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Uninstalling Firefox

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This article contains instructions to uninstall Firefox and remove it from your system. You should set another default browser if you are not going to reinstall Firefox and it is currently the default [1]. You can use the information in this article as a general guide.

Important: It is rarely necessary to remove Firefox to repair it. Usually it is sufficient to create a new profile, and it is not necessary to remove the old profile. In some cases it is also necessary to uninstall Firefox and install it in a new folder. Note that it is usually safer to rename files and folders than to delete them.

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On Mac OS X

  1. Drag the Firefox application to the Trash.
  2. Firefox also has a .plist file at ~/Library/Preferences/org.mozilla.firefox.plist you may wish to remove.

If you also wish to remove your Firefox user data and settings (bookmarks, extensions, etc.) trash the "Firefox" folder, located here: ~Library/Application Support/Firefox. [2] See Removing user profile data (below) for additional information.

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On Linux

Remove the firefox Installation directory, usually: /usr/lib/firefox-<version>. For example, if using Firefox 1.0 it would be: /usr/lib/firefox-1.0

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On Windows

Exit Firefox completely, open the Windows Control Panel and then,

  • On Windows Vista, go to "Programs -> Programs and Features", select Mozilla Firefox <version> and click click Uninstall. [3]
  • On Windows XP (or earlier), double-click "Add or Remove Programs" Select "Mozilla Firefox <version>" in the list of installed programs and click "Remove" to run the uninstaller.

Starting in Firefox 3, the uninstaller includes the option, "Remove my Firefox personal data and customizations". This will also remove your Firefox user profile data (bookmarks, passwords, cookies, extensions, preferences, etc.). DO NOT select this option if you want to keep your Firefox profile data and settings.

Even if the uninstall fails, as it may in some cases, continue on with the rest of the uninstall instructions.

  • Delete the Firefox Installation directory located here, by default: C:\Program files\Mozilla Firefox (Optionally make a backup copy of the "plugins" subfolder first, so that you can restore it later if you plan on reinstalling Firefox.)
  • (Optional) Enable viewing or searching hidden files and folders (details here) then delete these additional files or folders (recommended if you are preparing for a clean reinstall):
    • The Firefox folder that contains temporary data ( *.mfl files, Cache and Updates), located here: Important: Make sure you delete the Firefox folder under Local Settings or Local. Deleting the wrong folder will remove your user profile data!
      • Windows 2000/XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox
      • Windows Vista: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox
    • Windows Vista: The C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox folder [4] (if it exists)
    • Windows XP/Vista: Delete all C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\FIREFOX* files
    • If you installed the Quality Feedback Agent component (aka Talkback), open the %APPDATA%\Talkback\MozillaOrg\ folder and delete all "Firefox<somenumber>" folders found, for example, "Firefox10" "Firefox15" and "Firefox2".
  • If necessary, remove the "Mozilla Firefox" shortcuts in the Windows Start -> Programs menu by right-clicking and deleting the entries. This step should not be needed unless the Firefox uninstall from the Windows Control Panel failed.

The Firefox uninstall will leave behind some Windows registry entries, which can be cleaned up using Windows regedit or a 3rd party registry cleaner. Normally, these extra entries are harmless, and it is not necessary to remove them. Note: registry editing is a potentially hazardous undertaking!.

You may also need to manually change some Windows file associations or icons, even after setting a new default browser, as reported here.

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Removing user profile data

Note: Starting in Firefox 3, on Windows systems you can use the Firefox uninstaller option, "Remove my Firefox personal data and customizations" (see above) instead of the following instructions to remove all Firefox user profile data. [5]

This step is only recommended if you want to completely remove Firefox from your system, and you do not want to save any of your data. This will remove your Firefox user profile data, which includes bookmarks, passwords, cookies, preference settings and added extensions.

Rename (or delete) the Firefox folder in the default profile path (or move it to a backup location). For example, on Windows XP, click the "Start" button, select "Run", type in %APPDATA% and click "OK" to open the hidden "Application Data" folder, then open the "Mozilla" folder and rename the "Firefox" folder.

Caution: Make sure that you rename the entire Firefox profile folder, which includes the profiles.ini file that keeps track of profiles. Do not simply rename or delete the profile folder that contains your user data, as doing so can result in a "profile in use" or "already running" message when you next attempt to run Firefox (bug 278860).

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Related bug reports

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