Transferring data to a new profile - SeaMonkey

This article explains how to selectively transfer user data and settings to a new Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey or SeaMonkey 2 profile and provides a list of suggested files. If you're using Thunderbird, see Transferring data to a new profile - Thunderbird. For Firefox, see Transferring data to a new profile - Firefox.

Mozilla applications store your user data in a profile folder, separate from the program. For profile folder location and a detailed description of contents, read Profile folder - SeaMonkey. Normally, you only need a single profile, the original "default" profile that was created when you first installed your Mozilla application. You can transfer your data and settings to the "default" profile on another computer. You can also use the Profile Manager to create an additional user profile on the same computer and both profiles will be available. This can be useful if you are having problems with your Mozilla application, since most problems are in the profile and it's often easier to create a new profile and copy over desired data than to fix the original profile.

Note: If you are having issues with Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x and had previously installed any extensions, these may have been installed "globally". You should remove any globally-installed extensions or reinstall your Mozilla application to remove the added program files that the extension installed. See this article for details.

Copying data and settings

• As a precaution, it is recommended that you make a profile backup to safeguard your important data, before making any changes.
• Your Mozilla application must be closed before you attempt changes to the profile.
• Although in many cases it is possible to create a new profile, delete the contents of the new profile folder, and then copy the entire contents of another profile to the new, now-empty profile folder, it is recommended that you not do so and only copy the profile data that you truly want to keep.
• If you are transferring data to a new profile because you had problems with the old one, copy a few files at a time and test between steps.

Create a new profile

SeaMonkey 1.x is the successor to the original Mozilla Suite and stores the profile in the same location. The first time you run Mozilla Suite or SeaMonkey 1.x it creates a "default" profile, which either application can then use. SeaMonkey 2 (currently in Alpha testing at time of writing) is the "next generation" of Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey and it creates its own "default" profile when you first run it, in a different location from Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x profiles. (SeaMonkey 2 will not use a SeaMonkey 1.x profile, and vice versa.)

To create a new profile, completely close the application by choosing File -> Exit (or Quit) and then open the Profile Manager for the appropriate Mozilla application and follow the prompts. Make note of the name you give to the new profile so you can distinguish between the old and the new, then exit the Profile Manager.

Copy data to the new profile

It's recommended that you only copy data that would be a lot of work to recreate (such as bookmarks, passwords, and cookies) to the new profile. If you had problems with your old profile and haven't identified what set of files were causing your problem, it's recommended you copy files from your old profile folder to the new one in several steps, testing whether things are still working okay between steps.

If you were not having any problems with the old profile, you can delete the entire contents of the new profile folder and then copy everything you wish to transfer at once, into the new profile folder.

Important: Starting in SeaMOnkey 2, the file format has been changed for certain profile data files. For example, SeaMonkey 2 stores cookies in cookies.sqlite (instead of cookies.txt) and stores browsing history in places.sqlite (instead of history.dat. If you are copying data from a profile that was used in an older Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x version to a SeaMonkey 2 profile, make sure to delete the corresponding files in the new profile folder (e.g., delete the .sqlite files from a SeaMonkey 2 profile) so that SeaMonkey 2 can create a file in the new format using the data in the copied file.

Suggested profile contents to transfer

The following files and folders are found in your Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey profile folder. Note that, on Windows 2000/XP/Vista and Linux, you will need to show hidden files and folders to navigate to the profile folder or search for the files.

Mozilla Suite and SeaMonkey 1.x

• bookmarks.html - Bookmarks (You can alternately use the "Import" feature of the Bookmarks Manager to add the contents of any bookmarks file in HTML format to your current bookmarks.)

• cert8.db - Security certificate settings

• cookies.txt - Cookies (Keeping cookies will keep you logged into websites that you were logged into before.)

• (number).w - Form history (Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey). 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 - Per-site preferences for allowing cookies images and popups.

• (number).s - Saved passwords. If you don't copy "prefs.js" you must first save a password in the new profile so that a "(number).s" file (e.g., "12345678.s") is created. Then modify the signon.SignonFileName value in about:config to match the copied file name. [1]

• key3.db - Key database for passwords. To transfer saved passwords you must copy key3.db along with the (number).s passwords file.

