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speeding up Firefox

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I clicked on a popup link from Firefox to speed up my browser. Came back to my computer and everything's gone, all my fast links that I had at the top of my screen, like Facebook, Gmail, everything I've saved for quick links over the past 2 years. I want my computer back, just the way I had it. This is a nightmare. I'd much rather my browser run slow (it really wasn't running slow). I tried a system restore, but it didn't restore things the way I had them. Please, what do I do to reverse this nightmare, and please don't ever offer to speed up my browser again.

I clicked on a popup link from Firefox to speed up my browser. Came back to my computer and everything's gone, all my fast links that I had at the top of my screen, like Facebook, Gmail, everything I've saved for quick links over the past 2 years. I want my computer back, just the way I had it. This is a nightmare. I'd much rather my browser run slow (it really wasn't running slow). I tried a system restore, but it didn't restore things the way I had them. Please, what do I do to reverse this nightmare, and please don't ever offer to speed up my browser again.

All Replies (15)

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Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox? Look inside. Look for the folder with the latest creation date.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible

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https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Navigating_to_the_profile_folder

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles


Type about:profiles<enter> in the address bar. How many profiles are listed? How many should be there? Also, open the profile folder in your file explorer.

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I found a file on my desktop called "Old Firefox Data" but what do I do that that? I clicked on the help links supplied, went to the "about:profiles" page, but it only had the new profile that I didn't want in the first place. I didn't have any other profiles listed for me. How do I restore my old profile?

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When you are ready, we can start moving parts of your old data and Copy it to the new profile.


First; open your file browser to the New profile;

Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.

Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder

Linux: Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Directory. To its right press the button Open Directory.


Second, open another file browser to the Old Firefox folder on your desktop. Then open the folder with the latest date, or whatever one you want to use.


Warning ! ! Only Copy the files you are told. We will avoid anything that might cause problems. Here is the list of files;

cookies: cookies.sqlite Do not bother. Cookies will be created when you return to the website. However, you will have to log in everywhere. And you may lose any settings that websites store on your computer.

extensions(add-ons, themes): it would be better to download them fresh. If you need to remember what add-ons you had, open the extensions sub-folder and look at the .xpi files


logins.json and key3.db [v58+]key4.db : These are the password files. Copy Both !

persdict.dat : custom dictionary - words you added to the dictionary

mimeTypes.rdf [v55+]handlers.json : What to do with what type of file.

places.sqlite : History and Bookmarks.

prefs.js : Your settings. Note: If you were having problems, this could be contaminated.

cert8.db [v58+]cert9.db and possibly cert_override.txt : Stores all your security certificate settings and any SSL certificates you have imported into Firefox. If removed, the cert8.db, cert9.db file will be replaced.

search.json.mozlz4 : file stores the user-installed search engines that are available in the Firefox v47+

search.sqlite file and searchplugins folder store the search engines that are available in the Firefox Search bar before Firefox v47


Copy these files from the old to the new. You may get a message that the files already exist. Choose to over-write for each file.

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How do I copy those files to my profile folder? Do I replace the file of the same file name, e.g., replace logins.json w/logins.json? Otherwise, how do I add the file to the folder?

Thank you for helping me. Obviously I'm not too bright when is comes to this stuff. This was a minor nightmare that I didn't ask for. But I digress...

Modified by ginchinchili

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It would be best to open two file browser windows as instructed above. Select each file to Copy. Then, holding down the <Shift> key, hold down the right mouse button one a file and slide it to the profile.

You may get a message that the files already exist. Choose to over-write for each file.

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You say to open up two browsers but to close Firefox. Firefox IS my browser. Do I have to download another, different, browser to do this? What am I missing here? Forgive me my density here, but I'm trying to follow your instructions to the T.

