Firefox always creates a profile by default, storing such personal settings and information. Ok, so I'm confused by your statement as to what hard drive you have & what you do or don't have access to currently. Could you please explain and be more specific?

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

• Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Open Containing Folder

See:

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Recovering+important+data+from+an+old+profile
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

It seems unlikely that the hardrive would be placed in another MB and run as it was. If it did do (with approval of MS) then you should have the same user account and firefox etc installation.

Asking your friend is probably the quickest solution as the friend will know what was done. Your original hard rive may have been cloned, or your new computer setup may have its own hard drive and the additional old hard drive, one of which will now be the c: drive.

It is easy to find the current profile IIRC in XP use

• Help -> Troubleshooting information -> Profile [open containing folder]

but what you need to do is find the original profile with the original bookmarks, the easiest method is then to start firefox with that profile using profile manager, and set up a suitable shortcut to always use that profile.

The Firefox profile used does not need to be on the same hdd as the Firefox program files, but the bookmarks database ( places.sqlite ) and the auto backups will be within the profile.

See also

• backing up your information
• backing up and restoring bookmarks
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

He installed my hard drive in a used Dell computer. My hard drive is drive E and the original that is operating the computer is drive C. I have access to all my documents, photos, etc. but Mozilla seems to think I am new and have no history or bookmarks. I've tried all the helps so far and nothing has worked. Firefox does list all my original IE bookmarks separately in the bookmarks drop down box. Previously they were all together.

@ cor-el that brings up the new/current Firefox profile on the original drive that is operating the computer, not my hard drive.

Okay, finally a search brought up everything. I found the hidden file. E:\Documents and Settings\McKee\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\i7twob91.default

So, I should be able to follow this help to take care of the problem? Just move it from the original drive to C drive/new profile that's currently running?

 http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

If you consider restoring bookmarks or profiles always back up

• the original that is to be moved,
• and the original that is to be overwritten,

that allows you to correct any mistakes

If you import HTML files as bookmarks they append to the bookmarks library and you see the additional bookmarks, and may then drag and drop them. If you restore Firefox Bookmarks they overwrite the existing ones.

From what you are saying I am guessing that Windows XP is on drive C: but your original drive is now drive E: containing your old Firefox profile from what was the original Hard Drive.

Transferring info to the new profile should work.

Alternatively using the old profile including old bookmarks, apparently now on drive E: would also work.

I can't work on this until later this evening. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks so much!

I transfered the data to the newer profile folder and ended up deleting the newer file, because it didn't replace it. Then I couldn't get Firefox to open up at all. I ended up uninstalling and reinstalling and still nothing so I had to restore my computer to yesterday.

Any other ideas? Or maybe there is some trick to copying my old profile and replacing the newer one that isn't mentioned in the instructions??

First of all please remember the advice in my post about backing up information and bookmarks before making changes. Note also

• if you use options from Windows or Firefox to delete personal information it will (or at least will try to ) delete all information from all versions of firefox installed. Do NOT use such options it is likely to destroy History, Bookmarks and Passwords.
• you will have only one copy of History, unless you manually backup the database places.sqlite you could easily loose all your History

IIRC restoring a computer using Windows does not always work in restoring firefox properly, I seem to recall it does not restore all required files.

So, I should be able to follow this help to take care of the problem? Just move it from the original drive to C drive/new profile that's currently running?

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

Recomended method move places.sqlite
You will need to read the above linked instructions carefully. Rather than trying to move the profile itself I was expecting you to follow instructions to just copy required files such as the Bookmarks and History that would be in the database file places.slite.

Advanced Method edit Profiles.ini' to point at original profile on other Hard Disk Drive'
There is an alternative method and that is to leave the old profile where it is and use that with the new Firefox installation. I tend to manually move profiles but this is not really recommended as it is easy to make mistakes. You will certainly find the method in the above paragraph easier If you want to try the alternative method then note that

• a file called Profiles.ini will need editing
• you will need to use Relative=0 and the full path
• see
  • http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profiles.ini_file
  • http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder#Modify_profiles.ini_to_point_to_the_new_location_-_Advanced

Copy old profile content to New profile
This should be relatively easy and work If the versions of Firefox are the same and the original profile was working properly. Note you copy the contents and all sub files and folders, but you do not copy the folder name. So do not completely overwrite the new profile, this is because they will have differing names, Firefox adds pseudo random strings to the name.( In the case of your original profile; from your above post; that includes i7twob91 in the name)

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder#Create_a_new_profile_and_migrate_your_old_data
  (Note you will not need to create a new profile in your case it will already exist)