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Unable to restore previous session (even after re-installing and creating new profile)

  • 8 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 20 views
  • Last reply by SHL

Hello everybody,

After around 10 years as a happy user of Firefox I might be forcet to switch to Safari after I started using Osx this month. This because of a very disappointing problem: I am completely unable to restore tabs from the previous session.

My problem is: even if I select the "Restore previous session" option in the settings, every time I try to close Firefox I am asked if I want to close all my tabs. And, of course, if I say yes, the browser does so: I start FF again and no tabs from the previous session is shown. I already looked for solution, followed the guide and answers to other questions, as well as asked on the Italian forum: I tried to create new profiles, deleted all settings and reinstalled FF; I checked the settings in about: config, but everytime I got the same result.

For the moment I am being able to keep using Firefox because using the Osx option to reopen all application at the next start, so I practically never close Firefox.

I hope I was clear enough and I gave all the information needed.

Thank you to anyone who will help me!

Hello everybody, After around 10 years as a happy user of Firefox I might be forcet to switch to Safari after I started using Osx this month. This because of a very disappointing problem: I am completely unable to restore tabs from the previous session. My problem is: even if I select the "Restore previous session" option in the settings, every time I try to close Firefox I am asked if I want to close all my tabs. And, of course, if I say yes, the browser does so: I start FF again and no tabs from the previous session is shown. I already looked for solution, followed the guide and answers to other questions, as well as asked on the Italian forum: I tried to create new profiles, deleted all settings and reinstalled FF; I checked the settings in about: config, but everytime I got the same result. For the moment I am being able to keep using Firefox because using the Osx option to reopen all application at the next start, so I practically never close Firefox. I hope I was clear enough and I gave all the information needed. Thank you to anyone who will help me!

Chosen solution

Did you check for History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows ?

Make sure that you do not close open windows before closing the Firefox application, but close the Firefox application (Firefox > Quit) while the window(s) are still open. Otherwise you only close the current window and Firefox won't restore that window on the next start. In case of the latter check for "History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows".

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All Replies (8)

First, could you make sure you have Firefox set to start up with your previous session windows and tabs:

Startup, home page, tabs, and download settings

Next, could you make sure Firefox is not set to clear history when it closes? This is set in Privacy Preferences (sorry, I only know the English terms):

"3-bar" menu button (or Firefox menu) > Preferences

In the left column, click Privacy.

On the right side, if it says "Firefox will: Remember history" change that to "Firefox will: Use custom settings for history".

Make sure:

  • There IS a checkmark next to "Remember my browsing and download history"
  • There IS NOT a checkmark next to "Clear history when Firefox closes"

Example screen shot attached.

With that combination, Firefox should retain and restore your tabs.

Thanks for the answer!

I checked all the settings and they are as you said.

I attach the screenshots (sorry, they are in Italian).

This is very strange. Firefox should only ask about closing the tabs in that last window if Firefox is set to start up with the home page or a blank page. Somehow the setting shown in Preferences is not actually working.

After startup, you should still be able to use the History menu > Restore Previous Session even if Firefox displays the home page. But that definitely is not 100% reliable.

I wonder whether you might want to try this extension as a possible backup: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/session-manager/

I tried again: after I close Firefox (and it closes all tabs) and I restart I don't have the option in History to restore the tabs from the previous session.

I noticed that I dont have a sessionstore.js file in my profile folder, though I have the session-store folder.

And I was wondering, is it possible that this problem is related to Osx and not Firefox?

Thanks again for the support! If I don't find any other solution I might try the addon you proposed.

Many Firefox users run on MacOS X, so this really should work.

When Restore Previous Sessions is grayed, it usually indicates that the session has already been restored. When you check the History menu, is anything useful listed under (Previously) Closed Windows.?

Note: When Firefox shuts down properly, it creates the sessionstore.js file in your profile folder as part of its file cleanup. At startup, it reads the file and removes it, maintaining the recovery.js and previous.js files in the sessionstore-backups folder. Those files are constantly updated during your session. So after Firefox starts up, it's normal not to find sessionstore.js.

Chosen Solution

Did you check for History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows ?

Make sure that you do not close open windows before closing the Firefox application, but close the Firefox application (Firefox > Quit) while the window(s) are still open. Otherwise you only close the current window and Firefox won't restore that window on the next start. In case of the latter check for "History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows".

jscher2000 said

When Restore Previous Sessions is grayed, it usually indicates that the session has already been restored. When you check the History menu, is anything useful listed under (Previously) Closed Windows.?

Wow! I finally have something! The window of the previous session is in "Restore closed windows" (all tabs are there) with other two windows with the FF home page.

jscher2000 said

Note: When Firefox shuts down properly, it creates the sessionstore.js file in your profile folder as part of its file cleanup. At startup, it reads the file and removes it, maintaining the recovery.js and previous.js files in the sessionstore-backups folder. Those files are constantly updated during your session. So after Firefox starts up, it's normal not to find sessionstore.js.

As regards the profile folder, I checked it when Firefox was closed: there was no sessionstore.js.

cor-el said

Did you check for History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows ? Make sure that you do not close open windows before closing the Firefox application, but close the Firefox application (Firefox > Quit) while the window(s) are still open. Otherwise you only close the current window and Firefox won't restore that window on the next start. In case of the latter check for "History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows".

AH! I feel so stupid now! I got it!

In Osx if you close the window you don't close the application, even if you only have one window open. It was that simple: it's just that I am not used to Osx and I didn't notice it.

Thank you very much for your help! I hope it will be useful for other distracted new Osx users at least.