Transferring data to a new profile

Mozilla applications include a feature that allows you to create a new user profile. A new profile is useful when your Mozilla application is behaving badly, since the problem is often in the profile. Rather than attempt to find the problem, it's often easier to create a new profile and to transfer desired data from the old profile to the new one. This article describes how to accomplish this. Other articles exist for other situations: Migrate from Mozilla Suite or Netscape to Thunderbird, Migrate from Thunderbird to Mozilla Suite, Combining two profiles, Moving your profile folder.

Your first step is to create the new profile. To do this, completely close the application by choosing File -> Exit (or Quit). Next, start the Profile Manager for your Mozilla application and create a new profile. Make note of the name you give to the new profile so you can distinguish between the old and the new.

With the application closed again, copy the files you want to retain from the old profile folder to the new. This process will overwrite existing files of the same name so you may wish to back up the current profile as a precaution.

Below is a list of recommended files to copy. Do not copy the entire profile directory because some files may contain absolute path information and may cause problems when moved to a different location. If you are transferring data to a new profile because you had problems with the old one, you should copy a few files at a time and test between steps.

Browser

These files are used by Firefox and Mozilla Suite / SeaMonkey.

• bookmarks.html - Bookmarks
• cert8.db - Security certificates
• chrome/userChrome.css and chrome/userContent.css (if they exist) - User-defined styles. It is not recommended to migrate these files if you had problems with the previous profile.
• cookies.txt - Cookies
• formhistory.dat (Firefox) - Form history
• key3.db stores the key (Master Password) to encrypt and decrypt the user names and passwords saved in "signons.txt" (Firefox) or "(number).s" (Mozilla Suite).
• signons.txt or signons2.txt (Firefox) - Saved passwords. Important: You also need to copy key3.db.
• (number).s (Mozilla Suite) - Saved passwords. If you do not migrate the "prefs.js" file, you must first save a password in the new profile so that a "(number).s" file is created, then use about:config to modify the signon.SignonFileName preference value to match the copied file name [1]. Important: You also need to copy key3.db.
• (number).w (Mozilla Suite) - Form history. If you do not migrate the "prefs.js" file, then use about:config to modify the wallet.SchemaValueFileName preference value to match the copied "(number).w" file name.
• history.dat - Browsing history
• hostperm.1 - Cookie, image, and extension install permissions
• mimeTypes.rdf - Actions to perform on downloaded files
• user.js (if it exists) and prefs.js - User Preferences. In most cases, migrating the "prefs.js" file from one profile to another is not recommended, especially if you had problems with the previous profile. If you choose to migrate "prefs.js", you may need to manually edit the paths to reflect the new profile location. You may also need to edit the file to remove preferences that refer to extensions that are not installed in the new profile.
• searchplugins folder - Search plugins. Copy the .src and .gif/.png pair of files (or, in Firefox 2, the .xml file) for each search plugin, from the "searchplugins" folder in the source directory to the destination "searchplugins" folder. In Firefox 1.5 or later and in SeaMonkey, newly-installed search plugins are added to the "searchplugins" folder in the profile folder instead of to the installation directory. Starting in Firefox 2, a single .xml file is used (instead of .src and .gif/.png files) for each search plugin.
• extensions folder (Firefox) - Themes and Extensions. Important: 1) Only copy this folder in Firefox 1.5 or later. 2) It is also necessary to delete these three files at the same time: extensions.ini, extensions.cache and extensions.rdf (these files will be regenerated on restart). 3) Migrating this folder is not recommended if you had problems with the previous profile.

Mail and newsgroups

These files are used by Thunderbird and Mozilla Suite / SeaMonkey Mail.

• (number).s - Saved passwords in Mozilla Suite and older Thunderbird profiles. If you do not migrate the "prefs.js" file, use about:config to modify the signon.SignonFileName preference value to match the copied "(number).s" file name. Important: You also need to copy key3.db.
• abook.mab and history.mab - Personal Address Book and Collected Addresses. For migrating other address books, see this article.
• cert8.db - Security certificates
• chrome/userChrome.css and chrome/userContent.css (if they exist) - User-defined styles
• key3.db - Key database for passwords
• mimeTypes.rdf - Actions to perform on downloaded files
• msgFilterRules.dat (in each account subfolder) - Message filters
• popstate.dat (inside each POP mail account subfolder) - Keeps track of which messages have been downloaded from the POP server. If you don't copy it, previously downloaded messages still on the server might all get downloaded again.
• training.dat - Custom training for Junk Mail Controls
• signons.txt (Thunderbird) - Saved passwords in recent Thunderbird profiles. Important: You also need to copy key3.db.
• user.js (if it exists) and prefs.js - User Preferences. In most cases, migrating the "prefs.js" file from one profile to another is not recommended. If you choose to do so, you may need to manually edit the paths in "prefs.js" to reflect the new profile location. You may also need to remove preferences that refer to extensions that are not installed in the new profile.
• virtualfolders.dat (Thunderbird) - Saved Search folder settings
• Mail and ImapMail folders - E-mail messages and settings. See this article.
• News folder - Newsgroups messages and settings. If necessary, create a new "newsgroup" account for each news server in the new profile ("File -> New -> Account"), then close Mozilla Suite or Thunderbird and copy over the "News" folder contents.
• extensions folder (Thunderbird) - Themes and Extensions. Important: 1) Only copy this folder in Thunderbird 1.5 or later. 2) It is also necessary to delete these three files at the same time: extensions.ini, extensions.cache and extensions.rdf (these files will be regenerated on restart). 3) Migrating this folder is not recommended if you had problems with the previous profile.