How can I prevent two different versions of Firefox, which are supposed to be running two separate profiles, from interfering with each other?
As you probably know, support for Firefox ESR 52 ran out yesterday.
As you probably also know, Firefox 52 was the last version to support non-WebExtension addons, several of which I rely upon heavily for my work, such as Scrapbook.
If your first reaction to that last statement ISN'T to suspect I haven't tried to find an alternative, then you can skip this paragraph. Otherwise read on. I have been searching for and evaluating alternatives ever since I heard for the first time that Scrapbook's days were numbered, but none of them offer adequate functionality. In order to work efficiently, I need to be able to archive and manage web pages, PDF files, images, MS Word files, notes and more in a folder tree structure directly within the browser UI, view archived content without an internet connection, use highlighting and commenting functions, use full-text search functions, and so on. In a nutshell, I need Scrapbook. If after reading this you still think there is a viable alternative that I missed, then I'm all ears.
Doing without Scrapbook is not an option, but on the other hand, neither is surfing the web with what will soon be an outdated browser riddled with security flaws.
For this reason, I decided to try a workaround that I read about some time ago: installing the 32-bit version of Firefox 52 ESR alongside the latest 64-bit version of the browser side-by-side, and using a different user profile for each. The idea was to use the up-to-date version of the browser for normal surfing, and to revert to the old version whenever it was necessary to use scrapbook.
Well, at least it sounded good on paper. In practice I'm finding that using two different user profiles is by no means a guarantee that the two Firefox instances won't interfere with each other. I create a bookmark on the bookmarks toolbar in one instance; it shows up in the other instance. I delete it in one instance; it disappears in the other. Not even using the command line options -P "Profile Name" or -no-remote are helping.
I really need to find a solution for this and any help would be greatly appreciated. Here are my questions summarized:
1) Is there an alternative to Scrapbook that provides at least 90% of the same functionality?
2) Is there a way to have two versions of Firefox installed - 52 ESR 32-bit AND whatever the latest and greatest 64-bit is - and keep them completely separate from each other?
3) Is there something else I'm missing?
Thanks!
All Replies (8)
Profiles should never interfere with each other, unless you're using the same Sync account.
Thank you for your reply.
No Sync account is currently configured or in use in either profile.
All tests have been done using a virtual machine, which allows relatively high confidence that unintended/unforeseen interactions with other programs and/or relics from previous installations are causing this behavior.
But I would be very glad to repeat and document (using video screen capture or screen shots) the entire process of
1) installing, from scratch, two versions of Firefox, 2) setting up two profiles, 3) configuring Windows Explorer shortcuts to automatically start each of the two different versions with a separate profile, 4) demonstrating that the appropriate profile is indeed the currently active profile in each version of Firefox, 5) creating a bookmark in one version/profile, and 6) showing that it has appeared in the other.
You can use the about:profiles page to verify that you are using the correct profile in each case.
Note that your Firefox 52 profile will have been corrupted if you have used it with a current release.
Are you using desktop shortcuts to start each Firefox version with its own profile?
Note that issues can arise when you open an external link in the default browser when no browser (the default browser) is running. Best is to use the Profile Manager to set the profile used for the default browser as the default profile.
Thanks for your response, cor-el
>> You can use the about:profiles page to verify that you are using the correct profile in each case.
Yes, I am aware of this and have carried out this step to verify that each instance of Firefox is indeed running under the appropriate profile (see step 4 above). I had originally noticed that simply setting each instance of Firefox to run the appropriate profile using about:profiles within the browser was not achieving the desired results, so I configured Windows Explorer shortcuts to start the corresponding profiles using -P "Old Profile" and -P "New Profile".
Note that your Firefox 52 profile will have been corrupted if you have used it with a current release.
>> I will be glad to repeat the entire process and document that I am first starting the newer version of Firefox using it's own profile, then starting the older version of Firefox with its profile.
>> Are you using desktop shortcuts to start each Firefox version with its own profile? https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Command_Line_Options
Yes (see my posts above), but I will gladly double-check that this is set up correctly.
>> Note that issues can arise when you open an external link in the default browser when no browser (the default browser) is running. Best is to use the Profile Manager to set the profile used for the default browser as the default profile.
I will ensure that this is the case and document the entire process using video capture or screen shots.
I hope that I am just making some mistake.
Hi, probably not. Firefox Developer Edition has a built in Compatibility component that asks you at the end of the install. But it ends up your using the same bookmarks so do back up :
RayCulp said
Yes, I am aware of this and have carried out this step to verify that each instance of Firefox is indeed running under the appropriate profile (see step 4 above). I had originally noticed that simply setting each instance of Firefox to run the appropriate profile using about:profiles within the browser was not achieving the desired results, so I configured Windows Explorer shortcuts to start the corresponding profiles using -P "Old Profile" and -P "New Profile".
You're not trying to run them both at the same time, are you? I ask because that's what many users want to do when juggling between two different versions of Firefox. I have as many as 4 versions (or more) running simultaneously almost every day. Sorry if I made an incorrect assumption by throwing in simultaneous running different versions & Profiles.
If so, I suspect that when you go to launch the 2nd version while the 1st is running, you could get the same Profile being used with both versions.
I say "suspect" because it has been many years since I accidentally did that and had a multitude of problems back in the days of Firefox 1.0 & 1.5 (2004-05 era) before I learned the tricks involved. I am not sure how a modern version of Firefox would react, especially with each being vastly different as with one Australis version with one Quantum version accidentally using the same Profile.
To successfully run both versions with their own Profiles at the same time (simultaneously) you need the Command Line Options command of -no-remote to launch the 2nd version & Profile when the 1st one is already running; which you didn't mention in response to cor-el posting this link: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Command_Line_Options
And regarding cor-el mention of the Default Browser, you shouldn't use the -no-remote command with the Default Browser; Windows would ignore a version launched with that command.
edit one sentence to make my thoughts a bit clearer
Athraithe ag the-edmeister ar
Pkshadow said
Hi, probably not. Firefox Developer Edition has a built in Compatibility component that asks you at the end of the install. But it ends up your using the same bookmarks so do back up :
How is that helpful for this user? That isn't going to help with Firefox 52 ESR and a Quantum version, but your comment is liable to confuse this user by adding inappropriate (IMO) comments which add nothing positive to this discussion.
Thank you very much to everyone for your responses.
I set up two new profiles, and configured two new Desktop shortcuts:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P "Old" -no-remote
"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P "Quantum"
For some reason, it is working perfectly now. It doesn't seem to matter in which order I start the two versions of Firefox, or even if I run them one after the other or at the same time - bookmarks, addons and everything else is separated.
Thanks again!