Profile Folder: Difference between revisions
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==Where is my profile folder?== | ==Where is my profile folder?== | ||
By default, profiles are created in the folders listed below. When creating a profile with the [[Profile Manager]], you can choose to place it elsewhere. In this case, you can read | By default, profiles are created in the folders listed below. When creating a profile with the [[Profile Manager]], you can choose to place it elsewhere. In this case, you can read <tt>...\Application Data\Thunderbird\profiles.ini</tt> to find out where it is stored. Note that by default, profiles are stored in a completely different location than the application [[installation directory]]. | ||
===For Windows 2000 and XP users=== | ===For Windows 2000 and XP users=== | ||
'''If you cannot find your profile folder''': Windows 2000 and XP sometimes hide the profile folders because "Application Data" is a hidden folder. In Explorer (i.e. double-click My Computer) click: Tools | '''If you cannot find your profile folder''': Windows 2000 and XP sometimes hide the profile folders because "Application Data" is a hidden folder. In Explorer (i.e. double-click My Computer) click: Tools → Folder Options → View (tab) → Show Hidden files and folders. | ||
For those curious, the "%APPDATA%" phrase for Windows 2000/XP is an environment variable that automatically updates for login username changes and will quickly locate your Application Data folder. | For those curious, the "<tt>%APPDATA%</tt>" phrase for Windows 2000/XP is an environment variable that automatically updates for login username changes and will quickly locate your Application Data folder. | ||
===Mozilla Suite=== | ===Mozilla Suite=== | ||
{| border=" | {| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | ||
! Operating system !! Folder(s) | ! Operating system !! Folder(s) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 9x/Me || C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ | | Windows 9x/Me || <tt>C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 9x/Me, alternate || C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ | | Windows 9x/Me, alternate || <tt>C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows NT 4.x || C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ | | Windows NT 4.x || <tt>C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 2000/XP || C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\<br> | | Windows 2000/XP || <tt>C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\<br /> | ||
%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ | %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Unix || ~/.mozilla/<Profile name>/********.slt | | Unix || <tt>~/.mozilla/<Profile name>/********.slt</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Mac OS X || ~/Library/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt<br> | | Mac OS X || <tt>~/Library/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt<br /> | ||
~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt | ~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt</tt> | ||
|} | |} | ||
'''Notice''': Firefox and Thunderbird have default profile folder names of "********.default" where "********" is eight random letters and numbers. | '''Notice''': Firefox and Thunderbird have default profile folder names of "<tt>********.default</tt>" where "<tt>********</tt>" is eight random letters and numbers. | ||
===Firefox=== | ===Firefox=== | ||
{| border=" | {| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | ||
! Operating system !! Folder(s) | ! Operating system !! Folder(s) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 9x/Me || C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | | Windows 9x/Me || <tt>C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 9x/Me, alternate || C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | | Windows 9x/Me, alternate || <tt>C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows NT 4.x || C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | | Windows NT 4.x || <tt>C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 2000/XP || C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\<br> | | Windows 2000/XP || <tt>C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\<br /> | ||
%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Unix || ~/.mozilla/firefox/<Profile name>/ | | Unix || <tt>~/.mozilla/firefox/<Profile name>/</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Mac OS X || ~/Library/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/<br> | | Mac OS X || <tt>~/Library/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/<br /> | ||
~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/ | ~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/</tt> | ||
|} | |} | ||
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===Thunderbird=== | ===Thunderbird=== | ||
{| border=" | {| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | ||
! Operating system !! Folder(s) | ! Operating system !! Folder(s) | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 9x/Me || C:\Windows\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | | Windows 9x/Me || <tt>C:\Windows\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 9x/Me, alternate || C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | | Windows 9x/Me, alternate || <tt>C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows NT 4.x || C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | | Windows NT 4.x || <tt>C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Windows 2000/XP || C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\<br> | | Windows 2000/XP || <tt>C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\<br /> | ||
