As to Firefox itself, have each computer go to Mozilla.org and download it's own FF program. As to the settings,. What you can do is to go to the Mozilla Add-ons Web Page and get these on your system;

FEBE

This will save your add-ons in the event of trouble,

and help you easily put them back.

OPIE

This will save add-on and user settings and can restore them.

Note that you should be cautious when moving or copying a full profile folder from one OS (Windows XP) to a later Windows version as file paths will be different for the Firefox profile folder. Current Windows versions use AppData\Roaming instead Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\.

See also:

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Recovering+important+data+from+an+old+profile
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

You'll forgive me, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed as I'm not very computer tech savvy.

Now for starters, I probably will get a whole new computer with a windows 8 though I'm hesitant about the learning curve and having to leave XP after more than a decade. So, which method do I have to learn to retain the firefox format I currently have with the file/edit/view/history/bookmarks etc?

As for add-ons I just realized I really only have Imagezoom and Stylish along with the grab-and-drag presented in the picture so I guess it wouldn't be as big a deal to redownload them if I am unable to import them to the new firefox browser I will have.

Basically, is a "firefox profile" what my current firefox is? If I back this up, it will retain this exact look that I currently have? I just wanted to check before continuing reading. Thank you for bearing with me :)

your firefox setup looks to be a basic setup anyway. the edit file etc are all standard. and if not then just right click next to the new tab button and you can select to show : menu bar, navigation bar etc....

Yeah mine isn't too complicated, I like to keep things basic, it's only because I've seen what other people's firefox browser looks like on other computers with newer operating systems and software and whatnot, and I don't want that to happen to me.

http://cdn.portableapps.com/FirefoxPortable.png

For example that one. I don't want to end up with that one.

Some of the things with Firefox are intended to match the Operating System and will change. Firefox on XP could use the Firefox button, or it could use the options matching XPs menu ie. the file menu etc.

In any event later this year Firefox is getting revamped and all OS's will have a common interface. (A potentially rather controversial change Australis ) with all of them looking very similar. See https://blog.mozilla.org/ux/2013/11/australis-is-landing-in-firefox-nightly/

<src img="http://people.mozilla.org/~shorlander/blog-images/australis-landing-on-nightly/intro-image-large.jpg">

Short of running XP on your new computer you are unlikely to have Firefox look exactly the same. If you wish to pay for an additional Windows license and jump through a few hoops it is possible to run Firefox on a virtual XP machine but that is rather an extreme solution.

Note that you will still be able to show the menu bar when the Australis code lands, but you won't be able to hide the Navigation Toolbar anymore and the tabs will look different.
There are usually extensions that undo such modifications for people that do not like the new look and other changes.

Oh god no that isn't what firefox is going to look like is it??? Oh my why can't we have the simple, efficient and very intuitive setup I've got going on?

It's not about wanting XP on a new OS, although I will miss the operating system I've grown accustomed to for 10+ years, I just want this firefox I have, with the file/edit/view/etc, to be on Windows 7 or 8 or whatever comes with the prebuilt desktop I'm purchasing. That's all really.

You my get used to the new interface, and in all probability as corel said there may well be add-ons that will help those wishing to have a more traditional look.

The earliest that the Australis UI is going to appear in a Firefox release would be May 2014, so it's a bit premature to panic about that.

I understand you do not want the orange Firefox button in place of the classic menu bar. To see how it easy it is to switch, right-click the new tab ("+") button and click Menu Bar. Repeat to switch back. That's it.

You probably can get Firefox 26 on Windows 8 to look and behavior nearly identically to Firefox 26 on Windows XP in a few minutes. The semi-transparent toolbar area with "Aero" themes in Windows Vista and higher can be a little disorienting. You can install a Firefox theme to make the toolbar area solid again.