We're calling on all EU-based Mozillians with iOS or iPadOS devices to help us monitor Apple’s new browser choice screens. Join the effort to hold Big Tech to account!

This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

I'm unable to restore previous session as I do not have the option on homepae or history menu

  • 3 replies
  • 5 have this problem
  • 13 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

gvm144
gvm144
more options

I hope you may be able to assist me - my computer turned off while I was in Firefox and in the past this has been no problem as I always got the page giving me the option to recover my previous open pages. Today however it opened on the Firefox home page. I have tried to recover pages as per help instructions on the Mozilla pages, but on the Firefox home page I don't have the recover previous session button, and when I go to history on the Firefox pull down menu the "Restore previous sessions, Recently Closed Tabs, Recently Closed Options" selections have been disabled.

Could you please let me know how I can recover my previous session?

Thanks and regards, Graeme

I hope you may be able to assist me - my computer turned off while I was in Firefox and in the past this has been no problem as I always got the page giving me the option to recover my previous open pages. Today however it opened on the Firefox home page. I have tried to recover pages as per help instructions on the Mozilla pages, but on the Firefox home page I don't have the recover previous session button, and when I go to history on the Firefox pull down menu the "Restore previous sessions, Recently Closed Tabs, Recently Closed Options" selections have been disabled. Could you please let me know how I can recover my previous session? Thanks and regards, Graeme

All Replies (3)

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

You can check browser.sessionstore.* prefs including browser.sessionstore.resume_from_crash on the about:config page and reset browser.sessionstore prefs that are user set (bold) via the right-click context menu to the default value to make sure that Session Restore is enabled and working properly.

Make sure that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode (Never remember history).

  • Tools > Options > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"
  • Deselect: [ ] "Always use private browsing mode"

In case you are using "Clear history when Firefox closes":

  • do not clear the Browsing History

Note that clearing "Site Preferences" clears all exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, software installation, passwords, and other website specific data.

gvm144
gvm144 Question owner
more options

I really appreciate your effort in regards to this but unfortunately it doesn't seem to address the issue I'm getting.

I always got the session restore "Well this is embarrassing etc" option in the past but just as of today it didn't appear.

I haven't made any changes to my preferences; but wonder why when I go onto the help pages it shows me the two locations where you can manually select to restore previous sessions (on the home page, as the most right hand button, to the right of the settings option) and when I go to the pull down menu at the top left of the screen, when I go to the History pull down list, I can see the option "Restore Previous Session" in feint, as though the option has been disabled - is there any way I can activate this?

Thanks and regards, Graeme

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

That options shows as disabled if there is not a previous session saved.

Does Session Restore otherwise work in that you can reopen closed tabs and windows?

Is there a sessionstore.js created in the Firefox profile folder?

If you use cleanup software like CCleaner or you have software like Advanced SystemCare that might reset some files to older versions to protect these files against changes then check the settings or uninstall this software.