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Firefox Saves Wrong Session

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 22 views
  • Last reply by JoshClegg

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I keep a bunch of "pinned tabs" open. Firefox saves these pinned tabs from session to session. Except when it doesn't. Sometimes, an app will open a NEW BROWSER WINDOW of Firefox. and sometimes I forget to close this secondary browser window. Ooops. When that happens, ALL of my SAVED PINNED TABS are destroyed. Gone forever. I must then go back and re-make all of the pinned tabs again.

Why, oh why, does Firefox not include a FIXED (always saved) SESSION MANAGER that can be recalled ANY TIME? I've lost my fixed tab session many times. I consider this a bug, and a major time waster. Really, really needs to work like a true SESSION MANAGER.

I keep a bunch of "pinned tabs" open. Firefox saves these pinned tabs from session to session. Except when it doesn't. Sometimes, an app will open a NEW BROWSER WINDOW of Firefox. and sometimes I forget to close this secondary browser window. Ooops. When that happens, ALL of my SAVED PINNED TABS are destroyed. Gone forever. I must then go back and re-make all of the pinned tabs again. Why, oh why, does Firefox not include a FIXED (always saved) SESSION MANAGER that can be recalled ANY TIME? I've lost my fixed tab session many times. I consider this a bug, and a major time waster. Really, really needs to work like a true SESSION MANAGER.

All Replies (6)

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In the Bookmarks Manager, create a folder called 'Pined.' Then keep this updated as needed.

Remember to Never close any window that has something you want. Just drop it down to the TaskBar.


You may have corrupt sessionstore [v56] sessionstore.jsonlz4 file(s). Delete all sessionstore* files and the sessionstore-backups folder.

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.

Locate the above file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.


Don't delete the files if you need to rescue any data from them, just move them out of the profile folder to some location where Firefox doesn't look for them. You can try to read out their contents using this tool: https://www.jeffersonscher.com/res/scrounger.html

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Thanks Fred. Really great reply. But remembering NOT to close the window when a secondary window is open is almost impossible for me. I used add-on "Session Manager" for years. This was a brilliant app that allowed me to save unlimited number of tab sessions, most importantly the last one I was working on. Firefox Quantum no longer allows Session Manager, which means that we need a better solution than saving a session as a bookmark.

Thanks again. JC

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If you haven't closed Firefox when you notice a second window then you can restore the accidentally closed window via "History -> Recently Closed Windows". You can still give this a try when you start Firefox a next time.

Maybe make it a habit to use one of these to close Firefox if you are currently doing that by clicking the close X on the Firefox title bar to prevent surprises with unnoticed secondary windows.

  • "3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)
  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit
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JoshClegg said

. . . . Firefox Quantum no longer allows Session Manager

That is why I refuse to update past v54. I refuse to give up my add-ons.

Have you tried looking for a replacement to Session Manager?

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Thanks Co-Rel. I'm trying "My-Sessions" and so far it's working OK. A reasonable work-around to the original Session Manager.