You need to locate the profiles.ini file and delete this file or use the Profile Manager to create a new profile.

See:

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible

This issue is caused by a problem with the profiles.ini file or with permissions/ownership of involved folders/files.

You can use one of these to make Firefox create a new default profile or recover an existing profile:

• delete the profiles.ini file to make Firefox create a new (default) profile
• use the Profile Manager to create a new profile
  If you still have an existing profile then click "Choose Folder" in the Profile Manager and browse to the location of a lost profile to recover this profile
  https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Managing+profiles

You should find the profiles.ini file in this hidden location:

• Mac: *~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/

If clearing the profiles.ini file isn't working then also check the location of the cache files.

• Mac: *~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/

You can also try to rename/delete the Mozilla\Firefox\ folder in both above mentioned locations (main, cache).

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Manager
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Managing+profiles
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

You can use the Profile Manager to create a new profile if the other instructions are too difficult to try.

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Managing+profiles

You would have to start the Profile Manager via a terminal window.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Managing+profiles#firefox:mac:fx47

Aloha!

I have located the Profiles folder. If I want to save the information in it then what should I do now?

Please reply…

Mahalo,

Swimmer7

What files and folders do you see in that Profiles folder?

There should be a profiles.ini file

• ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/profiles.ini

Are there any profile folders (xxxxxxxx.default) folders present?

Do you have an "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop?

When you use the Firefox Refresh feature then a new profile is created and some personal data (bookmarks and history, form data, tabs) is automatically imported. The current profile folder will be moved to an "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop. Installed extensions and other customizations (toolbars, prefs) that you have made are lost and need to be redone.

It is possible to recover data from the "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over problems.

Aloha!

In the file are "bookmark backups", "crashes", "data reporting", and "mini dumps". There is no profiles.ini.

I do have an "Old Firefox Data" folder on desktop. It contains "adblockplus", "bookmark backups", "crashes", "datareporting", "extensions", "features", and many others. There is no "profiles.ini" in there.

Unsure what to do now.

Please advise.

Swimmer7

In the "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop there is only the profile folder. The profiles.ini file registers all profiles to make it possible to connect a profile name with a specific folder on the hard drive. If the profile folder that is present in this file is gone for some reason then you get this error message.

Did you look for this file?

• "~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/profiles.ini"

How do I search for it?

The "profiles.ini" file is not in the folder.

Are there any files in "~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/"?

Yes, as earlier mentioned, there are files such as "bookmark backups", "crashes", "data reporting", and "mini dumps" but no "profiles.ini".

I am OK with losing all the bookmarks and passwords. I need to get Firefox running.

I am completely stumped and have no idea what to do. I cannot run Firefox and my work has come to a standstill.

Based on my experience, the "REFRESH FIREFOX' feature should be terminated as all it did was wreck my system and make Firefox unusable, There is nothing "refreshing" about that.

You can delete or rename the "~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/" folder to "~/Library/Application Support/Firefox.old/" to force Firefox to create a new file structure if you aren't able to locate the profiles.ini file.

This is a COMPLETE DISASTER!!! My work has slowed to a crawl.

Isn't there someone who can CALL ME at 80*-***-**** and tell step by step what to do???

Removed phone number. Sorry, no one is going to call you.

There is no Firefox folder.

Did you try to use the terminal utility to create a new profile via the command line?

See:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles#firefox:mac:fx47