Preferences won't save
I've tried everything in the article to fix the problem and have even uninstalled and re-installed firefox. Unfortunately, my preferences still won't save and I still see that goddamn "What's new" page every time I open my browser.
Are there any other splutions, or should I just switch to chrome?
Vsi odgovori (8)
Is this the only setting change that won't save? For example, if you switch your default setting for where new tabs open or make other changes in the Options dialog, does Firefox retain those between session?
Do you use Advanced SystemCare? It has a roll-back feature that can revert your settings changes when you exit Firefox. There may be other utility or security programs that do that to protect you from unwanted settings changes, but of course, they don't really know what is unwanted...
If all else fails, have you considered Firefox's Reset feature? More info on what you keep and what you lose here: Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings.
Which preferences give you that problem?
Is that only the home page (browser.startup.homepage)?
What is the value of the browser.startup.homepage pref on the about:config page?
You can delete possible user.js and numbered prefs-##.js files and rename (or delete) the prefs.js file to reset all prefs to the default value including prefs set via user.js and prefs that are no longer supported in the current Firefox release.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
If either you had actually read my post, you'd have seen that I tried everything in the article stating what to do if my preferences wouldn't save, including everything both of you suggested.
Spremenil asmith1026
We read your post, obviously, or we would have given you the link to that article. However, I forgot that the article mentioned using Reset.
So you've ruled out both external software such as Advanced SystemCare that can undo or block settings changes, and a user.js file.
In case there are old/inconsistent files or a "stuck upgrade" in Firefox's program folder, you can replace the program files without disturbing your settings using this Clean Reinstall procedure:
(1) Download a fresh installer for Firefox 33 from https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/all/ to a convenient location. (Scroll down to your preferred language.)
(2) If applicable, exit out of Firefox or make sure it is fully terminated in Task Manager.
(3) Rename the folder (64-bit Windows folder names)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
to
C:\Program Files (x86)\OldFirefox
(4) Run the installer you downloaded in #1. It should automatically connect to your existing settings.
You might need to exit and start again to test whether Firefox is now remembering preference changes.
Note: Some recently installed plugins may exist only in that OldFirefox folder. If something essential is missing, look in these folders:
- C:\Program Files (x86)\OldFirefox\Plugins
- C:\Program Files (x86)\OldFirefox\browser\plugins
I apologize for my snippiness, but this is highly aggravating. And I tried that as well.
Can you tell whether prefs.js is getting updated in real time as you modify preferences?
You can open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either
- "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > 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, click the "Show Folder" button to launch the folder in Windows Explorer. The scroll down to prefs.js.
If you switch to Details view, or select prefs.js to show its details in the lower bar, can you tell whether the size and date stamp are changing as you make changes? For example, you could switch a setting on the Tabs panel in the Options dialog, or pin or block a tile on the new tab page. Those both should update the file promptly (within 60 seconds, I think).
No, it's not updating.
In some cases, if prefs.js cannot be updated (locked by another process, read-only, permissions issue), Firefox will start creating a second file with a number in the name, such as prefs-1.js. If you see one or more numbered files, this would be the most likely source of the problem.
In other cases, it could be that there is a problem with the file itself that Firefox is not correcting. You could rename prefs.js to prefs.old and let Firefox create a new one. Or did you already try that?