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

This thread was closed and archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

How to force Mozilla to prevent spreading my profile data around the Windows world (%appdata%)

  • 7 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by lutzd

more options

I feel Mozilla acts like an mad dog, while spreading all my sensitive data to Microsofts %appdata% to organize worthless profiling. I want force Mozilla to use ONE Directory which i can FULLY SELFDEFIEND for all tree spreading profiles as there is: %appdata%/local... %appdata%/locallow... %appdata%/roaming... to ONE Directory, owned by myself. Only now iam fully mobile. All profiles left on target when leave the localisation. But iam force to be strong on my mobile paltform. regards lutz

I feel Mozilla acts like an mad dog, while spreading all my sensitive data to Microsofts %appdata% to organize worthless profiling. I want force Mozilla to use ONE Directory which i can FULLY SELFDEFIEND for all tree spreading profiles as there is: %appdata%/local... %appdata%/locallow... %appdata%/roaming... to ONE Directory, owned by myself. Only now iam fully mobile. All profiles left on target when leave the localisation. But iam force to be strong on my mobile paltform. regards lutz

All Replies (7)

more options

To clarify, your Firefox profile is only stored in the Roaming app data folder. Some temporary folders are stored in the LocalLow folder and some cache files are stored in the Local folder. It's common practice for applications to use all of the app data folders for different things.

You can move your Firefox profile to whatever folder you want to, but you will have to keep the profiles.ini file in the app data folder where it is, since this is where Firefox is pointed to the correct folder.

You can manually specify the location of your profile folder once you move it by editing the file in a text editor. The file will probably look similar to this:

[Profile0] Name=Wesley IsRelative=1 Path=Profiles/2pq09vj2.Wesley Default=1

You can specify a path relative to the file or you can change the IsRelative option to 0 and specify the full path to the profile folder. For example:

[Profile0] Name=Wesley IsRelative=0 Path=C:\Users\Owner\Desktop\2pq09vj2.Wesley

Alternatively, the Firefox profile manager utility allows you to create profiles for Firefox and specify the folder that you want the profile to be saved in. This eliminates the need to manually edit the profiles.ini file yourself.

Generally, it's recommended that you just leave your Firefox folders where they are so that you don't lose access to your data on Firefox.

The only other option I can think of for you is using a portable version of Firefox. This is intended to run on a USB stick, so it stores all of the Firefox application data files in a specific folder, not your app data folder. It's important to note though that Mozilla does not officially release a portable version of Firefox, although the version of the app found on the linked website is regarded as safe.

WARNING: Use caution when downloading Firefox from unofficial sources. You should only download Firefox from trusted sources.
more options

Hallo Wesley, thanks, i know the roaming. However, its an useless hat. firefox / mozilla announces and actively promotes privacy and the importance of personal data protection. But real Firefox and Mozilla is just the OPPOSITE: Why? Firefox and Thunderbird have given all their profile data and their administration completely to the Windows Mangel administration immediately after the first start. today is the PUNISHABLE NEGLIGENCE. I and many citizens use highly flexible work environments and are compelled to carry their data around with them on their own. But Mozilla and Thunderbird shit on this need: In huge masses you leave your profile data on the respective local window host. Thus, Mozilla AND Thunderbird act like a rabid, semi-hyena: Data spray & squander and thereby completely give strangers on a foreign machine all the possibilities to view the data as well strangers but unfortunately users betrayed by Mozilla and Thunderbird developers and finally misuse them. To prove? It has happened to me with huge damage that in recent times, thanks to the miserable MOZILLA security policy, it has been exposed to an outrageous password and accounting theft. Thank you your lousy programmer, promotional fuzzis and security ignoramuses. Forcing Mozilla and Thunderbird at last and IMMEDIATELY into ONE ONE-NO-MICROSOFT PROFILING And if that shit gives Microsoft OS not enough "LIBRARY" used own functions !!!

more options

Sorry for thta massive attack, but last month iam AND my family punished by these mad bad roaming policies. And now i had researched the basics and must say such miserable and scimming things about your very wellknown software. It seems that all softweare devolopers in world doing theyr best to beat out, spread out and personal DATA My Opinion: Try to find out, how to make Mozilla AMND Thunderbird most Portable THAT MEANS only for the correct NAD actual User portable and NOT Installed by Microsoft Shit.

more options

Hallo Wesley, yes iam trying out to specify own AND relative Profiling relativ to my axisting Firefaox, BUT IT DIDNT WORK. Aftzer a stzart all Profile Data wa sstored on Localhost (%USERDATA%\..:ROAMING...etc) and i was NOT ABLE to for´ce Thunderbird AND Mozilla to LEFT ALL Profiles insyde the axisting Mozilla/Thunderbird Directory. If that would works, i'd never wrote this and i would pray the Mozilla team as widelooking, global feeling and really mobile oriented.

more options

That situation is far beyond a support topic. I suggest that you provide feedback to Mozilla directly via the Help > Submit Feedback ... menu item inside Firefox.

more options

Like I said, there is a portable version of Firefox that you can download.

However, it's pretty standard for programs to store data in the Microsoft %appdata% and give Windows (the operating system) some level of control over these files. Mozilla isn't really doing anything out of the norm there. Your operating system usually requires some sort of permission to be able to read and write these files, so it's unavoidable.

It's also worth noting that the sensitive data (passwords, usernames, etc) that you save on Firefox are not stored in plaintext. They are encrypted. This means that you can't just open the file and see what's inside. You need a key to see the contents. So, in most cases, your data is protected from attacks.

The people who answer questions here, for the most part, are other Firefox users volunteering their time (like me), not Mozilla employees or Firefox developers.

If you want to leave feedback for Firefox developers, you can go to the Firefox Help menu and select Submit Feedback... or use this link. Your feedback gets collected by a team of people who read it and gather data about the most common issues.

more options

Hallo Wesley, yes iam using for many years Portable Apps. Meanwhile iam switch to Crypted Area Mode and run Portable Firefox successful too... BUT However: Alle Profiles stored Locally on any foreign Windows Host is uncrypted while spreading out to Windows File- and Useraccounting system . However, i will give feedback to that massive negative issue via Feedback. Pls keep in mind that Mindblowing Issuetrap and may be, you are in charge with developer: ask them to make an better compilerrun Within consequence local Profiling Policy away from Microsoft but Insyde the Portable Firefox, while fiorefox.ini and all other Control Files for Firefox didnt work really good for that reason: To Be 100% Portable and Non-Microsoft-Thefting-Support be well and have a nice Week Lutz