I had the fbi virus scam hit me and I have lost all my settings after resetting FF
I got hit with the fbi scam virus (don't know how as I use a Mac) and I don't know if its gone or not but I reset FF to its default state using the procedure outlined here. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-preferences-fix-problems
But after doing this, all my settings, my user profile and my exceptions list in privacy that I have been painstakingly putting together over years, has just disappeared and I am quite annoyed.
If these settings are recoverable, how do I restore my previous FF state?
All Replies (20)
hello Vortexboy, after the reset there should be a folder named "old firefox" data on your desktop which contains a backup of your old profile. located in there should be a file named permissions.sqlite, which contains the information you're looking for. you can copy this file and paste it into your current profile to import this data.
Thanks for reply. OK, I can see the old Firefox data folder on my desktop and in that, I can see a folder with a funny name ending in .default. In that folder, I can see the permissions.sqlite file (as well as one called permissions.sqlite.sav).
Now how exactly do I copy the file and paste it into my current profile?
the link in my prior answer explains how to find your current profile. then you just have to move the file from one folder into the other (i'm on windows so i cannot give you exact advice, but it will likely work by dragging and dropping the file in the target folder, or by selecting it and pressing ctrl+c in order to copy & going into the target folder and pressing ctrl+v there in order to paste it).
Where is the folder that I am copying the old profile to? I've looked around but can't see any folder called profiles etc.
open firefox, go to help > troubleshooting information > show in finder which will directly take you to your profile folder.
I did do that before and it took me to the old firefox folder on my desktop.
ok, this doesn't sound right - normally it would be located like it is described at http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Mac
OK, I found the Library folder, which is hidden in Mac OS 10.7 & above and added it to my Favorites sidebar for future easy access. In that Library folder, I can see the Mozilla folder but no Profiles folder.
There is only an Extensions folder out of ~Library/Mozilla. The Extensions folder is also empty.
In the Library folder: Find and click on the "Application support" folder (not "Mozilla" folder) > find and click on the "Firefox" folder and you'll find the Profile folder.
Modified by Michele Rodaro
OK. I followed the above and moved the permissions.sqlite file to the Profiles folder. I re-started FF but the old profiles are not appearing in the Profiles box when I start FF.
Am I doing something wrong or not understanding something?
"but the old profiles are not appearing in the Profiles box"
are you referring to the cookie exceptions list by that or something different?
No. I'm referring to the profiles I had before I had the problem with the fbi scam virus and had to reset FF. The box I am referring to is the one that pops up after I launch FF and it asks me to choose a Profile. One of the old profiles I had is still there but the main one has gone.
I just want to know how to get that back.
sorry, then i've misinterpreted your question from the beginning on - i thought it was just the exceptions list you wanted to reimport...
No. I mentioned in my question that my user profile had done along with other things.
sorry, I meant gone not done!
in this case, import the whole contents from within the backed up profile folder (XXX.default) into your current profile folder. this will likely bring back the malware issue too though...
I don';t know what has happened but I just quit FF and restarted and my exception list has disappeared again.
I brought over the old permissions.sqlite file but this didn't bring back my exceptions list.
If you are using the Time Machine then you could try to restore the profiles.ini file and the missing profile(s).
It looks like I have now lost everything that took years to compile.
The permissions.sqlite file in my Old Firefox Data folder seems to have been updated with my latest settings from yesterday and so I have no old file to restore, which had all my settings, including 25+ bookmark folders and thousands of files, links, etc.
If anyone can help restore things, you would be a lifesaver. I don't know what I have done or haven't done right to get to this situ but I am sure you know how I am feeling right now.
BRW, I don't know what time machine is.