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Firefox not saving settings

  • 3 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 23 views
  • Last reply by techguy150

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Firefox is not saving my settings when I close it. This can happen for various settings, e. g. if I allow a pop-up exception, or a cookie override exception, for a specific site, and save the setting, it will be gone whenever I close and restart Firefox.

Also, bookmarks are not saved - apparently somewhat randomly.

I currently have Firefox 160.0.6 64 bit. However, this has been going on with the last several versions of Firefox.

I have uninstalled Firefox, discarded the folder containing my profile, then reinstalled Firefox. But the problem still exists.

Firefox is not saving my settings when I close it. This can happen for various settings, e. g. if I allow a pop-up exception, or a cookie override exception, for a specific site, and save the setting, it will be gone whenever I close and restart Firefox. Also, bookmarks are not saved - apparently somewhat randomly. I currently have Firefox 160.0.6 64 bit. However, this has been going on with the last several versions of Firefox. I have uninstalled Firefox, discarded the folder containing my profile, then reinstalled Firefox. But the problem still exists.

All Replies (3)

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You need to make sure that you keep the "Site settings",

You can use these steps to make a website recognize and remember you.

  • create a cookie allow exception with the proper protocol (https:// or http://) to make a website remember you

You can check that you aren't clearing important cookies.

  • using "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" to clear cookies keeps cookies with an allow exception
    in 102+ version toggling this setting makes changes to the "Clear history when Firefox closes" settings and those settings prevail
  • using "Clear history when Firefox closes" in Firefox 102+ honors exceptions and keeps cookies with an allow exception, previous versions removed all cookies

Make sure to keep the "Site settings".

  • clearing "Site settings" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exceptions for passwords and other website specific data
  • Settings -> Privacy & Security
    Cookies and Site Data: "Manage Exceptions"
  • Settings -> Privacy & Security
    Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history":
    [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" -> Settings

If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync temporarily during troubleshooting.

this could be a problem with the places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder.

  • use the "Places Database" -> "Verify Integrity" button on the "Help -> More Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page

If errors are reported with "Verify Integrity", close and restart Firefox or reboot and retry.

If "Verify Integrity" cannot repair places.sqlite, rename/remove all places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed. Firefox will rebuild places.sqlite and restore the bookmarks from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

  • keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created
  • you lose the history when a new places.sqlite is created

You may have to restore an older bookmarks backup in the bookmarkbackups folder via the Bookmarks Manager (Library).

See also:

You can use the button on the "Help -> More Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page (Root directory).

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This did not solve the problem. These things have all been done, but when I close Firefox, these settings all disappear, so that I have to reset them every time I open the browser - even though they have all been saved.

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Besides resetting all preferences to default values, a Firefox refresh will also fix many other issues, including problems caused by extensions or with data and settings that are stored in other files in your Firefox profile

Greetings, TG