Here's how to do it:

Firefox (Or tools) > Options > Privacy

In history section, choose Use custom settings for history from the list in front of Firefox will. Then uncheck Clear history when Firefox closes. (Or you can check it and then in settings of it uncheck the parts you wish not to be deleted.)

Also for third-party cookies you may select they expire from the list in front of Keep until.

The last thing is to check that Remember my browsing history (Or other things you might need to keep) are checked there.

This will do the trick. If this helped, hit 'Solved it'.

you sure that's not just the browsing history?

Yes, you can choose to keep browsing history, download history and search and form history. All can be checked in Custom settings. Also you can choose to accept cookies from sites or not. Just select what you wish to record and then uncheck Clear history when Firefox closes as I said in the earlier post.

IF YOU WANT SOME SPECIFIC THINGS TO BE DELETED AFTER CLOSING FIREFOX:

Check Clear history when Firefox closes and then hit Settings Button in front of it. There you can choose what you want to be deleted at closing of Firefox.

If this helped, hit "Solved it".

just as i thought, nothing was solved (it's just not clearing my browsing history). every morning, it's freshly downloading the same images and all... this is the SINGLE MOST frustrating thing about FF!

I think that is not true, images with the same properties, if exist in the cache, won't be loaded twice or so! In your settings, there must be something not right. You may wait for a more experienced user to answer you, however I think that the answer I provided you with is a solution... Don't know, so you have to wait.

But to be sure, please first check that you have no cleaner program that cleans the cache of your browser. (If you do, you have to disable the feature in that program of yours.) And also please check the things which are deleted when you close the browser as I mentioned in the earlier posts.

Good Luck.

i have everything but "clear history when firefox exits" checked. and no cleaner program.

i'm baffled.

i wonder.... would "permanent private browsing mode" work?

No, that won't help you. In Permanent Private Browsing mode, Firefox leaves no trace. No history and no cache, as they never existed.

Strange, you may wait for a more experienced user to answer. I'm out of ammo!

Make sure that Firefox closes properly otherwise the dirty flag in the cache map file might still be set.

Try to close Firefox via File > Exit.

See also "Hang at exit":

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Firefox_hangs
• https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Firefox+hangs

Make sure you have not set cache to 0 (zero), and check how much you are using against how much you are allowing.

Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > ...

Make sure you have your Privacy settings as you want them, mine is set up to clear cache though. There is a Tools menu item that now says clear recent history, it used to say Clear history so was very dangerous.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4928/clearcachew.png

If you turn on Permanent Privacy settings, that will make sure that nothing is saved, and you said you wanted to preserve cache.

right now, "override automatic cache management" is unticked?

could that be the problem?

What cache settings and cache usage do you see reported on the about:cache page?

You can open about: pages via the location bar like you open a website.

Memory cache device Number of entries: 4415 Maximum storage size: 28672 KiB Storage in use: 10766 KiB Inactive storage: 10765 KiB List Cache Entries

Disk cache device Number of entries: 21054 Maximum storage size: 1048576 KiB Storage in use: 364717 KiB Cache Directory: C:\Users\james\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\9zce6eou.default\Cache List Cache Entries

Offline cache device Number of entries: 0 Maximum storage size: 512000 KiB Storage in use: 0 KiB Cache Directory: C:\Users\james\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\9zce6eou.default\OfflineCache

i wonder, could it have something to do with "offline cache device" not being used? (well, apparently it's in use, just the "number of entries" is 0)

also note, there may be a cache now, but as soon as i close FF, it'll delete it all. that's my problem.

No, the offline cache is only used on very rare occasions by websites and you will be asked for permission if that is required.

If you check the location of the cache folder on your hard drive, do the files disappear as soon as you close Firefox or does the cache get cleared on the next start or maybe in between the closing and the start?

checked. last night before i went to bed and shut down, the cache folder was over 400MB. this morning after i booted up, empty.

SO HOW DO I GET IT TO STOP EMPTYING IT???????????

Did you check the cache folder immediately after closing Firefox?

If that folder gets cleaned up at a later time (next day) and Firefox isn't running then other software is clearing the cache.

no. i checked it before i shut down and then booted up. i have no other software cleaning it (that i know of. i'll investigate more).

for now, i'm switching to Chrome. nothing personal. i just gotta figure this out for now.