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Sudden lost profile, settings customizations

  • 5 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by Lunæros

Lunæros
Lunæros
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I just somehow lost my settings, customizations and apparently my profile. I restarted Firefox 98 and it opened like it was a new install and even opened some tabs like a few of my extensions were newly installed.....................

HOW DO I GET IT BACK LIKE IT WAS?!!!!

I just somehow lost my settings, customizations and apparently my profile. I restarted Firefox 98 and it opened like it was a new install and even opened some tabs like a few of my extensions were newly installed..................... HOW DO I GET IT BACK LIKE IT WAS?!!!!

All Replies (5)

Lunæros
Lunæros Question owner
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It also seems to not be saving any settings that I try to put back!!

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Sorry to hear about this problem.

If you haven't already, could you close out of Firefox and do a normal Windows shutdown and restart to complete any pending updates and release any file locks.

If Firefox again starts up without your data, could you check whether your stuff is available in a different profile, as follows:

Profile Manager Page

Inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it.

This page should list at least one profile and could list many. (Each profile has two folders and one or more buttons. Do not use any Remove buttons!)

The profile that Firefox is currently using will have this:

This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted.

Do you have any other profile(s) listed on this page? If so, you can check whether it is the one you were using recently by clicking its Launch profile in new browser button.

If it isn't what you want, simply close that new window.

If it IS what you want, back on the about:profiles page, click the Set as default profile button for that profile so Firefox uses it automatically at the next startup.

Any progress so far?

Lunæros
Lunæros Question owner
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Nope. Wasn't the problem. I didn't think I had made a profile and apparently I didn't. It's only showing the profile that's in use here where everything got messed up.

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Do you use Avast or AVG?

Yesterday for a short time it quarantined the main settings file (prefs.js) from users's Firefox and Thunderbird profile folders. On the next launch, if Firefox works, it has lost things such as your home page URL, pinned Shortcuts on the new tab page, add-on data, and most custom settings. Avast forums later confirmed it was a false positive and it was safe to go into the quarantine and make an exception to restore the file to its original location. This requires overwriting the one Firefox created when it discovered the file was missing. For best results, make sure Firefox is closed when doing this or you might lose the file a second time.

Lunæros
Lunæros Question owner
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jscher2000 said
Do you use Avast or AVG? Yesterday for a short time .............................

SON OF A B...!!!!!! I do have Avast! And that's exactly what happened to mine. DAMNIT!

Now I have to get into that lousy thing and find my pref file. That has to be what happened to mine.

I still have the problem with those other bugs though.

Modified by Lunæros