Profile folder: Difference between revisions
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# | [[Category:Profiles]] | ||
:''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 "<tt>%APPDATA%</tt>" phrase for Windows 2000/XP is an environment variable that automatically updates for login username changes. "Start -> Run -> <tt>%APPDATA%</tt>" will quickly open the Application Data folder. | |||
===Mozilla Suite=== | |||
{| 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) | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 9x/Me || <tt>C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 9x/Me, alternate || <tt>C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows NT 4.x || <tt>C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<Profile name>\********.slt\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| 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\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Unix || <tt>~/.mozilla/<Profile name>/********.slt</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Mac OS X || <tt>~/Library/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt<br /> | |||
~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/Profiles/<Profile name>/********.slt</tt> | |||
|} | |||
'''Notice''': Firefox and Thunderbird have default profile folder names of "<tt>********.default</tt>" where "<tt>********</tt>" is eight random letters and numbers. | |||
===Firefox=== | |||
{| 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) | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 9x/Me || <tt>C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 9x/Me, alternate || <tt>C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows NT 4.x || <tt>C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| 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>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Unix || <tt>~/.mozilla/firefox/<Profile name>/</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Mac OS X || <tt>~/Library/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/<br /> | |||
~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<Profile name>/</tt> | |||
|} | |||
===Sunbird=== | |||
Like Firefox above, but replace the directory name "Firefox" with "Sunbird" in the paths. | |||
===Thunderbird=== | |||
{| 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) | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 9x/Me || <tt>C:\Windows\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 9x/Me, alternate || <tt>C:\Windows\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows NT 4.x || <tt>C:\Winnt\Profiles\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Windows 2000/XP || <tt>C:\Documents and Settings\<Windows login/user name>\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\<br /> | |||
%APPDATA%\Thunderbird\Profiles\<Profile name>\</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Unix || <tt>~/.thunderbird/<Profile name>/</tt> or possibly <tt>~/.mozilla-thunderbird<Profile name></tt> | |||
|- | |||
| Mac OS X || <tt>~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/<br /> | |||
~/Library/Application Support/Thunderbird/Profiles/<Profile name>/</tt><br /> | |||
Users/<user name>/Library/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, [[Profile_Manager#How_do_I_create_a_new_profile.3F|create a new profile]] then [[Migrating settings to a new profile | 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=== | |||
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | |||
!Name | |||
!Application | |||
!Description | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>bookmarkbackups</tt> | |||
| Firefox (starting in 1.5) | |||
| Daily rotating backups of your bookmarks. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>Cache</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Cached Internet files. Folder location changed in Firefox 1.5 [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=291033]. Use [[About_protocol_links | about:cache]] for information about the cached files and to find the <tt>Cache</tt> folder location. | |||
|- | |||
|<tt>chrome</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |||
| (In Firefox 1.5, Thunderbird 1.5 <tt>chrome</tt> folder is only used for [[userChrome.css]] and [[userContent.css]]) | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>extensions</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Installed extensions | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>ImapMail</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Mail from IMAP sources | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>Mail</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Mail from POP sources and Local Folders | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>News</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| News from newsgroups | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>searchplugins</tt> | |||
| Firefox (starting in 1.5) | |||
| Contains search engine plugins and their icons for the [[Search Bar]] | |||
|} | |||
===Files=== | |||
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | |||
! Name | |||
! Application | |||
! Description | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>.parentlock</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (MacOS X) | |||
| See <tt>parent.lock</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>abook.mab</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Personal Address Book | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>bookmarks.bak</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Backup of bookmarks.html | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>bookmarks.html</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Bookmarks | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>bookmarks-''(date)''.html</tt> in <tt>bookmarkbackups</tt> | |||
| Firefox (starting in 1.5) | |||
| Daily rotating backups of your bookmarks. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>cert8.db</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Security certificates | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>compatibility.ini</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | |||
| Stores version and path of the application this profile was last used with. When the profile is loaded with an application of a different version/path, the XPCOM components registration process is triggered. This file is automatically generated and can safely be deleted. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>components.ini</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | |||
| Lists extension folders with XPCOM components. Replaced with <tt>extensions.ini</tt> in 1.5. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>compreg.dat</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | |||
| Lists registered XPCOM components. Automatically regenerated whenever XPCOM registration process is triggered. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>cookies.txt</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | |||
| [[Cookies]] | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>defaults.ini</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird (before 1.5) | |||
| Lists extension folders with [[Dev_:_Using_preferences#Where_are_the_default_values_read_from|default pref files]]. Replaced with <tt>extensions.ini</tt> in 1.5. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>downloads.rdf</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Download history | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>extensions.cache</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird (starting in 1.5) | |||
| Lists installed extensions, their IDs, and the folders they are installed to, along with their last-modify time. It is used, for example, to register extensions installed by dropping a folder into one of known install locations. This file is automatically regenerated. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>extensions.ini</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird (starting in 1.5) | |||
| Lists folders of installed extensions and themes. The file is automatically generated by <code>nsExtensionManager</code> and is used by low-level code to detect chrome packages and XPCOM components provided by installed addons. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>extensions.rdf</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | |||
| Installed extension information. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>extensions-startup.manifest</tt> | |||
| Firefox and Thunderbird 1.5 alphas | |||
| This file was used in Deer Park alphas and was later [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=297312#c17 renamed to extensions.cache] | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>formhistory.dat</tt> | |||
| Firefox | |||
