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Restoring session from sessionstore.bak file

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  • 24 have this problem
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  • Last reply by mark2

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I'm trying to recover a session lost after a system crash,I have a sessionstore.bak file from the time of this crash (about 1.8Mb),and a sessionstore-1.js file which I assume is a leftover from some time ago and not relevant for this issue:copying this .bak file in the profile folder and renaming it to .js has not restored my session, indeed only one of the 10 windows I had open at that time is now restored-Firefox is set to show windows and tabs from the last time,so why this is not working?

After that crash,not only my profile was missing but the cache folders as well,it all got moved in a C:something directory,maybe I should recover the cache folder also to restore the session?

Is there any other reason why a sessionstore.bak file could not be used to successfully reopen the last session?

I'm trying to recover a session lost after a system crash,I have a '''sessionstore.bak''' file from the time of this crash (about 1.8Mb),and a '''sessionstore-1.js''' file which I assume is a leftover from some time ago and not relevant for this issue:copying this '''.bak''' file in the profile folder and renaming it to '''.js''' has not restored my session, indeed only one of the 10 windows I had open at that time is now restored-Firefox is set to show windows and tabs from the last time,so why this is not working? After that crash,not only my profile was missing but the cache folders as well,it all got moved in a C:something directory,maybe I should recover the cache folder also to restore the session? Is there any other reason why a sessionstore.bak file could not be used to successfully reopen the last session?

Modified by mark2

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Is there anything in the History > Recently Closed Windows menu ?

You should remove numbered sessionstore-##.js files (sessionstore-1.js). Those shouldn't be there and usually indicate that other software is accessing the main sessionstore.js file that Firefox rewrites every 10 seconds.

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Thanks for your answer cor-el,I've just successfully restored this 100-ish tabs session from that sessionstore.bak file,what I've done is

  *  copy sessionstore.bak  in the profile folder,rename it to .js
  • replace the cache folders moved in the "recovered files" directory back in their original location
  • replace a couple of missing userchrome.css files with some others from a previous backup
  • delete that sessionstore-1.js as you suggested

Honestly now I have no clue about the deciding factor,but the pre-crash session is back exactly as it was,I wonder if the cache files are also essential to reopen such a large session (I also have BarTab installed,maybe this extension needs the cache files to work properly?)

Now about that sessionstore-##.js files you were pointing at,I assume the external programs accessing Firefox would be some security software,or do I have to search now for some out of control application ?

Modified by mark2