%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ | %APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Unix || ~/.thunderbird/<Profile name>/ | | Unix || <tt>~/.thunderbird/<Profile name>/</tt> or possibly <tt>~/.mozilla-thunderbird<Profile name></tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Mac OS X || ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/<br> | | Mac OS X || <tt>~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/<br /> | ||
~/Library/Application Support/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/ | ~/Library/Application Support/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/</tt> | ||
|} | |} | ||
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===What do I do if my profile's corrupted?=== | ===What do I do if my profile's corrupted?=== | ||
If your profile is corrupted, try [[Profile_Manager#How_do_I_create_a_new_profile.3F|creating a new profile]]. (If you still have problems with a new profile, then try uninstalling and reinstalling the application.) Assuming the new profile is working, you can copy selected files from the old profile into the new one. Below are some suggested files (note that some of these files may not exist). | If your profile is corrupted, try [[Profile_Manager#How_do_I_create_a_new_profile.3F|creating a new profile]]. (If you still have problems with a new profile, then try uninstalling and reinstalling the application.) Assuming the new profile is working, you can copy selected files from the old profile into the new one. Below are some suggested files (note that some of these files may not exist). | ||
* bookmarks.html | * <tt>bookmarks.html</tt> | ||
* cookies.txt | * <tt>cookies.txt</tt> | ||
* hostperm.1 | * <tt>hostperm.1</tt> | ||
* user.js | * <tt>user.js</tt> | ||
* cert8.db | * <tt>cert8.db</tt> | ||
* key3.db | * <tt>key3.db</tt> | ||
* signons.txt | * <tt>signons.txt</tt> | ||
* mimeTypes.rdf | * <tt>mimeTypes.rdf</tt> | ||
* chrome/userContent.css | * <tt>chrome/userContent.css</tt> | ||
* chrome/userChrome.css | * <tt>chrome/userChrome.css</tt> | ||
You can rescue your mail, [[Moving address books between profiles|address books]], and other important files in a similar manner. You can also copy "pref.js", but it contains absolute paths, so you'll need to [[Thunderbird : FAQs : Changing Profile Folder Location|manually edit it]] to reflect the new profile location. | You can rescue your mail, [[Moving address books between profiles|address books]], and other important files in a similar manner. You can also copy "pref.js", but it contains absolute paths, so you'll need to [[Thunderbird : FAQs : Changing Profile Folder Location|manually edit it]] to reflect the new profile location. | ||
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!Description | !Description | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Cache | | <tt>Cache</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | ||
| Cached Internet files. You can't open these files directly, use [[About protocol links | about:cache]] | | Cached Internet files. You can't open these files directly, use [[About protocol links | about:cache]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| chrome | | <tt>chrome</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| extensions | | <tt>extensions</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | ||
| Installed extensions | | Installed extensions | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ImapMail | | <tt>ImapMail</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Mail from IMAP sources | | Mail from IMAP sources | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Mail | | <tt>Mail</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Mail from POP sources and Local Folders | | Mail from POP sources and Local Folders | ||
|- | |- | ||
| News | | <tt>News</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| News from newsgroups | | News from newsgroups | ||
|- | |- | ||
| searchplugins | | <tt>searchplugins</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| | | Contains [[Uninstall search plugins|search engine plugins]] and their icons for the [[Search Bar]] | ||
|} | |} | ||
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! Description | ! Description | ||
|- | |- | ||
| .parentlock (MacOS X) | | <tt>.parentlock</tt> (MacOS X) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| See parent.lock | | See <tt>parent.lock</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| abook.mab | | <tt>abook.mab</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Personal Address Book | | Personal Address Book | ||
|- | |- | ||
| bookmarks.bak | | <tt>bookmarks.bak</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | ||
| Backup of bookmarks.html | | Backup of bookmarks.html | ||
|- | |- | ||
| bookmarks.html | | <tt>bookmarks.html</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | ||
| Bookmarks | | Bookmarks | ||
|- | |- | ||
| cert8.db | | <tt>cert8.db</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Security certificates | | Security certificates | ||
|- | |- | ||
| compatibility.ini | | <tt>compatibility.ini</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| components.ini | | <tt>components.ini</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| compreg.dat | | <tt>compreg.dat</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| cookies.txt | | <tt>cookies.txt</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | ||