| Saved form data | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>key3.db</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>history.dat</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Browsing history | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>history.mab</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Collected Addresses | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>hostperm.1</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Per-site preferences for allowing [[cookies]] and popups. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>localstore.rdf</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |||
| Toolbar and window positioning/sizing settings | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>lock</tt> (Linux) | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| See <tt>parent.lock</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>mimeTypes.rdf</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Action to perform when downloading certain types of files | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>msgFilterRules.dat</tt> in <tt>ImapMail</tt>, <tt>Mail</tt>, <tt>News</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| [[Filters (Thunderbird)|Message filters]] | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>panacea.dat</tt> | |||
| Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |||
| | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>parent.lock</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (Windows) | |||
| Marker showing that the current [[profile in use | profile is in use]] | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>popstate.dat</tt> in Mail | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Keeps track of which messages have been downloaded from the server | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>prefs.js</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| All preferences. See: [[about:config]] | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>search.rdf</tt> | |||
| Firefox | |||
| | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>secmod.db</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | |||
| | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>signons.txt</tt> | |||
| Firefox | |||
| Encrypted saved passwords, requires <tt>key3.db</tt> to work | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>training.dat</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Custom training for [[Junk Mail Controls]] | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>[[user.js]] (does not exist by default)</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| User-set overriding preferences | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>[[userChrome.css]]</tt> in <tt>chrome</tt> (does not exist by default) | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| User-set CSS to change the way the application looks | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>[[userContent.css]]</tt> in <tt>chrome</tt> (does not exist by default) | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| User-set CSS to change the way webpages look | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>virtualfolders.dat</tt> | |||
| Thunderbird | |||
| [[Saved Search]] folder settings | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>xpti.dat</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | |||
| Lists registered XPCOM interfaces. Automatically regenerated whenever XPCOM registration process is triggered. | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>xul.mfasl</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (Linux) | |||
| See <tt>XUL.mfl</tt> | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>XUL.mfl</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (Windows) | |||
| Cached user interface data (file location changed in Firefox 1.5, Thunderbird 1.5 [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=291033]) | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>XUL FastLoad File</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird (MacOS X) | |||
| See <tt>XUL.mfl</tt> | |||
|} | |||
===Files without specific names=== | |||
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | |||
! Name | |||
! Application | |||
! Description | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>''(number)''.s</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Password data. The "(number).s" value is referenced in the [[about:config]] preference "signon.SignonFileName" preference | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>''(number)''.w</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite | |||
| Saved form data | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>*.</tt> in <tt>ImapMail</tt>, <tt>Mail</tt>, and <tt>News</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Mail messages | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>*.mab</tt> other than <tt>abook.mab</tt> and <tt>history.mab</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| User-created address books | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>*.msf</tt> in <tt>ImapMail</tt>, <tt>Mail</tt>, and <tt>News</tt> | |||
| Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Index files for mail messages | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>*.src</tt> in <tt>searchplugins</tt> | |||
| Firefox | |||
| [[Uninstall search plugins|Search engine plugins]] for the [[Search Bar]] | |||
|} | |||
===Files outside of the profile folder=== | |||
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #fcfcfc; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | |||
! Name | |||
! Application | |||
! Description | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>pluginreg.dat</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Registration of plugin mimetypes | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>profiles.ini</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Thunderbird | |||
| Keeps track of where your profiles are located | |||
|- | |||
| <tt>registry.dat</tt> | |||
| Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Thunderbird | |||
| Keeps track of where your profiles are located in Mozilla Suite and older versions of Firefox and Thunderbird | |||
|} | |||
==See also== | |||
* [[Migrating settings to a new profile]] | |||
* [[Profile backup]] | |||
* [[Profile Manager]] | |||
* [[Roaming profile]] | |||
* [[Profile in use]] | |||
==External links== | |||
* [http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.5/faq/profile.html Mozilla Suite Profile FAQ] | |||
* [http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/profile Firefox Help: How To Manage Profiles] | |||
* [http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird/profile Thunderbird Help: How To Manage Profiles] |
Revision as of 11:55, 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 | (In Firefox 1.5, Thunderbird 1.5 chrome folder is only used for userChrome.css and userContent.css) |
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 | Stores version and path of the application this profile was last used with. When the profile is loaded with an application of a different version/path, the XPCOM components registration process is triggered. This file is automatically generated and can safely be deleted. |
components.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird | Lists extension folders with XPCOM components. Replaced with extensions.ini in 1.5. |
compreg.dat | Firefox, Thunderbird | Lists registered XPCOM components. Automatically regenerated whenever XPCOM registration process is triggered. |
cookies.txt | Firefox, Mozilla Suite | Cookies |
defaults.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird (before 1.5) | Lists extension folders with default pref files. Replaced with extensions.ini in 1.5. |
downloads.rdf | Firefox, Thunderbird, Mozilla Suite | Download history |
extensions.cache | Firefox, Thunderbird (starting in 1.5) | Lists installed extensions, their IDs, and the folders they are installed to, along with their last-modify time. It is used, for example, to register extensions installed by dropping a folder into one of known install locations. This file is automatically regenerated. |
extensions.ini | Firefox, Thunderbird (starting in 1.5) | Lists folders of installed extensions and themes. The file is automatically generated by nsExtensionManager and is used by low-level code to detect chrome packages and XPCOM components provided by installed addons.
|
extensions.rdf | Firefox, Thunderbird | Installed extension information. |
extensions-startup.manifest | Firefox and Thunderbird 1.5 alphas | This file was used in Deer Park alphas and 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 | Lists registered XPCOM interfaces. Automatically regenerated whenever XPCOM registration process is triggered. |
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 |