You can try to restore the permissions.sqlite file from the Time Machine.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

I have no idea what I am supposed to do. I am not a techie. Your link just sends me to some techie support page.

See Time Machine: http://www.apple.com/support/timemachine/

So, I'm supposed to learn all about a whole new piece of unrelated software and all of its intricacies, etc, just because your mal-functioning software doesn't work right? Really?

computers don't always work perfectly & files on a harddrive might get corrupted. cor-el has pointed you to the file which stores all the site-permissions and exceptions for the firefox browser and the location of your firefox profile folder, where it resides - in case you can restore it through your sytsem's integrated backup software you might recover this data, but it obviously requires some efforts...

Pointed me to the file how?

you'll have to try to restore the file named permissions.sqlite located in your profile folder from a backup prior to the date when your custom settings vanished.

I don't have a backup.

Where is the profile folder? Profile of what?

On the webpage mentioned above, I don't have the folders or the files I am told I should have. They are these:

    ~/Library/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<profile folder>
   ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<profile folder> 

I found the permissions.sqlite file, but it is a very old one from 2010, from my G4 Mac. I cleared the cache and offline website data today and my exceptions list disappeared again.

In Mac OS X v10.7 and later, the $HOME/Library folder is a hidden folder.

Open Finder and use one of these:

• Go > Go To Folder (Shift-Command-G) and in the dialog type: ~/Library
• Open the "Go" menu and hold down the Option key to make the Library appear

You can also use this command in a Terminal window to remove the hidden flag.

• Mac HD > Applications > Utilities > Terminal
• chflags nohidden ~/Library

• http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/909/cpsid_90947.html Access hidden user library files

OK, so I have found the permissions.sqlite file. When I single click on the file, it has a dark gray icon with green text in the top left corner that reads "exec". The file type is Unix Executable file.

Is that normal?

What do I do now?

There is no need to open such a sqlite database file.

Did you manage to find an older backup of the permissions.sqlite file in the Time Machine?

If you have an older copy from a date that you still had those exceptions then you can try to replace the current file in the Firefox Profile Folder with that older copy.

As I said earlier, I don't have a backup. I have never used time machine, whatever that is.

I have a Dell P.C., Windows Vista - not a MAC. My Exceptions for pop up blocking, never stay in place anymore. I didn't have this problem until Firefox had to be re-installed. My tech told me to click on Tools, Options, Exceptions, etc. I already knew that - they just won't stay put. Should I try another version of Firefox? I have no idea of how to fix this. Can someone please assist as frustration is setting in. Thank you.

This issue should be fixed in Firefox 17.0.1, so if you are not running this version then please update.

Try to rename the permissions.sqlite file to permissions.sqlite.sav in the Firefox Profile Folder in case the file is corrupted.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder

This will remove all exceptions (cookies, images, pop-ups, software).
If renaming didn't help then you can undo and rename the permissions.sqlite.sav file to permissions.sqlite to get back the old exceptions.
Otherwise you can remove the corupted permissions.sqlite.sav file.

I had received this same response from Firefox today, for this same issue. The problem BEGAN when I upgraded to Firefox 17.0.1, so there goes the theory that this is not a problem with this new version. Before I opened yet another can of worms following this process (with the permissions.sqlite file to permissions.sqlite.sav), since I am not tech-savvy and have NO idea what any of it meant or the additional problems it could cause, I tried one more thing on my own - AND IT WORKED. I will say that this is the LONGEST (since the upgrade) that my exceptions have stayed in place and I suspect they will still be in place tomorrow. I went to Tools>Options>to the Clear Recent History Box. I UNCHECKED Offline Website Data and Site Preferences and kept everything else checked off. My exceptions have remained in place all day, even after shutting down and restarting three times. I hope this helps you out too. Kath

Sorry, had a duplicate comment and just removed it. Kath

Note that clearing "Site Preferences" clears all exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, software installation, and passwords.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Clear+Recent+History

RE: EXCEPTIONS DISAPPEARING Thanks for the second response, but I had already gone to the Options menu when I saw your first response. I had NO idea what you were talking about, so I thought I'd try something easier and ended up solving my own problem. This was a very easy fix and I think this resolution should be noted on your web site since a lot of people are having this issue. I was told this problem does not exist on this latest version of Firefox - and that is incorrect - IT DOES, and the Clear Recent History settings have to be changed. Instead of trying to fix this with such a detailed, technical repair job as the first line of defense, why not look for the easiest solution first?

EXCEPTIONS DISAPPEARING:

   CLICK ON:   TOOLS
   CLICK ON:   CLEAR RECENT HISTORY
   UN-CHECK OFFLINE WEB SITE DATA and SITE PREFERENCES    

This is how I solved the issue.

Please don't misunderstand my intentions - your expertise is amazing and appreciated, but most of us just don't possess the same knowledge that the technicians do, and problem solving should always be the easiest fix first, and if that doesn't work, it should be broken down so that your customer base understands what they are doing and why they are doing it.

When the solution given to us to solve the issue becomes more frustrating than the issue itself, it makes us feel as if there is no one out there to assist in a manner that is understandable to the rest of us, or even worse, it makes us feel stupid. No one likes that.

Thank you. Kath