| [[Cookies]] | | [[Cookies]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| defaults.ini | | <tt>defaults.ini</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| downloads.rdf | | <tt>downloads.rdf</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| Download history | | Download history | ||
|- | |- | ||
| extensions.cache | | <tt>extensions.cache</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| extensions.ini | | <tt>extensions.ini</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| extensions.rdf | | <tt>extensions.rdf</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| Installed extension information | | Installed extension information | ||
|- | |- | ||
| extensions-startup.manifest | | <tt>extensions-startup.manifest</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| formhistory.dat | | <tt>formhistory.dat</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| Saved form data | | Saved form data | ||
|- | |- | ||
| key3.db | | <tt>key3.db</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| history.dat | | <tt>history.dat</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| Browsing history | | Browsing history | ||
|- | |- | ||
| history.mab | | <tt>history.mab</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | ||
| Collected Addresses | | Collected Addresses | ||
|- | |- | ||
| hostperm.1 | | <tt>hostperm.1</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | ||
| Per-site preferences for allowing [[cookies]] and popups. | | Per-site preferences for allowing [[cookies]] and popups. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| localstore.rdf | | <tt>localstore.rdf</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| Toolbar and window positioning/sizing settings | | Toolbar and window positioning/sizing settings | ||
|- | |- | ||
| lock (Linux) | | <tt>lock</tt> (Linux) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| See parent.lock | | See <tt>parent.lock</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| mimeTypes.rdf | | <tt>mimeTypes.rdf</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Action to perform when downloading certain types of files | | Action to perform when downloading certain types of files | ||
|- | |- | ||
| msgFilterRules.dat in ImapMail, Mail, News | | <tt>msgFilterRules.dat</tt> in <tt>ImapMail</tt>, <tt>Mail</tt>, <tt>News</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Message filters | | Message filters | ||
|- | |- | ||
| panacea.dat | | <tt>panacea.dat</tt> | ||
| Thunderbird | | Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| parent.lock (Windows) | | <tt>parent.lock</tt> (Windows) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Marker showing that the current [[profile in use | | Marker showing that the current [[profile in use | profile is in use]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| popstate.dat in Mail | | <tt>popstate.dat</tt> in Mail | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Keeps track of which messages have been downloaded from the server | | Keeps track of which messages have been downloaded from the server | ||
|- | |- | ||
| prefs.js | | <tt>prefs.js</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| All preferences. See: [[about:config]] | | All preferences. See: [[about:config]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| search.rdf | | <tt>search.rdf</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| secmod.db | | <tt>secmod.db</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| signons.txt | | <tt>signons.txt</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| Encrypted saved passwords, requires key3.db to work | | Encrypted saved passwords, requires <tt>key3.db</tt> to work | ||
|- | |- | ||
| training.dat | | <tt>training.dat</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Custom training for [[Junk Mail Controls]] | | Custom training for [[Junk Mail Controls]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[user.js]] | | <tt>[[user.js]]</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| User-set preferences | | User-set preferences | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[userChrome.css]] in chrome (does not exist by default) | | <tt>[[userChrome.css]]</tt> in <tt>chrome</tt> (does not exist by default) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| User-set CSS to change the way the application looks | | User-set CSS to change the way the application looks | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[userContent.css]] in chrome (does not exist by default) | | <tt>[[userContent.css]]</tt> in <tt>chrome</tt> (does not exist by default) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| User-set CSS to change the way webpages look | | User-set CSS to change the way webpages look | ||
|- | |- | ||
| virtualfolders.dat | | <tt>virtualfolders.dat</tt> | ||
| Thunderbird | | Thunderbird | ||
| Virtual folder settings | | Virtual folder settings | ||
|- | |- | ||
| xpti.dat | | <tt>xpti.dat</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| xul.mfasl (Linux) | | <tt>xul.mfasl</tt> (Linux) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| See XUL.mfl | | See <tt>XUL.mfl</tt> | ||
|- | |- | ||
| XUL.mfl (Windows) | | <tt>XUL.mfl</tt> (Windows) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Cached user interface data | | Cached user interface data | ||
|- | |- | ||
| XUL FastLoad File (MacOS X) | | <tt>XUL FastLoad File</tt> (MacOS X) | ||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| See XUL.mfl | | See <tt>XUL.mfl</tt> | ||
|} | |} | ||
