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Does upgrade delete any exceptions, preferences or settings?

  • 13 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 23 views
  • Last reply by Sue

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I keep getting reminders that there is a new release of Firefox.

Does it delete any preferences, exceptions, settings, etc?

Any reported bugs with it?

Thanks.

I keep getting reminders that there is a new release of Firefox. Does it delete any preferences, exceptions, settings, etc? Any reported bugs with it? Thanks.

Chosen solution

Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles {web link} I use a Legacy add-on that makes backups of my user profile, Just In Case. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with the current Firefox.

Every now and then, open the profile folder and create a copy of the current profile as is to another location on your hard drive. This way you will have a backup.

If you do this each day, you will not lose much data. This should be done with Firefox Closed.

Note: In case you need to restore from these backups, you may need to overwrite old or corrupted files.

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We have had reports of updates creating new profiles. The old one is still in the profile folder although some end up on the desktop in a folder called Old Firefox.

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Thanks. Does your reply refer to this particular (the latest) upgrade? Does anyone who actually upgraded know one way or the other about exceptions being deleted or not?

Are the exceptions saved in the profile? How can one find the profile?

I am very concerned about losing what I entered for exceptions. It took me a long time to experiment and figure out what certain websites that I need require in order to function, as otherwise, I setup block all. Unfortunately, for reasons that I do not understand, one cannot do a copy of the list of exceptions.

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There shouldn't be profile related issues with updating Firefox, but usually best is to update manually via "Firefox -> About Firefox" to have full control.

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Chosen Solution

Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles {web link} I use a Legacy add-on that makes backups of my user profile, Just In Case. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with the current Firefox.

Every now and then, open the profile folder and create a copy of the current profile as is to another location on your hard drive. This way you will have a backup.

If you do this each day, you will not lose much data. This should be done with Firefox Closed.

Note: In case you need to restore from these backups, you may need to overwrite old or corrupted files.

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Thanks cor-el. I looked at the link you sent me. I already have updates setup to do them only on will (I guess that's what you mean by doing them "manually"). Is there anything else I might be missing in terms of having more control in the context of what I am looking for, preserving preferences? I am surprised that nobody else cares about them and nobody knows if this new version preserves them or not. It would be nice to have this in info in the release notes...

Thanks, FredMcD. What you sent me is a good starting point, I never heard about the Profile. I am backing up the bookmarks, but I didn't know that I have to backup something else. Based on initial reading, I find this quite intimidating. Reading that one might have to recover user data missing after Firefox update and following all the steps described to do a restore (for a non-technical user) is really scary.

What do you mean by: "Note: In case you need to restore from these backups, you may need to overwrite old or corrupted files." Why would files be corrupted and how would one know what to overwrite?

Maybe if what I have installed works decently, I will not install any new version.... I really do not need any computer issues, I cannot fight them all day long, I neither have the know-how nor the ambition.

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Sue said

Why would files be corrupted and how would one know what to overwrite?

Any file can be corrupted in many ways. A sudden system or program shut down. A bad hard drive. Trouble from another program . . . .

What would need to be repaired depends on what problem shows up.

I am backing up the bookmarks . . .

You should backup the whole profile.

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Thanks. I will follow advice and periodically backup the Profile. I hope I never need to restore it...

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Hi FredMcD, Happy Holidays!

I am trying to follow the instructions under the link you shared, to backup my Profile.

The instructions state: "Under the Application Basics section next to Profile Folder..." I can see no Profile Folder next to Application Basics...

When I execute Show in Finder, I see the information in the attached file. Is that the Profile folder?

Further following the instructions,, under Applications/Firefox I cannot see a Profile folder....

Somehow the instructions do not match what I see. Are these instructions for an Apple computer?

I could not figure out based on them how to locate and then backup the Profile. Maybe you can help. Thanks.

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Sorry, I think I found the Profile.

Is there a way to delete a posted question (like my prior one)?

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You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

Firefox uses two locations for the Firefox profile folder, so make sure to look in the correct location. Location used for the main profile that keeps your personal data (Root Directory on about:profiles).

  • ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<profile>

Location used for the disk cache and other temporary files (Local Directory on about:profiles).

  • ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/<profile>

In Mac OS X v10.7 and later, the "~/Library" folder in the Home directory is a hidden folder.

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Thanks for the clarification, cor-el.

I assume that if I ever need to restore the Profiles, I do not have to restore the local file under Cashes and if so, I only need to backup the Profiles folder under root.

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That is correct.