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Startup option stopped working

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i USED to have it set to "show windows and tabs from last time", but that's no longer helpful. so i changed it to "show selected Session Manager session".

alas, it refuses to do that. every morning it opens last night's session. =/ i keep trying to select that option over and over again, to no avail.

and while i'm here, it also refuses to use the cache. every day, it downloads the pages all new (it's DEFINITELY noticeable!).

what gives?

i USED to have it set to "show windows and tabs from last time", but that's no longer helpful. so i changed it to "show selected Session Manager session". alas, it refuses to do that. every morning it opens last night's session. =/ i keep trying to select that option over and over again, to no avail. and while i'm here, it also refuses to use the cache. every day, it downloads the pages all new (it's DEFINITELY noticeable!). what gives?

Chosen solution

There are various internal and external mechanisms to clear Firefox's cache.

For the internal mechanisms, you can double-check that this preference is set to false:

privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown

or if it is set to true, make sure the following preference is set to false:

privacy.clearOnShutdown.cache

(Corresponds to Options > Privacy > Clear history when Firefox closes)

Also, make sure you are not in "permanent private browsing" mode. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-browse-web-without-saving-info#w_how-do-i-always-start-firefox-in-private-browsing

For the external mechanisms, check the options in programs that wipe caches such as CCleaner.

Finally, it's possible for the cache folder metadata files to become corrupted. In that case, you might need to exit Firefox, manually delete everything from the cache folder, and then start from scratch. I've never tried that myself, so I suggest awaiting other comments before trying it.

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All Replies (9)

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I think the Session Manager extension overrides the built-in behavior, so if volunteers here we aren't able to figure it out, you may want to try the extension's lengthy support thread on the mozillaZine forums.


Regarding the cache, is there any possibility that you disabled it during a project and forgot to re-enable it? You can check that here:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the filter box, type or paste cache and pause while the list is filtered

(3) If the preference browser.cache.disk.enable is set to false, double-click it to toggle it back to true.

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negative. it's at "true".

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Chosen Solution

There are various internal and external mechanisms to clear Firefox's cache.

For the internal mechanisms, you can double-check that this preference is set to false:

privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown

or if it is set to true, make sure the following preference is set to false:

privacy.clearOnShutdown.cache

(Corresponds to Options > Privacy > Clear history when Firefox closes)

Also, make sure you are not in "permanent private browsing" mode. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-browse-web-without-saving-info#w_how-do-i-always-start-firefox-in-private-browsing

For the external mechanisms, check the options in programs that wipe caches such as CCleaner.

Finally, it's possible for the cache folder metadata files to become corrupted. In that case, you might need to exit Firefox, manually delete everything from the cache folder, and then start from scratch. I've never tried that myself, so I suggest awaiting other comments before trying it.

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hmmmm privacy.clearOnShutdown.cache was set to "true". wonder how that happened......

now we'll see how things go tomorrow morning.

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privacy.clearOnShutdown.cache is set to true by default, but only takes effect if privacy.sanitize.sanitizeOnShutdown also is set to true.

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well, cache seems to be working.... now what about that startup option tho?

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I don't use the Session Manager extension myself, so I'm not sure why that option is failing or whether this is a new bug.

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figured it out.

forgot to select the session in the SessionManager options itself.

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So... it sounds as though everything might be back to normal at this point. Thank you for your persistence.