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! Description | ! Description | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''(number)''.s | | <tt>''(number)''.s</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Password data | | Password data | ||
|- | |- | ||
| ''(number)''.w | | <tt>''(number)''.w</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite | | Mozilla Suite | ||
| Saved form data | | Saved form data | ||
|- | |- | ||
| *. in ImapMail, Mail, and News | | <tt>*.</tt> in <tt>ImapMail</tt>, <tt>Mail</tt>, and <tt>News</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Mail messages | | Mail messages | ||
|- | |- | ||
| *.mab other than abook.mab and history.mab | | <tt>*.mab</tt> other than <tt>abook.mab</tt> and <tt>history.mab</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| User-created address books | | User-created address books | ||
|- | |- | ||
| *.msf in ImapMail, Mail, and News | | <tt>*.msf</tt> in <tt>ImapMail</tt>, <tt>Mail</tt>, and <tt>News</tt> | ||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | ||
| Index files for mail messages | | Index files for mail messages | ||
|- | |- | ||
| *.src in searchplugins | | <tt>*.src</tt> in <tt>searchplugins</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| | | [[Uninstall search plugins|Search engine plugins]] for the [[Search Bar]] | ||
|} | |} | ||
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! Description | ! Description | ||
|- | |- | ||
| pluginreg.dat | | <tt>pluginreg.dat</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| profiles.ini in the Application Data folder | | <tt>profiles.ini</tt> in the <tt>Application Data</tt> folder | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| Keeps track of where your profiles are located | | Keeps track of where your profiles are located | ||
|- | |- | ||
| registry.dat | | <tt>registry.dat</tt> | ||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | | Firefox, Thunderbird | ||
| | | |
Revision as of 04:36, 10 September 2005
- This article applies to the Mozilla Suite, Firefox, Thunderbird and some other Mozilla-based applications.
The Mozilla Suite, Firefox, and Thunderbird each store a user's personal information such as bookmarks, e-mail, address books, extensions, and user preferences in a unique profile. The first time you start the Mozilla Suite (or Firefox or Thunderbird), it will automatically create a default profile; additional profiles can be created using the Profile Manager.
Each profile is stored in its own folder. See the What is in my profile? section below for tips on making changes to files in your profile folder.
Where is my profile folder?
By default, profiles are created in the folders listed below. When creating a profile with the Profile Manager, you can choose to place it elsewhere. In this case, you can read ...\Application Data\Thunderbird\profiles.ini to find out where it is stored. Note that by default, profiles are stored in a completely different location than the application installation directory.
For Windows 2000 and XP users
If you cannot find your profile folder: Windows 2000 and XP sometimes hide the profile folders because "Application Data" is a hidden folder. In Explorer (i.e. double-click My Computer) click: Tools → Folder Options → View (tab) → Show Hidden files and folders.
For those curious, the "%APPDATA%" phrase for Windows 2000/XP is an environment variable that automatically updates for login username changes and will quickly locate your Application Data folder.
Mozilla Suite
Operating system | Folder(s) |
---|---|
Windows 9x/Me | C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ |
Windows 9x/Me, alternate | C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ |
Windows NT 4.x | C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ |
Windows 2000/XP | C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\ |
Unix | ~/.mozilla/<Profile name>/********.slt |
Mac OS X | ~/Library/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt ~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt |
Notice: Firefox and Thunderbird have default profile folder names of "********.default" where "********" is eight random letters and numbers.
Firefox
Operating system | Folder(s) |
---|---|
Windows 9x/Me | C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Windows 9x/Me, alternate | C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Windows NT 4.x | C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Windows 2000/XP | C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Unix | ~/.mozilla/firefox/<Profile name>/ |
Mac OS X | ~/Library/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/ ~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/ |
Sunbird
Like Firefox above, but replace the directory name "Firefox" with "Sunbird" in the paths.
Thunderbird
Operating system | Folder(s) |
---|---|
Windows 9x/Me | C:\Windows\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Windows 9x/Me, alternate | C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Windows NT 4.x | C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Windows 2000/XP | C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ %APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\ |
Unix | ~/.thunderbird/<Profile name>/ or possibly ~/.mozilla-thunderbird<Profile name> |
Mac OS X | ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/ ~/Library/Application Support/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/ |
Managing profiles
- You can select a profile to use, create a new profile, and delete or rename an existing profile using Profile Manager. See the linked article for detailed instructions.
