creator: AliceWyman
- Comment: added "Note:" to Windows note
- Reviewed: Yes
- Reviewed:
- Reviewed by: AliceWyman
- Is approved? Yes
- Is current revision? No
- Ready for localization: Yes
- Readied for localization:
- Readied for localization by: AliceWyman
Revision Source
Revision Content
Firefox stores your user data and settings in a special profile folder and pulls information from this folder every time you start Firefox. The default profile folder location is under the %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles ~/.mozilla/firefox ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles folder, which you can find using these instructions.
If you see an error message stating that Your Firefox profile cannot be loaded. It may be missing or inaccessible, it means that Firefox can't find the profile folder. If you moved, renamed, or deleted your Firefox profile folder, try one of these methods to resolve this issue.
Profile was moved or renamed
If you know where your profile is, try one of the following methods to help Firefox find it.
- Move the profile folder back to its original location.
- Restore the profile's original name if you've changed it.
- Create a new profile using the Profile Manager. Give it a descriptive name, click on the button, and then select the profile folder you moved or renamed, before you finish the Create a new profile wizard.
Profile was deleted
If you deleted or lost your profile folder and have no way of restoring it, use one of these methods to create a new Firefox profile:
Method 1: Use the Profile Manager wizard
Follow the steps in the Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles article to create a new profile.
Method 2: Manually delete the profiles.ini file
If you have problems accessing the Profile Manager, you can create a new default Firefox profile by deleting the profiles.ini file, using these steps:
- Click on the Windows and type %APPDATA%\Mozilla\ in the search box., click on , type %APPDATA%\Mozilla\ in the Run box and click OK. button
- Double-click the Firefox folder to open it.
- Delete (or rename, for example, to profiles.iniOLD) the profiles.ini file.
When you start Firefox, a new profile will be created.
- (Ubuntu) Click the menu on the top right of the screen and select . A File Browser window will appear.
- Click the menu and select if it isn't already checked.
- Double click the folder marked .mozilla.
- Double click the folder marked firefox.
- Delete (or rename, for example, to profiles.iniOLD) the profiles.ini file.
When you start Firefox, a new profile will be created.
- Navigate to your user ~/Library folder:
- (OS X 10.6) Click the Finder icon in the dock. Your home folder will be selected, (usually the name of your Mac user account). In the right side of the window, click the Library folder to open it.
- (OS X 10.7 and above) Click the Finder icon in the dock. On the menu bar, click the option or alt key and select . A window will open containing your Library folder. menu, hold down the
- Click on the Application Support folder, then go to the Firefox folder.
- Delete (or rename, for example, to profiles.iniOLD) the profiles.ini file.
When you start Firefox, a new profile will be created.
Based on information from Profile cannot be loaded (mozillaZine KB)