• mimeTypes.rdf - Download actions for file types (save or open with a specified application).

• persdict.dat The corrections that you have added to the spell checker dictionary.

• prefs.js and, if it exists, user.js - Preferences and mail account settings.. Important: Copying the "prefs.js" file from one profile to another is not recommended if you had problems with the previous profile. If you choose to transfer "prefs.js" to the new profile, you may need to edit the prefs.js file (or use about:config) to remove (or reset) preferences that point to invalid directories or preferences that refer to extensions that are not installed in the new profile.

• chrome/userChrome.css and chrome/userContent.css - User styles. (Only necessary if you have defined user styles with this method)

• searchplugins folder - Contains any additional search engines (in pairs of *.src / *.gif or *png files) you may have added.

In addition to the above, the following files and folders are used by Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey Mail:

• abook.mab - Personal Address Book and history.mab - Collected Addresses. For migrating other address books, see this article.

• 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

• 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/SeaMonkey and copy over the "News" folder contents.

SeaMonkey 2

Some of the same files used in Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x, such as bookmarks.html and mimeTypes.rdf, are also used in SeaMonkey 2. Other files used in SeaMonkey 2 have different names and file formats for the same function; for example, browsing history is now stored in places.sqlite instead of history.dat. (SQLite is a new file format used for many files in SeaMonkey 2 profiles.) If you copy the older file versions from a Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x profile to a SeaMonkey 2 profile you should delete the new file versions so that the older files can be converted (or delete the entire contents of a newly-created SeaMonkey 2 profile) before copying the older files.

• bookmarks.html - Bookmarks (You can alternately use the "Import" feature of the Bookmarks Manager to add the contents of any bookmarks file in HTML format to your current bookmarks.)

• cert8.db - Security certificate settings

• cookies.sqlite - Cookies. Used instead of cookies.txt

• mimeTypes.rdf - What action to perform when downloading certain types of files (save or open with a specified application).

• formhistory.sqlite - Saved entries for web forms. Used in place of (number).w

• key3.db - Key database for passwords.

• signons.sqlite - Saved passwords. (You must also copy key3.db). Used in place of (number).s

• places.sqlite - Browsing history of previously visited websites. Used in place of history.dat

• permissions.sqlite - Per-site permissions for allowing cookies, images, popups, and extension installs. Used in place of hostperm.1

• persdict.dat - Personal (custom) entries in the spell checker dictionary.

• prefs.js and, if it exists, user.js - Preferences and mail account settings. Important: Copying the "prefs.js" file from one profile to another is not recommended if you had problems with the previous profile. If you choose to transfer "prefs.js" to the new profile, you may need to edit the prefs.js file or use about:config to remove or reset preferences that point to invalid directories or refer to extensions that are not installed in the new profile.

• urlbarhistory.sqlite - Location bar history.

• chrome folder - Contains the following optional files (if created) that change the way SeaMonkey and web pages look
  • userChrome.css
  • userContent.css
  • userChrome.js

• extensions folder - Contains added themes and extensions. Not recommended to transfer if you had problems in your old profile. After copying this folder or its contents to the new profile, delete the "extensions.ini", "extensions.cache" and "extensions.rdf" files from the profile folder. These files will be regenerated. Note that some extensions store data in additional files in the profile, usually at the top of the directory. You'll need to move them separately. DO NOT ATTEMPT to transfer themes or extensions from a SeaMonkey 1.x profile to a SeaMonkey 2.0 profile. Extensions and themes in 2.0 are handled completely differently, and you will need to install your extensions again. 2.0 themes are significantly different from 1.0 themes. Don't even think of trying to copy over a theme.

• searchplugins folder - Contains any additional search engines you may have added, stored as pairs of *.src and *.gif or *.png files.

In addition to the above, the following files and folders are used by SeaMonkey 2 Mail:

• abook.mab - Personal Address Book and history.mab - Collected Addresses. For migrating other address books, see this article.

• 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

• 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 SeaMonkey 2 and copy over the "News" folder contents.

See also

• Moving your profile folder
• Moving from Windows to Linux
• Combining mail from two profiles - SeaMonkey
• Migrate from Mozilla Suite or Netscape to Thunderbird
• Migrate from Thunderbird to Mozilla Suite
• Profile backup
• Export bookmarks