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Why is Firefox still prone to loose it's pinned bookmarks?

  • 5 cavab
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

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So i have one question. Why for the love of god is firefox still loosing pinned tabs? I'm using firefox many many many years now and my pinned tabs get lost every few weeks or so. I used firefox on three different rigs and a laptop with different operating systems. It lost my tabs after updates, it lost it just for starting firefox, it lost because i opened a second browser window and then closing it the one with the pinned tabs first, it lost them because santa brought him underpants for christmas ;). Seriously there are workarounds like "create bookmarks" and whatnot but the thing is, this shouldn't be necessary. So my question, which is half a suggestion, does firefox save pinned tabs in a file and where does it save these informations? If it does not, then WHY? In my eyes it would be the simplest thing to store the adresses of the pinned tabs in a simple idk txt file and then tell firefox it should read from this file and open websites according to the adresses it finds in said file ...and create a backup in intervals the user can define. So am i just ignorant? Then please enlighten me, so i can understand this problem better so i can do something about it. I think pinned tabs are a great idea and a damn good alternative to bookmarks, it's just a shame that pinned tabs always get lost which defies the point of using them for me.

So i have one question. Why for the love of god is firefox still loosing pinned tabs? I'm using firefox many many many years now and my pinned tabs get lost every few weeks or so. I used firefox on three different rigs and a laptop with different operating systems. It lost my tabs after updates, it lost it just for starting firefox, it lost because i opened a second browser window and then closing it the one with the pinned tabs first, it lost them because santa brought him underpants for christmas ;). Seriously there are workarounds like "create bookmarks" and whatnot but the thing is, this shouldn't be necessary. So my question, which is half a suggestion, does firefox save pinned tabs in a file and where does it save these informations? If it does not, then WHY? In my eyes it would be the simplest thing to store the adresses of the pinned tabs in a simple idk txt file and then tell firefox it should read from this file and open websites according to the adresses it finds in said file ...and create a backup in intervals the user can define. So am i just ignorant? Then please enlighten me, so i can understand this problem better so i can do something about it. I think pinned tabs are a great idea and a damn good alternative to bookmarks, it's just a shame that pinned tabs always get lost which defies the point of using them for me.

All Replies (5)

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You would want to backup your profile https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data

Your Flash is out of date: Separate Security Issue: Update your Flash Player Note: Windows users should download the ActiveX for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox).

Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the ActiveX.

Flash Player Version: 26.0.0.131

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

Try a Refresh: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recover-lost-or-missing-bookmarks

As for issues, they can be brought on by installing a program or extensions. Some programs will actually change settings in Firefox from default settings to what it wants without asking or telling. Hit or miss sometimes in both that and trying to help you.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

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Pinned tabs are stored in the sessionstore.js file in the profile folder.

Also make sure that you do not use "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear the history since pinned tabs are considered history. Pinned tabs are bound to a specific window, so make sure not to use the close X to close a Firefox, but use the menu items.

Use one of these to close Firefox if you are currently doing that by clicking the close X on the Firefox title bar.

  • "3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)
  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit
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cor-el said

Pinned tabs are stored in the sessionstore.js file in the profile folder. Also make sure that you do not use "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear the history since pinned tabs are considered history. Pinned tabs are bound to a specific window, so make sure not to use the close X to close a Firefox, but use the menu items. Use one of these to close Firefox if you are currently doing that by clicking the close X on the Firefox title bar.
  • "3-bar" menu button -> Exit (Power button)
  • Windows: File -> Exit
  • Mac: Firefox -> Quit Firefox
  • Linux: File -> Quit

Thank you :) I do not use the "clear history" function. But i used to close multiple firefox windows over the "x" in the top right corner. So you mean that when i have multiple firefox-windows open i should close them all via the "3-bar menu" and then i'm save?

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Pkshadow said

You would want to backup your profile https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data Your Flash is out of date: Separate Security Issue: Update your Flash Player Note: Windows users should download the ActiveX for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox). Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the ActiveX. Flash Player Version: 26.0.0.131 https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only> https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only> Try a Refresh: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/troubleshoot-extensions-themes-to-fix-problems?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recover-lost-or-missing-bookmarks As for issues, they can be brought on by installing a program or extensions. Some programs will actually change settings in Firefox from default settings to what it wants without asking or telling. Hit or miss sometimes in both that and trying to help you. Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Thanks for the answer :D

So that means that every time my flash player runs out of date or when i install a new program/extension my pinned tabs are at danger?

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If you use the close X to close each individual window then only the last closed window is remembered. If that window has pinned tabs then they should be restored, otherwise the pinned tabs will be lost. If you use the menu item to quit (exit) Firefox then all windows are closed at once and you will always keep the window with the pinned tabs.