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i cannot open firefox on my new macbook on Tahoe 26.0.1. the error is "the profile is missing"

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I have looked over this computer high and low for any profile files in every way recommended on this website. I can't find it, regardless of what I put into terminal or what settings I change. This was a problem before the update to tahoe too.

I have looked over this computer high and low for any profile files in every way recommended on this website. I can't find it, regardless of what I put into terminal or what settings I change. This was a problem before the update to tahoe too.

apdragon321 moo ko soppali ci

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Hi apdragon321

That “The profile is missing” message means Firefox can’t find (or access) its user profile folder — usually because it’s been moved, deleted, or the permissions got broken during a macOS update.

Here’s what you can do to fix it:

1. Create a new profile manually

  • Quit Firefox completely.
  • Open Terminal and run:

/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -P

  • The Profile Manager window should open.
  • Click Create Profile → Next → give it a name → Finish → Start Firefox.
  • Firefox should now open normally with a fresh profile.

(If that command doesn’t open Profile Manager, make sure Firefox is fully closed first — check that no “Firefox” process is running in Activity Monitor.)

2. Check for old profiles

  • In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G and paste this:
~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/

If you see any folders like xxxxxxxx.default or xxxxxxxx.default-release, Firefox may have lost track of them. You can either rename one (for example to default) and try to point Firefox to it via the Profile Manager, or copy its contents into the new profile you just created.

3. If the folder is missing entirely Make sure Firefox has access to your Library folder:

chmod -R 755 ~/Library/Application\ Support/Firefox

After Firefox opens successfully, you can re-enable Sync (if you used it) to restore your bookmarks, passwords, and extensions.

This issue has occasionally happened on macOS updates like Sonoma and now Tahoe — rebuilding the profile via Profile Manager fixes it in nearly all cases.

Laajal dara

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