Profile Folder: Difference between revisions
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| | | Lists installed extensions, their IDs, and the folders they are installed to, along with their mtime (last-modify time). It is used to register extensions installed by dropping a folder into one of known install locations, for example. This file is automatically regenerated. | ||
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| <tt>extensions.ini</tt> | | <tt>extensions.ini</tt> | ||
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| <tt>extensions.rdf</tt> | | <tt>extensions.rdf</tt> | ||
| Firefox | | Firefox | ||
| Installed extension information | | Installed extension information. | ||
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| <tt>extensions-startup.manifest</tt> | | <tt>extensions-startup.manifest</tt> |
Revision as of 08:42, 26 December 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.
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. 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. "Start -> Run -> %APPDATA%" will quickly open the 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/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, create a new profile then migrate your settings to the new 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 |
---|---|---|
bookmarkbackups | Firefox (starting in 1.5) | Daily rotating backups of your bookmarks. |
Cache | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Cached Internet files. Folder location changed in Firefox 1.5 [1]. Use about:cache for information about the cached files and to find the Cache folder location. |
chrome | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | (Firefox 1.5, Thunderbird 1.5 chrome folder no longer used) |
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 (starting in 1.5) | Contains search engine plugins and their icons for the Search Bar |
Files
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
.parentlock | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (MacOS X) | 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 |
bookmarks-(date).html in bookmarkbackups | Firefox (starting in 1.5) | Daily rotating backups of your 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, Mozilla Suite | Download history |
extensions.cache | Firefox | Lists installed extensions, their IDs, and the folders they are installed to, along with their mtime (last-modify time). It is used to register extensions installed by dropping a folder into one of known install locations, for example. This file is automatically regenerated. |
extensions.ini | Firefox | |
extensions.rdf | Firefox | Installed extension information. |
extensions-startup.manifest | Firefox | Was used in Deer Park alpha releases, was later renamed to extensions.cache |
formhistory.dat | Firefox | Saved form data |
key3.db | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |
history.dat | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Browsing history |
history.mab | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Collected Addresses |
hostperm.1 | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Per-site preferences for allowing cookies and popups. |
localstore.rdf | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | 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, Mozilla Suite | |
parent.lock | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (Windows) | 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, Mozilla Suite | |
signons.txt | Firefox | Encrypted saved passwords, requires key3.db to work |
training.dat | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Custom training for Junk Mail Controls |
user.js (does not exist by default) | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | User-set overriding 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 | Saved Search folder settings |
xpti.dat | Firefox, Thunderbird | |
xul.mfasl | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (Linux) | See XUL.mfl |
XUL.mfl | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (Windows) | Cached user interface data (file location changed in Firefox 1.5, Thunderbird 1.5 [2]) |
XUL FastLoad File | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (MacOS X) | See XUL.mfl |
Files without specific names
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
(number).s | Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Password data. The "(number).s" value is referenced in the about:config preference "signon.SignonFileName" preference |
(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 |
Files outside of the profile folder
Name | Application | Description |
---|---|---|
pluginreg.dat | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Registration of plugin mimetypes |
profiles.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird | Keeps track of where your profiles are located |
registry.dat | Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | Keeps track of where your profiles are located in Mozilla Suite and older versions of Firefox and Thunderbird |