Transferring data to a new profile - SeaMonkey

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This article explains how to selectively transfer user data and settings to a new Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x or SeaMonkey 2 profile and provides a list of suggested files. If you're using Thunderbird, see Transferring data to a new profile - Thunderbird. If you use Firefox, see Transferring data to a new profile - Firefox.

Profiles

Mozilla applications store your user data such as bookmarks, passwords, mail, and settings, 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.

SeaMonkey 1.x is the successor to the original Mozilla Suite and stores the profile in the same location (which was also used by Netscape 7, a branded version of Mozilla Suite). The first time you ran one of these applications, it created a "default" profile, which could then be shared by Mozilla Suite or SeaMonkey 1.x (although it was not recommended to do so).

SeaMonkey 2 is the "next generation" of Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey.

When you install SeaMonkey 2 and run it for the first time, it will offer to migrate your profile data and settings from an existing Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey1.x profile and will then create its own "default" profile in a new location. SeaMonkey 2 will not use a Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x profile (and vice versa).

Before transferring profile data

  • 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.
  • As a precaution, it is recommended that you make a profile backup to safeguard your important data, before making any changes.

Create a new profile

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 may be possible to create a new profile, delete the profile folder contents, and then copy the entire contents of another profile into the new, now-empty profile folder. However, this is not recommended when moving from a 1.x profile to SeaMonkey 2 and should not be done if you had problems with the other profile.
  • It's recommended that you only copy selected 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 the 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.

Transferring 1.x data to SeaMonkey 2

Starting in SeaMonkey 2, the file name and format has changed for certain 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 manually copying data from a profile used in Mozilla Suite/SeaMonkey 1.x to a new 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. If you are transferring "(number).s" or "(number).w" you will also need to modify the related preferences (as explained below) in the new SeaMonkey 2 profile prior to deleting the corresponding .sqlite files, if you are not also transferring prefs.js.

Instead of manually transferring data from a 1.x profile to a new SeaMonkey 2 profile, you may prefer to use the automated "profile migration" process to launch SeaMonkey 2 using the -P <ProfileName> -migration command line option. This is much easier than manually copying over profile data. For details, see Profile migration - SeaMonkey.

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

  • cert8.db - Security certificate settings
  • 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
  • permissions.sqlite - Per-site permissions for allowing cookies, images, popups, and extension installs. Used in place of hostperm.1
  • 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.
  • extensions folder - Contains added themes and extensions. Important! 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. If you are transferring data from a SeaMonkey 1.x profile, you will need to install your extensions again.
    Not recommended, even for transferring between SeaMonkey 2 profiles, if you had problems in the other 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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