How to restore just FF settings without nuking everything with "Refresh"
I installed the r Kiosk add-on. It failed to go into full screen but caused the display of the Firefox menu bars to keep glitching. Eventually, I just restarted Firefox in safe mode and removed the add-on. However, this add-on apparently made changes to Firefox settings that didn't get reverted.
Now Firefox' ONLY repair option is "refresh", which is incapable of doing anything other than nuking everything. Would be much better if there was a half-intelligent approach available, like simply undo all settings changes from the last 24 hours. Hate to say it, but Microsoft is ahead of Mozilla when it comes to fixing things without nuking user data in the process.
Is there any way of reverting just Firefox' own settings, without nuking everything? The offending add-on is already gone, after all. There's no point in erasing my profile, my addons, bookmarks etc...
I need my last browsing session back...
All Replies (5)
The "intelligent" approach is to backup your Firefox Profile before installing a new extension, especially when you're using a pre-release version such as Firefox 47 Developer Edition. Few extension developers 'fix' their extensions until the Beta or Release channel, so using DE puts you at a real disadvantage when it comes to "trying out" a new [to you] extension.
the-edmeister said
The "intelligent" approach is to backup your Firefox Profile before installing a new extension, especially when you're using a pre-release version such as Firefox 47 Developer Edition. Few extension developers 'fix' their extensions until the Beta or Release channel, so using DE puts you at a real disadvantage when it comes to "trying out" a new [to you] extension.
First off, I searched for the Firefox developer edition, but had no intention to install a beta. There was no warning on the download page, that what they were giving me was beta and unstable.
Since this debacle, I found out that apparently, Mozilla ONLY offers the developer's edition of Firefox as an unstable beta. I've used the old developer editions for a long time, and they were real releases.
Second, having used Firefox since its first release, I have NEVER had an add-on that completely and irreversibly nuked Firefox, beyond removal of the offending add-on.
Most add-ons I ever downloaded were benign - even if there was a glitch or an undesirable interaction with some other add-on, its mostly a matter of disabling it.
Also, the Firefox backup on my Desktop hasn't been doing me any good, as even after refresh and re-installation, the browser has not returned to being usable, its almost worse: add-ons I install randomly disappear after restarts. At one point in this afternoon, I had installed 20 add-ons, after the next restart, there were zero and other odd randomness.
I've had to remove Firefox completely and installed Pale Moon and Waterfox instead, both of which work normally.
It smells like malware, but neither of my virus / malware packages found anything. And Mozilla's instructions for turning off E10s need some cleaning up, most of what google finds is for some version of FF, that had menu choices that the current one doesn't have. This should be asked during install, really...
Anyway, patronizing someone who's looking for help is the common internet mentality, too bad. What will you tell your Father when he has a heart attack? "Oh, the intelligent approach, pop, would have been to lay off the steak and the cigars... Now, drive yourself to the hospital, I'm too busy...
These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.
These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox
FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) {web link} FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backups of files that you choose.
OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences
You can delete possible user.js and numbered prefs-##.js files and rename/remove the prefs.js file to reset all prefs to the default value including prefs set via user.js and prefs that are no longer supported in current Firefox releases.
1st: Web Developer isn't even a Beta version, it is an Alpha2 level pre-release version. Web Developer has always been two versions in advance of "Release" , which is now Firefox 45. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/channel/#developer
2nd: That does happen on rare occasions. As cor-el posted, clearing the main preferences file usually 'fixes' things; unless a user.js file was added to Firefox.
Yes, other Firefox-based Gecko browsers will work, they use a different location for their Profile folder and won't attempt to use a Firefox Profile as any of the different Firefox channels would do.
4 Channels = Nightly, Developer / Aurora, Beta, & Release - each version spends 6 weeks on each Channel - 24 weeks from cradle to grave
Nightly - updated everyday (or twice daily sometimes) with new or changed code Developer / Aurora - updated when there are "check-ins" of new or changed code; almost daily Beta - updated weekly or bi-weekly as deemed necessary; mostly "fit & finish" tweaks - few new code check-ins Release - doesn't get "updated" per se; but does occasionally receive "chem-spill" releases with stability or security fixes
All that said, are you aware that Developer Edition has two Profiles? Maybe you are using a different Profile now than you were previously using; and switching to the other Profile might fix some or all of your problems,
Sorry, I can't tell you how to switch to a different Profile - I haven't used any of the pre-release version in close to a year now. I been using both the current ESR version and the current Release version since April or May 2015, since I built a new PC.