Hi rangerdon, in recent months a few other users reported that an update led to multiple installs. I don't know what causes that.

Could you track down the respective program folders for the two? One way to do that is right-click the desktop shortcut, click Properties, then on the Shortcut tab, look at the Target field.

Normally, your installation on 64-bit Windows would be here:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

However, if you have been running Firefox for several years, it might be in the 32-bit program folder here:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"

Do you have both, or is your second Firefox is a more unusual location?

Many thanks, Jscher - You hit it on the nose. I went to C Drive, Program files, Mozilla Firefox and checked the x86 and the current folder - 69.03, which works, is in the x86 folder as an icon. 70 is in the other folder, also as an icon.

Now the question is - how to make sure the ff I open is the one which has all the proper bookmarks and passwords, etc. The change to FF 70 don't seem to be critical, so I moved the 69.03 icon to the desktop; and when I double click on that the health version with all accoutrements opens. That'll work for now. Also, I have changed the updated method to manual so I won't get stuck in this again. Hopefully FF will come out with a solution so I can upgrade but keep all those research bookmarks and so on.

Again, many thanks,

Ranger Don

Hi Ranger Don, you can "migrate" your existing data (Firefox profile folder) from your Firefox 69 installation to your Firefox 70 installation. That should work smoothly, although it wouldn't hurt to make a backup just in case.

Backup: Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles

To switch a profile over to Firefox 70 (after this Firefox 69 won't want to use it):

(A) Start Firefox 70

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

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

The profile that Firefox 70 is currently using will have this:

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

(C) Find your Firefox 69 profile

You may have one or more other profiles named default or default-longnumber 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.

(D) Switch the profile

If it IS what you want, back on the about:profiles page, click the Set as default profile button for that profile so Firefox 70 uses it automatically at the next startup.

At some point, you can remove Firefox 69 using the uninstaller -- make sure you don't let the uninstaller remove Firefox data.

One note about Microsoft Office: if you have the Office suite installed, you should be cautious in uninstalling Firefox 69 if it's your default browser. Always change your default browser to Internet Explorer before removing a Firefox installation when the new install is likely to go into a different folder.

Thanks again.

I'll give this a try and keep you posted. Probably tomorrow or Friday.

Ranger Don

Dear jscher,

Hope to get to this by Tuesday, but I have one more question. If installing an update means installing the profile it installed the first time I tried to do it, that profile lost all bookmarks and passwords, extensions, etc. So do I really want to install the update/profile?

Many thanks,

Ranger Don

Hi Ranger Don, each new profile starts off empty, so unless you copy files into it or connect it to a Sync account linked to another active profile, it's normal not to see your data in the new profile. I'm not sure that should prevent you from whatever next step you want to take.

Ok. Thanks. But I've never had an update before which removed all my profile data - it automatically transfers that to the update's profile.

At this point, I'm thinking it's best to simply use the old version...just to be sure. But many thanks.

RD

Both mine are the same version but when I launch normally I get the 32 bit version with all my usual stuff. Sometimes when I click on a URL, in Norton Help for instance, the 64 bit version launches with no bookmarks, passwords, or anything else; at other times the 32 bit version launches. The 32 bit one says it is not the default browser and won't let me set it to be so: the other one says it is the default but is not a lot of use. What is the cause and how can I get rid of the 'imposter'?

Hi MikeyJ, in Firefox 70, the location of the running firefox.exe can be found on the Troubleshooting Information page. Either

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" Help > Troubleshooting Information
• (menu bar) Help > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table on the page, look for the Application Binary row.

If you are still running Windows, this usually will be:

• 64-bit: "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox"
• 32-bit: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox"

Do you have Firefox launching from both program folders, or is the only difference in the Profile Folder row?

Hi there, my 'normal' launch is from the well established version in the (x86) folder which has gone through the progress of Firefox versions to the latest. Most launches of .HTML files, from emails, web sites etc. also launch the (x86) based version but some, notably some of the 'help' in Norton and my FitBit and a few other unpredictable, launch the 64 bit version which is at the same 70 version number as the 32 bit one. So far my 'sync' with Firefox on another laptop (also a 64 bit processor) is with the 32 bit Firefox on my main machine. What I find puzzling is why I should, all of a sudden, have acquired this 64 bit version without any prompting or 'permission' being asked for; and why this 'rogue' installation has 'grabbed' the default browser status and won't let go in favour of its better set up 32 bit 'brother'.