Firefox FAQs
From MozillaZine Knowledge Base
This list of frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about Firefox is organized by subject and may include links to MozillaZine forum topics and other sources in addition to Knowledge Base articles. If you don't find an answer below, open the Help Contents from the Firefox menu, use the Knowledge Base Search function, or browse all articles in the Category:Firefox.
General
- How do I install Firefox?
- How do I use or configure the Software Update feature to update Firefox?
- Can I have both Firefox 2 and Firefox 1.5 installed?
- Where can I download older Firefox versions?
- How do I set Firefox (or another browser) as the default browser?
- Should I uninstall Internet Explorer or can I make it more secure?
- How do I make Firefox dial (connect) automatically in Windows?
- How do I make MSN Messenger open links in Firefox?
- How do I completely uninstall Firefox?
Bookmarks
- How do I import bookmarks from a file, or from Internet Explorer, MSN Explorer, Opera or Safari?
- Where are my bookmarks stored?
- How do I share bookmarks among multiple profiles or store them in a different location?
- How do I use the "Live Bookmarks" feature in Firefox to add RSS feeds?
Profiles
- Where is the Firefox profile folder and what does it contain?
- What is the Firefox Profile Manager and how do I access it?
- How do I create a new Firefox profile on Windows?
- How do I transfer profile data such as bookmarks and passwords to a new profile?
- How do I back up my profile?
- Can I share the same profile on dual boot machines, or transfer it to different machines?
Internet search
- How do I use the Search Bar or add new search engines?
- How do I remove search engines I don't need?
- How do I resize the Search Bar?
Extensions and themes
- What are extensions and where do I download them?
- how do I install extensions or update them?
- How do I uninstall extensions?
- What are themes and how do I install a new theme?
Plugins
- What is a plugin? PluginDoc information and downloads
- Where can I test my plugins?
- How can I found out which plugins Firefox is detecting?
- How do I install or enable Java if it isn't working?
- How do I get the Flash or Shockwave plugins working on Firefox?
- How do I install or enable the Quicktime or Quicktime Alternative browser plugins on Windows?
- How do I install Real Player or Real Alternative?
- How do I get the Windows Media Player or ActiveX plugin working in Firefox?
- How can I fix problems with the Adobe Reader plugin or other PDF viewer?
Privacy and security
- What are cookies and where are they stored?
- What is a master password and how do I set a master password or change the settings?
- How do I block objectionable content?
- How do I delete "autocomplete" entries from the Location Bar, the Search Bar and some form fields on web pages?
- How can I set security policies to restrict or disable certain security settings or limit what websites can do via JavaScript?
- What kind of encryption does Firefox use?
- Where can I see a list of Firefox vulnerabilities?
- What is that small golden lock icon at the bottom of the screen? Why does it sometimes have a red slash over it?
Configuring and customizing Firefox
- Firefox menu Options/Preferences
- How do I edit my configuration files?
- What is the user.js file? What are the userChrome.css and userContent.css files?
- What is about:config and what do the about:config entries represent?
- How do I reset preferences to the Firefox default settings?
- How do I customize my toolbars or use multiple bookmark toolbars?
- How do I disable the autocomplete dropdown? How do I enable inline autocomplete?
- How do I enable or disable JavaScript or allow only certain sites to use JavaScript?
Other
- What is Firefox Safe Mode and how do I access it to restore default settings or diagnose problems?
- How do I restore the mail integration toolbar and menu items in Firefox 2 to get mail and send new messages?
- What is the Firefox 2 Session Restore feature?
- How do I find the Firefox disk cache or change its location?
- What are the accessibility features of Firefox for disabled, blind or visually impaired users?