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Profile : Understand and backup your Mozilla Profile
What Mozilla's Profiles are, what they contain where they are stored on your computer, how you can back them up, troubleshooting.What is my Profile? What is my Profile Name ?
Mozilla lets you create separate identities, called Profiles. Each Profile has a name. For example, if your name is Jay, you could name your Profile "Jay" too. A Profile collects all the personalised information you provide, and makes it available to you. Your bookmarks, email files and account settings, passwords, and preferences are all stored within your Profile. If you share your computer with another person, that person can create his (or her) own Profile. The advantage of separate Profiles is that each person has his (or her) personalised and private workspace.
How do I know what my Profile Name is?
When you start Mozilla, you usually see the Profile Manager. The Profile Manager lists all the Profiles currently available and known to Mozilla. If you do not see the Profile Manager when you start Mozilla, please see the next point.
I do not see the Profile Manager when Mozilla starts up! How do I fix this?
Sometimes Mozilla may not show the Profile Manager when you start Mozilla. This may be due an existing Profile having been deleted or corrupted. In such a situation, Mozilla creates a new "default" profile, and starts with it without showing the Profile Manager.
- To force Mozilla to start with the Profile Manager first shut Mozilla down.
- Then go the Start menu | Programs | Mozilla and look for the Profile Manager shortcut. [helpscreen24.png] The shortcut to the Profile Manager will only be available if you used Mozilla's installer to install Mozilla.
- If you installed Mozilla yourself using a zipped version (or cannot find the Profile Manager shortcut), you will need to create a shortcut to mozilla.exe with the commandline option "-profilemanager" by clicking with the right mouse button on your desktop and choosing "New Shortcut". Click the Browse button to find where Mozilla is stored on your computer or enter Mozilla's location surrounded by quotes, as shown in the figure below. Outside of the quotes type -ProfileManager. Click on next, name the Shortcut Mozilla Profile Managerand then click Finish.
- Look for and double click on this newly created shortcut on your desktop. You should now see Mozilla's Profile Manager. If you do not see a previously installed Profile listed in the Profile Manager now, it is likely your old Profile has been corrupted, or is no longer recognised by Mozilla. For help on rescuing a corrupted or unrecognised Profile, please see the next point.
Rescuing a corrupted or unrecognised Profile
If you start the Profile Manager or Mozilla and do not see your old Profile, the following instructions might help you rescue (move back to) your old Profile.
- The first thing you need to do, is determine where your old Profile was stored on your computer. If you have not deleted your old Profile Folder, it probably will still exist in a location described in the point: Where is (are) my Profile (and its associated files) stored on my computer?
- Once you have determined where your old Profile resides on your computer, make a note of the Profile's name, the Profile Folder's name and the Profile Folder's location.
- Then (re)start Mozilla. If you do not see the Profile Manager when Mozilla starts up, review the point above this one ( I do not see the Profile Manager when Mozilla starts up! How do I fix this? ), which explains how to force Mozilla to show the Profile Manager when it starts up.
- When you see the Profile Manager, create a new Profile. Then determine where on your computer this new Profile is located. The name of the new Profile and its Profile Folder should be different that those of your old Profile.
- Shut down Mozilla.
- Copy all the files within your old Profile Folder to your new Profile Folder. Allow the files existing under your new Profile Folder to be replaced, if asked.
- When you are done, restart Mozilla, and make sure the new Profile Name is selected. Then click the "start" button within the Profile Manager to restart Mozilla with your new Profile. Your old Profile settings should now have been successfully restored to this new Profile.
- Examine your bookmarks, password manager settings, email account settings,
and so on, to make sure your Profile was successfully restored.
What is my Profile Folder?
Your Profile Folder is the folder (directory) on your computer where your Profile is stored. This folder name is unique to you, and generated randomly when you first create your Profile. It usually looks like a made up word with eight letters or numbers, and ends with ".slt", e.g. h7o3wrd1.slt .
Where is (are) my Profile (and its associated files) stored on my computer?
You will find your Profile, and its associated files, such as bookmarks, email files and settings, passwords, and preferences in your Profile Folder. The Profile Folder is usually stored in the following locations:
The following information was adapted from Holger Metzger's Profile page, in German and various newsgroup posts.
| Operating System |
Where the Profile
Folder is stored |
| Windows
95 / 98 / Me |
|
Approximated
Location: C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\*your_profile_name*\*your_profile_folder.slt*
Example: C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\Jay\h7o3wrd1.slt
|
|
| Windows 2000 / XP |
2000 / XP |
Approximated
Location: C:\Documents and
Settings\*your_Windows_User_Name*\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\*your_profile_name*\*your_profile_folder.slt*
Example: C:\Documents and Settings\Jay_on_windows_XP\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\Jay\h7o3wrd1.slt |
|
| Windows NT 4.0 |
NT 4.0 |
| Approximated
Location: C:\Winnt\Profiles\*your_NT_username\Application
Data\Mozilla\Profiles\*your_profile_name*\*your_profile_folder.slt*
Example: C:\Winnt\Profiles\*your_NT_username\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\Jay\h7o3wrd1.slt |
|
The most important files and folders within your Profile Folder are listed below. It recommended you back them up regularly by copying the entire Profile Folder to another folder (such as C:\backup\myprofile ), drive or online drive such as Swapdrive or MyDocsOnline.
| File
or Folder name |
Type |
Description |
| 17251627.s |
File |
This is an encrypted list of your passwords, which you enter and manage
through the Password Manager |
| abook.mab |
File |
Address Book |
| bookmarks.html |
File |
This is where all your bookmarks are stored. Note: This file is called bookmarks.html
(plural) whereas the bookmark file from Netscape Navigator 4.x was called
bookmark.html (singular). |
| cookies.txt |
File |
This is where all your cookies are stored. You can review and
delete all your stored cookies using Mozilla's Cookie Manager. |
| history.dat |
File |
This file stored your history, or a list the websites you have
visited. This information can be reviewed in Mozilla's History Sidebar tab
or its History viewer (Control + H). |
| history.mab |
File |
Temporary Address Book |
| prefs.js |
File |
Mozilla generated preferences file. |
| user.js |
File |
User created preference file which overrides entries
in prefs.js . For detailed instructions on editing your user.js file check
Pratik Solanki's Preferences
Page . |
| Cache |
Folder |
A copy of webpages you have visited is stored in
your Cache folder. It is recommended that you empty your Cache folder regularly.
|
| Chrome |
Folder |
Mozilla's Themes are stored in this folder. Themes
change how Mozilla looks (menu colors, toolbar graphics). |
| Imapmail |
Folder |
This folder contains the email messages from an IMAP
email account. |
| Mail something.msf something rules.dat |
Folder File File File |
This folder contains email message files from POP
email accounts. Files with the msf extension are mail index files. Files without extensions are your email files. This file contains your email filter rules. |
| News |
Folder |
This folder contains your newsgroup message files. |
| cookperm.txt |
File |
Keeps track of which sites are allowed (or not allowed)
to set cookies or display images. |
Contributor: Holger Metzger ; Some of this information was taken from Holger Metzger's Netscape 6 Tips page.
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