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Tried to sync firefox from old computer to new computer, but it did opposite: now my old computer have new computer's empty firefox, and I can't find my files

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I got a new Macbook pro so I was trying to sync the Firefox from old computer (also Macbook Pro) onto the new computer. I researched how to do it on my new laptop, which suggests creating a profile on the old laptop, copying it to a hard drive, opening the profile folder in the new laptop, and paste the folder from the hard drive so it over write everything.

I did that and when I opened my firefox back up (since you have to quit firefox to create profiles, etc.) both my old and new computer contained empty firefoxes, and I couldn't find my old bookmarks or settings on either computer. I don't even know where to look because everything is blank on both my old and new laptop. Please advise, also, is there a number I can call because it's hard to explain and understand everything through text.

I got a new Macbook pro so I was trying to sync the Firefox from old computer (also Macbook Pro) onto the new computer. I researched how to do it on my new laptop, which suggests creating a profile on the old laptop, copying it to a hard drive, opening the profile folder in the new laptop, and paste the folder from the hard drive so it over write everything. I did that and when I opened my firefox back up (since you have to quit firefox to create profiles, etc.) both my old and new computer contained empty firefoxes, and I couldn't find my old bookmarks or settings on either computer. I don't even know where to look because everything is blank on both my old and new laptop. Please advise, also, is there a number I can call because it's hard to explain and understand everything through text.

Saafara biñ tànn

You should at least be able to restore the bookmarks from a compressed .jsonlz4 in the bookmarkbackups folder.

  • Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Restore

If you have refreshed Firefox and have created a new profile that way then check the "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop.

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I am hoping both computers are still working. That makes things slightly easier.

Sorry any live chat or Telephone support ceased years ago. Please do not delete anything or remove anything relating to Firefox profiles.

With any luck the information still exists. Generally Firefox adds some extra random looking, characters before folder names, when creating profile folders. I do not know what instructions you tried to follow. Instructions that would have helped are

Identify both the profiles on the MacBooks that Firefox is using at present and make a note of the full paths. Paste those into your reply edit them for privacy if necessary. For instance replacing your name with <name> You can find profiles the profiles Firefox is using by using a button on the trouble shooting page.

The same article if you scroll it explains how to find other profiles using Mac s Finder. I you do not find other folders by trying that then please try searching the entire MackBook for any files named places.sqlite there should be at least one of those files in every profile. Does that help you identify other Firefox profiles ?

What you will be looking for next will be backup bookmark folders: bookmarkbackups with several files in it. Even if they are not going to be used their presence is a good indication you have found a full working profile including bookmarks.

Please post back to detail what profiles you found.

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Saafara yiñ Tànn

You should at least be able to restore the bookmarks from a compressed .jsonlz4 in the bookmarkbackups folder.

  • Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Restore

If you have refreshed Firefox and have created a new profile that way then check the "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop.