Refresh Firefox {web link} is a LAST RESORT ! !

Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings

If you're having problems with Firefox, refreshing it can help. The refresh feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, and open tabs.

Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

I did find the Old Firefox folder. However, it has 3 folders listed by date. Don't know which one to choose. I just want to go back to the settings I had before I clicked refresh. I have printed out the articles you have listed to read further before I try the steps. Thank you for your help. I still can't access my email through firefox.

What are the dates of the folders?

Dates appear in this order: 6/30/2014 2/26/2016 2/24/2016

First; open your file browser to the New profile;

Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.

Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Now open another file explorer to the 2/26/2016 folder.

Warning ! ! Only Copy the files you are told. We will avoid anything that might be the cause of your problems. Here is the list of files;

cookies: Do not bother. Cookies will be created when you return to the web site. However, you will have to log in everywhere.

extensions(add-ons): it would be better to download them fresh. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ key3.db and logins.json: These are the Password files.

persdict.dat: custom dictionary – words you added to the dictionary

mimeTypes.rdf: What to do with what type of file.

places.sqlite: History and Bookmarks.

prefs.js: Your settings. Note, this may be contaminated.

cert8.db: Stores all your security certificate settings and any SSL certificates you have imported into Firefox. If removed, the file will be replaced. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Copy these files from the old to the new. You will get a message about the files already exist. Choose to over-write for each file.

This may be hard to believe but I don't know what you mean by by "your file browser". I can't locate it on my computer. I tried looking in the old firefox folder as well as in the search folder section as well as several other places. I also down loaded the file browser app but it did not have a new profile section.

I deleted my email tab and reinstalled a new one so I can now get into my email.

I'm going to suggest going about it a different way. You can use the contents of the Old Firefox Data folder to "roll back" the Refresh to 2/26/2016, but it does involve several steps. This takes 5 minutes, but that may be faster than recovering individual files and loading those into your new profile.

Inside the "Old Firefox Data" folder, you found three semi-randomly-named profile folders. Once you have identified the profile folder you want to restore, here is my suggested "old profile resurrection procedure":

Overview

These are the steps described in more detail below:

1. Create a new Firefox profile
2. Remove everything from that new profile folder
3. Copy in everything from the old profile folder

Create a new Firefox profile (Windows)

Exit Firefox completely, and then start up in the Profile Manager by pasting the following into the Windows search box, or the Run dialog, and pressing Enter:

firefox.exe -P

Note: Any time you want to switch profiles, exit Firefox and return to this dialog.

Click the Create Profile button, assign a name like OldSettings, and skip the option to change the folder location. Then select that new profile in the dialog and start Firefox.

Open the New Profile folder in Windows Explorer

Firefox in the new profile should look like a factory fresh installation. Open the Troubleshooting Information page using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
• Help menu > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table, click the "Show Folder" button. Firefox will launch your brand new profile folder in Windows Explorer.

Leaving that folder open, switch back to Firefox, and Exit using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
• (menu bar) File > Exit

When Firefox closes, the profile folder should be front and center, or you can activate it using the Task bar.

Copy Old Data in Place of New

In that new profile folder you just popped open -- NOT the one on your desktop -- select all the contents (you can use Ctrl+a) and delete (you can press the Delete key on the keyboard).

Leaving that window open, open or switch over to your Old Firefox Data folder. Drill down into your old profile folder. At this level you should see a folder named bookmarkbackups among other things.

Select everything (Ctrl+a) and Copy (either right-click > Copy or Ctrl+c).

Switch to the empty new profile folder in other window and Paste (either right-click > Paste or Ctrl+v). This may take a minute since some of the files are large.

Start Firefox

Firefox should start up in that "new" profile with the resurrected old profile data. Success?

Sorry, I think you want to use the contents of the Feb. 24th folder, since you originally posted on Feb. 25th.