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When links open Firefox, none of my saved items -- passwords, add-ons, etc. -- are available

  • 2 replies
  • 0 have this problem
  • Last reply by crl4242

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When I receive an email that has a link, Firefox opens without any of my settings. This also happens with Firefox pop-ups, which indicate I don't have certain products, such as Web Advisor, even though I do.

I guess the first question is why a new iteration of Firefox is opened when I already have it running.

When I receive an email that has a link, Firefox opens without any of my settings. This also happens with Firefox pop-ups, which indicate I don't have certain products, such as Web Advisor, even though I do. I guess the first question is why a new iteration of Firefox is opened when I already have it running.

Modified by NoahSUMO

Chosen solution

crl4242, I wonder if this is due to different profiles being used?

For example, if the profile with all your data isn't set as the default profile, and external links are being opened with the default profile, then that may explain why these links are opening in a Firefox that doesn't contain your data.

To check this, while your normal Firefox is running, you could enter "about:profiles" into the address bar then press enter, and see what profile is listed as the one currently being used.

Then repeat this process for the Firefox that opens from external links (i.e. the one that doesn't have your data).

If the profiles in use are not the same in both cases, then that would explain the missing information.

If this does turn out to be the case, and the profile with your data and settings is not listed as the default profile, then you could try setting it as the default, restarting Firefox, and seeing if that does the trick.

Another possible explanation is that you have two different installations of Firefox on your system? Maybe a 32-bit and a 64-bit version? Or a standard and a developer version?

And so the external links are opening a completely different version of Firefox, as opposed to the first suggestion above, where the same installation of Firefox is opening with a different profile?

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Chosen Solution

crl4242, I wonder if this is due to different profiles being used?

For example, if the profile with all your data isn't set as the default profile, and external links are being opened with the default profile, then that may explain why these links are opening in a Firefox that doesn't contain your data.

To check this, while your normal Firefox is running, you could enter "about:profiles" into the address bar then press enter, and see what profile is listed as the one currently being used.

Then repeat this process for the Firefox that opens from external links (i.e. the one that doesn't have your data).

If the profiles in use are not the same in both cases, then that would explain the missing information.

If this does turn out to be the case, and the profile with your data and settings is not listed as the default profile, then you could try setting it as the default, restarting Firefox, and seeing if that does the trick.

Another possible explanation is that you have two different installations of Firefox on your system? Maybe a 32-bit and a 64-bit version? Or a standard and a developer version?

And so the external links are opening a completely different version of Firefox, as opposed to the first suggestion above, where the same installation of Firefox is opening with a different profile?

Helpful?

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Thank you. This is a new computer and I guess I didn't set FIrefox as my default.

BTW, it was much easier to simply go to Tools > Settings > General and set Firefox as my default than to follow the instructions you provided.

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