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FredMcD said

It would be best to open two file browser windows
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First, thank you for your patience and your help. I was prevented from copying the following files into my profile, given the following message: Destination Folder Access Denied-You need permission to perform this action: key4.db places.sqlite cert9.db

The following folders weren't in my "Old Firefox Data" folder: key3.db persdict.dat mimeTypes.rdf pref.js cert8.db cert_override.txt search.sqlite file searchplugins

I was able to copy and add these 3 files to my profile: logins.json handlers.json search.json.mozlz4

Unfortunately, what I was most interested in restoring, my bookmarks, which I had across the top of my screen, and a long list off my screen, and used constantly every day, hasn't returned. So what I was told would speed up my browser has now greatly reduced my speed for everything I do on the computer, because I'll have to hunt and search for everything. God, I really didn't need this in my life right now. This happened once before about two years ago. I'm not sure what I did that caused it, but I just resigned myself to it and started over. Worked on it for 2 years. Now I get to start over all over again. Seems like I could do a system restore, a simple process that should restore my system to the way it was before this happened, but that didn't work. I wish Firefox had a system restore, or something comparable. Or better yet, don't have a button pop up promising to speed up your browser, then wiping out everything you've done on your computer that makes working on a computer a lot easier. That's illogical, and downright mean.

Sorry for my venting, but I'm pissed. Not at you. Thank you again for your time and all your help. If you can think of anything that would restore my bookmarks (or whatever you call the links that you put at the top of your screen after "Getting Started") please let me know. Thank you, again for your time and effort. James Kelley

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First, thank you for your patience and your help. I was prevented from copying the following files into my profile, given the following message: Destination Folder Access Denied-You need permission to perform this action: key4.db places.sqlite cert9.db

The following folders weren't in my "Old Firefox Data" folder: key3.db persdict.dat mimeTypes.rdf pref.js cert8.db cert_override.txt search.sqlite file searchplugins

I was able to copy and add these 3 files to my profile: logins.json handlers.json search.json.mozlz4

Unfortunately, what I was most interested in restoring, my bookmarks, which I had across the top of my screen, and a long list off my screen, and used constantly every day, hasn't returned. So what I was told would speed up my browser has now greatly reduced my speed for everything I do on the computer, because I'll have to hunt and search for everything. God, I really didn't need this in my life right now. This happened once before about two years ago. I'm not sure what I did that caused it, but I just resigned myself to it and started over. Worked on it for 2 years. Now I get to start over all over again. Seems like I could do a system restore, a simple process that should restore my system to the way it was before this happened, but that didn't work. I wish Firefox had a system restore, or something comparable. Or better yet, don't have a button pop up promising to speed up your browser, then wiping out everything you've done on your computer that makes working on a computer a lot easier. That's illogical, and downright mean.

Sorry for my venting, but I'm pissed. Not at you. Thank you again for your time and all your help. If you can think of anything that would restore my bookmarks (or whatever you call the links that you put at the top of your screen after "Getting Started") please let me know. Thank you, again for your time and effort. James Kelley

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I called for more help.

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Thank you so much, FredMcD. It might not be fixable. I just wish Firefox didn't entice you to "speed up your browser" with a popup link, and then wipe out everything you've done to set up your computer. I don't get it. The sad irony here is that my browser isn't any faster, but now everything I do takes more time.

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You can check browser.slowStartup prefs on the about:config page for more info about this feature.

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I'm not a computer programmer. These links might as well be in Chinese. All I want to do is get my bookmarks back, to return my computer to exactly how it was working just two days ago before I foolishly clicked Firefox's popup button to speed up my browser. I should never have done that, but it didn't tell me I was about to wipe out my profile or preferences or entire online computer setup.

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I'm not a computer programmer. These links might as well be in Chinese. All I want to do is get my bookmarks back, to return my computer to exactly how it was working just two days ago before I foolishly clicked Firefox's popup button to speed up my browser. I should never have done that, but it didn't tell me I was about to wipe out my profile or preferences or entire online computer setup.