the-edmeister's Firefox Tips

Restoring your browsing data into a new Profile

By 'data' I mean your Bookmarks, Passwords, Form's Data, Certificate information, pages visited history, and some user preferences.

You can't copy/paste the entire profile folder, it won't work. Even if it did work, some of those files may contain the problems that brought about the need to create a new Profile in the first place.

But you can Right-Click, copy / replace these files, one at a time.

bookmarks.html
cert8.db
cookies.txt
formhistory.dat
history.dat
hostperm.1
key3.db
signons.txt
mimeTypes.rdf

* user.js
* chrome\userChrome.css
* chrome\userContent.css

{ * = the last three are user created and might not exist in your profile.}
kb.mozillazine.org/User.js
kb.mozillazine.org/UserChrome.css and user-Content.css
{I recommend the ChromEdit extension for creating and editing these files.} http://cdn.mozdev.org/chromedit/

Please note:

In W2K and WinXP, the \Document and Settings\ directory is hidden twice by default.
To access the \Documents and Settings\Application Data\ directory, you may need to set Windows Explorer to show System and Hidden directories and files.

In Windows Explorer click: Tools - Folder Options - View tab.

Check "Display the contents of system folders."

Under Hidden Files and Folders select
the radio button for "Show hidden files and folders."

Probably not required but I recommend that you:
uncheck "Hide protected operating system files."

uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types."

Firefox must be closed when performing the following:

Locate your old Profile and your new Profile.

Get two Explorer windows open side-by-side;
your old Profile in one and your new Profile in the other.

Right-Click and drag the files one at a time from
the old Profile into your new Profile.

When asked if you want to replace the existing file, say yes.

Once you have copied all eight, nine, or twelve files into your new Profile,
you are ready to open Firefox with your browsing data restored.

Edited on 01-18-05: Added mimeTypes.rdf

updated 01-08-06

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