- See Profile backup for instructions on backing up your profile.
- If you get a "profile is already in use" message it means that the profile is locked. See Profile in use for details.
What do I do if my profile's corrupted?
If your profile is corrupted, try creating a new profile. (If you still have problems with a new profile, then try uninstalling and reinstalling the application.) Assuming the new profile is working, you can copy selected files from the old profile into the new one. Below are some suggested files (note that some of these files may not exist).
- bookmarks.html
- cookies.txt
- hostperm.1
- user.js
- cert8.db
- key3.db
- signons.txt
- mimeTypes.rdf
- chrome/userContent.css
- chrome/userChrome.css
You can rescue your mail, address books, and other important files in a similar manner. You can also copy "pref.js", but it contains absolute paths, so you'll need to manually edit it to reflect the new profile location. More Thunderbird/Mozilla Mail specific tips can be found at Thunderbird FAQs page.
If you don't want to go though all that, though, there are a some other things you can try first that might save the old profile.
Files and folders in the profile
Note: it's not recommended to edit these files directly. Instead, use their respective interfaces.
Folders
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
Cache | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Cached Internet files. You can't open these files directly, use about:cache |
chrome | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |
extensions | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | Installed extensions |
ImapMail | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Mail from IMAP sources |
Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Mail from POP sources and Local Folders | |
News | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | News from newsgroups |
searchplugins | Firefox | Contains search engine plugins and their icons for the Search Bar |
Files
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
.parentlock (MacOS X) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | See parent.lock |
abook.mab | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Personal Address Book |
bookmarks.bak | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Backup of bookmarks.html |
bookmarks.html | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Bookmarks |
cert8.db | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Security certificates |
compatibility.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
components.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
compreg.dat | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
cookies.txt | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Cookies |
defaults.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
downloads.rdf | Firefox, Thunderbird | Download history |
extensions.cache | Firefox | |
extensions.ini | Firefox | |
extensions.rdf | Firefox | Installed extension information |
extensions-startup.manifest | Firefox | |
formhistory.dat | Firefox | Saved form data |
key3.db | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |
history.dat | Firefox | Browsing history |
history.mab | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Collected Addresses |
hostperm.1 | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Per-site preferences for allowing cookies and popups. |
localstore.rdf | Firefox, Thunderbird | Toolbar and window positioning/sizing settings |
lock (Linux) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | See parent.lock |
mimeTypes.rdf | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Action to perform when downloading certain types of files |
msgFilterRules.dat in ImapMail, Mail, News | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Message filters |
panacea.dat | Thunderbird | |
parent.lock (Windows) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Marker showing that the current profile is in use |
popstate.dat in Mail | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Keeps track of which messages have been downloaded from the server |
prefs.js | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | All preferences. See: about:config |
search.rdf | Firefox | |
secmod.db | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
signons.txt | Firefox | Encrypted saved passwords, requires key3.db to work |
training.dat | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Custom training for Junk Mail Controls |
user.js | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | User-set preferences |
userChrome.css in chrome (does not exist by default) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | User-set CSS to change the way the application looks |
userContent.css in chrome (does not exist by default) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | User-set CSS to change the way webpages look |
virtualfolders.dat | Thunderbird | Virtual folder settings |
xpti.dat | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
xul.mfasl (Linux) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | See XUL.mfl |
XUL.mfl (Windows) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Cached user interface data |
XUL FastLoad File (MacOS X) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | See XUL.mfl |
Files without specific names
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
(number).s | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Password data |
(number).w | Mozilla Suite | Saved form data |
*. in ImapMail, Mail, and News | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Mail messages |
*.mab other than abook.mab and history.mab | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | User-created address books |
*.msf in ImapMail, Mail, and News | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Index files for mail messages |
*.src in searchplugins | Firefox | Search engine plugins for the Search Bar |
Other files outside of the profile
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
pluginreg.dat | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
profiles.ini in the Application Data folder | Firefox, Thunderbird | Keeps track of where your profiles are located |
registry.dat | Firefox, Thunderbird |