Mozilla Firefox is one of the most popular web browsers today. Firefox is increasing in popularity because of the unique way the browser combines convenience and privacy to deliver an excellent browsing experience in a user-friendly package. Like all web browsers, Mozilla’s Firefox browser has had its fair share of issues, but with the release of its new Quantum version, Firefox has an exceptional browser that’s second to none in the market.
However, even though it’s close, Firefox Quantum is not perfect. Like all other browsers, it has some shortcomings, but you can quickly solve most problems thanks to its very active community. Unfortunately, one of the most noticeable issues with the Firefox browser is the loss of settings when you update to the newest version.
How to Deal With Data Loss After Mozilla Firefox Update
Firefox stores all of the customizations you make in your browser, like your bookmarks, home page, apps, and extensions you’ve installed, toolbars you prefer, passwords, and other user preferences in a particular profile folder. For your personal information and preferences to remain secure, your profile folder is stored separately from your Firefox program files.
Firefox stores your profile in a different location, so if your browser experiences any issues like crashes or malware infections, your information remains intact. This feature also allows you to troubleshoot problems and uninstall and reinstall Firefox without losing your settings. It also means you can clear your data without uninstalling the browser. An additional perk of using the Firefox browser is that you can have multiple Firefox profile folders, each having different user settings.
Reasons Your Settings May Be Missing After Firefox Update
All subsequent versions after Firefox 67 create a dedicated profile for each Firefox upgrade or installation. It means a new profile folder gets created with each upgrade. In other words, after upgrading your browser, you will have a new blank profile folder as your default, making it seem like your settings are gone. Your information isn’t lost; it’s just stored in another profile.
Steps to Recovering Your Settings From Another Profile
In the Firefox address bar, type about: profiles, then press the Enter key. It should open the About Profilespage. This page will show you the list of all the Firefox profiles on your PC. Above the default profile, you’ll see a message saying, “This is the profile in use, and it cannot be deleted.”
To maintain the integrity of your browser, do not use the Remove button or delete any profiles.
If there is another profile listed, it may contain your missing settings. Click Launch profile in new browser. This will open a Firefox window using the settings from that profile. If it doesn’t contain your settings, close the window. If it does have your settings, set it as the default profile by clicking the Set as default profile button, and Firefox will automatically use this profile next time you open your browser.
If All Else Fails
Sometimes, even after you reset your profile, Firefox might not save certain preferences in your settings. Once this happens, the only way to keep your choices is by editing the Firefox user.js settings file preferences and settings and apply them to different PCs. To access your user.jsfile, type about: support in your Firefox address bar. Scroll down the page to the Profile Folder, and click on the Open Folder. On the page that opens, you will find the user.js file. You can open it in notepad and customize your preferences as you wish. Remember, Firefox can only load your settings if you enable JavaScript in your browser.
