Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

What has happened to Firefox that every time I log on I must go to "Customize", "Restore Defaults", then manually restore my Menu and Bookmarks Toolbars??

  • 13 replies
  • 7 have this problem
  • 11 views
  • Last reply by dnceforce

more options

It's become annoying. Firefox loses all my settings every time I close. YES, I have done a "Reset Firefox" and I've even installed a "New" copy. But every time I open the browser, it's back to "granola". The only way to restore my previous functions is to drop down the "Menu" and manually "Restore Defaults" to get back my Home Button and Search Bar but then I must also manually restore my Menu Bar and Bookmarks Toolbar. And if I want a Print icon, I have to manually drag it from the menu to the Toolbar. When I close my browser, all my work disappears and I have to start from scratch next time. If this is a new Firefox "feature", I want the OLD VERSION BACK.

Thanks,

Michael

It's become annoying. Firefox loses all my settings every time I close. YES, I have done a "Reset Firefox" and I've even installed a "New" copy. But every time I open the browser, it's back to "granola". The only way to restore my previous functions is to drop down the "Menu" and manually "Restore Defaults" to get back my Home Button and Search Bar but then I must also manually restore my Menu Bar and Bookmarks Toolbar. And if I want a Print icon, I have to manually drag it from the menu to the Toolbar. When I close my browser, all my work disappears and I have to start from scratch next time. If this is a new Firefox "feature", I want the OLD VERSION BACK. Thanks, Michael

All Replies (13)

more options
more options

Certainly not a new feature, something is broken.

Try Firefox in its safe mode see if that helps

The Mozilla help article recommends a reset/refresh something you have already tried

IF SAFEMODE does not help. Rather a longshot, but maybe something is going wrong with the Refresh trying to clear the new xulstore.json. Try following the Mozillazine instructions but rename both localstore.rdf and xulstore.json Note

more options

You can check for problems with preferences.

Delete possible user.js and numbered prefs-##.js files and rename (or delete) the prefs.js file to reset all prefs to the default value including prefs set via user.js and prefs that are no longer supported in the current Firefox release.

more options

Thanks for the feedback and technical "how to fix your own software" advice. I've decided to give up and face the fact that Firefox has changed the way we do things and will not help us change back. I have searched every file on my hard drive and there is NO sign of either a localstore.rdf and xulstore.json I give up. Ever since the version with the little drop-down "Customize" menu appeared and all the old Toolbars (like the separate Search bar) and the "Home" button disappeared, I've been fighting with it. Every time I reset Character encoding back to Western from the default Unicode, it just resets back every time I change pages. I give up. I've tried dragging the "Home" button from the "Customize" menu to the Toolbar. It disappears when I close Firefox. I give up. There is NO SAVE BUTTON for any "Customize" changes. What a useless "feature" the "Customize" is. I give up. Yes, I can drag a "Search" bar from the "Customize" menu and put it with my other Toolbars but it also disappears on re-start. I give up. Obviously, Firefox has decided that we Shall Simply Type Our Search Into the Address Bar. Fine. It appears that I can get the Menu Bar and Bookmarks Toolbar to remain when I restart so I'll go with that.

If Mozilla is trying to get us to switch to Chrome, they are going about it the right way.

more options

Files and folders may be hidden. This article explains how to display & find such files.

As for finding the profile itself I posted a link for that, upthread and it should be easy to find the files once the profile folder is open

more options

As I have said before something has gone wrong with your Firefox (Or something is interfering with it).

You are not seeing the expected Firefox behaviour.

Yes I confirm there is no save button on the customise option, of Firefox, but for me and the vast majority with a fully functional Firefox that is not necessary the changes are saved correctly and retained after a re-start.

more options

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

more options

I'm having a similar issue, I suppose. Every time I open up Firefox, some of my "Customizations" have reverted. I have to to click Customize every single time I open my browser or a new window. It is EXTREMELY irritating to have to do this.

I like the Search bar on TOP ... and having my Bookmarks Toolbar BELOW it. But the search bar ALWAYS loads below the toolbar, which I hate.

I've added photos to show you. The first one is how I DO NOT want it. The second is how I DO want it. Why does it not remember where I've put it??

Modified by dnceforce

more options

Hi dnceforce

Are you using an extension to have the Tab bar at the bottom position?

If that is the case then this extension might not be working properly and needs an update. You can also try a different extension like Classic Theme Restorer.


Start Firefox in Safe Mode to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem.

  • Switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance
  • Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window
more options

Cor-el

I do have an extension to put tabs on the bottom, as that's how I want it. I tried Classic Theme Restorer and it didn't do anything. I just had to fix MORE stuff the way that I had it.

Will try the Safe Mode option.

more options

Tried starting it in Safe Mode... and it STILL switched the order. There needs to be a way to either Save the customization or Lock the location the way you have it set.

Modified by dnceforce

more options

Try the userChrome.css solution I posted in this thread:

  • [/questions/1049464] Bookmarks toolbar POSITION resets to the very top after closing firefox


Add code to the userChrome.css file below the default @namespace line.


@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */

#navigator-toolbox toolbar:not(#nav-bar):not(#toolbar-menubar) { -moz-box-ordinal-group:10; }
#TabsToolbar {-moz-box-ordinal-group:1000!important;}


The customization files userChrome.css (user interface) and userContent.css (websites) are located in the chrome folder in the Firefox profile folder.

more options

Not sure what I did that fixed it... but it appears fixed. Had to restart the computer.

Modified by dnceforce