How can I duplicate a profile?
I want to upgrade from 17 ESR to 24 ESR. For some specific reasons, I may want to continue using 17 ESR, although the majority of the time I will be in 24 ESR.
I want to make a complete duplicate of my current profile from 17 ESR, to a new profile that will be used in 24 ESR.
To make sure this is clear: Once the new profile is converted to 24 ESR, that profile will never again see 17 ESR. But because I may need to use 17 ESR going forward, I need to keep the 17-compatible profile around.
Note that this should not matter: the specific browser is Ten4Fox, for power PC; the need for the occasional use of 17 ESR is that Ten4Fx-17 permits plug-ins, while -24 does not.
All Replies (5)
1. Locate your current profile.
2. Exit Firefox.
3. Use the profile manager to create a new profile. Do not start Firefox in that profile yet (this will ensure the profile stays empty).
4. Copy all the files and folders from your current profile into the new profile folder.
5. Use either the profile manager or command line arguments to start Firefox in a specific profile.
Sadly, it didn't work properly.
Bookmarks will not sync properly. There may be other sync issues.
I did change the "device name" on the profiles so that they are different. Still doesn't help -- the two have different sets of bookmarks.
I am still in need of help.
How do I take two copies of the same profile, and make them "different" -- the goal is that any differences in the bookmarks between them will be synced up.
I do need to keep 17 ESR around -- turns out that I do need java for some websites. Yes, I know about the security issues with that (or at least, I think I do.)
See this knowledge base article about how to copy (recover) data from another profile:
Your posting from 1/24:
Sadly, it didn't work properly. Bookmarks will not sync properly. There may be other sync issues. I did change the "device name" on the profiles so that they are different. Still doesn't help -- the two have different sets of bookmarks.
Were you using Sync prior to making that duplicate Profile?
If so, changing the Device Name may not make the Sync server see those Profiles as separate "devices".
IIRC, I had that happen back around Firefox 4 or 5 when I "cloned" a Profile that was still linked to one of my Sync accounts.
Have you viewed the Sync log?
about:sync-log
Open the error log text files to see what didn't work.