Join the AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the Firefox leadership team to celebrate Firefox 20th anniversary and discuss Firefox’s future on Mozilla Connect. Mark your calendar on Thursday, November 14, 18:00 - 20:00 UTC!

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

Why have my pinned tabs disappeared twice in the last couple of weeks?

  • 8 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

Until 3 weeks ago I had five or six pinned tabs; then I switched on one day and they'd all disappeared.

Since then I've restored, one by one, four of them. I went out this afternoon after putting my laptop in "Sleep" mode and when I started it up again, the home page opened bu all the pinned tabs had disappeared.

I've been using Firefox for years and don't think it's ever happened before. Any suggestions as to why it's happened and what to do to restore them, please?

APB.

Until 3 weeks ago I had five or six pinned tabs; then I switched on one day and they'd all disappeared. Since then I've restored, one by one, four of them. I went out this afternoon after putting my laptop in "Sleep" mode and when I started it up again, the home page opened bu all the pinned tabs had disappeared. I've been using Firefox for years and don't think it's ever happened before. Any suggestions as to why it's happened and what to do to restore them, please? APB.

All Replies (8)

more options

Separate Security Issue: Update your Flash Player Note: Windows users should download the active_x for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox).

Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the active_x.

Flash Player Version: 24.0.0.194

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>


See if there are updates for your graphics drivers https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

more options

You are talking of the about:newtab page, Yes? Have you cleared your history? Removed anything thru Firefox or another program?

more options

FredMcD said

You are talking of the about:newtab page, Yes? Have you cleared your history? Removed anything thru Firefox or another program?

I'm not in any way "technical", so I don't understand your first question. I'm talking about when you visit a website and want to keep it, but not in the Bookmarks Toolbar--so you "pin" it. These are sites I use all the time.

No, I haven't cleared my history.

Since I wrote the support request I had gone back and pinned a couple of the sites I always have there. Then I followed your instruction to download the latest version of Flash Player--during which I specified that I have Windows 7 and Firefox; and when I reopened Firefox, the new pins had been cleared...

more options

Make sure that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode.

This can also be caused by a problem with the sessionstore.js file.

This file stores currently open tabs and also all pinned tabs.

more options

I apologise for my ignorance cor-el, but I have no idea what anything in your reply means.

I've just put the words "permanent private browsing mode" into the search bar in Help--because I've never heard of it before, so don't know how to see if it's switched on or off--and there's no useful advice.

As for sessionstore.js... Nope, no idea at all what that is and I can't find anything on the sessionstore.js Help page that refers to disappearing pinned tabs.

more options

See:

  • Options/Preferences -> Privacy -> Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"
    Deselect: [ ] "Always use Private Browsing mode"
more options

Currently set to "Remember History".

more options

Firefox uses sessionstore.js in the profile folder to store session data. Sessionstore.js is only present when Firefox is closed. The sessionstore.js file is created from recovery.js when you close Firefox and is removed and copied to previous.js when you start Firefox to make is possible to restore the session at any time.

Backup the session files in the sessionstore-backups folder in the Firefox Profile Folder to make sure not to lose possible important session data. Do NOT close Firefox when Firefox is already running.

You will normally find these files in the sessionstore-backups folder:

previous.js (cleanBackup: copy of sessionstore.js from previous session that was loaded successfully)
recovery.js (latest version of the sessionstore written during runtime)
recovery.bak (previous version of the sessionstore written during runtime)
upgrade.js-<build_id> (backup created during an upgrade of Firefox)

You can copy a file from the sessionstore-backups folder to the main profile and rename the file to sessionstore.js to replace the current file (make a backup copy of the current sessionstore.js).

See also:

sessionstore.js is noe of the files in the profile folder.

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