After browsing TUEBL why does Firefox save a huge 3GB folder in Profiles called epub with 50000+ files?
I found that the program Mozbackup was taking forever to back up Firefox, and the resulting compressed .pcv backup file was HUGE - Gigabytes. I then checked my Firefox profile and found that it had stored this huge epub folder. I often download books from TUEBL but see absolutely no use storing any of this stuff in the Firefox Profile. This problem is the same in my little Toshiba Netbook except that the epub folder was over 4GB. In both computers I have sent the epub fiolder to the Recycle Bin, and Firefox and Mozbackup now work correctly. If this continues OK, I will permanently delete these epub folders.
Chosen solution
I think it has to be the extension. The manual says:
When you open an ePub-file with EPUBReader, the ePub-file is downloaded and stored in your Firefox profile folder. By clicking on the save-button, you have the possibility to store the ePub-file at a location of your choice.
http://www.epubread.com/en/manual.php#navigation
Maybe it has a hidden setting to relocate its default folder to, say, Documents? Or maybe that feature can be added? There is a contact link at the bottom of that page to submit questions that aren't answered on the site.
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Websites cannot save files into Firefox's profile folder directly, and you probably save your downloads outside of that folder when you download something yourself. An add-on might be doing this...
Do you use any extensions that might be auto-downloading content as you browse?
Do you view the epub in a tab using a plugin instead of saving it to disk first? Usually Firefox would use the Windows temp folder in that case, but maybe an add-on is setting up a folder in the profile?
I don't use Mozbackup, but judging from screenshots online, it can grab content from the cache folder. Is the mystery epub folder under Roaming or Local? In other words:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\ => important data
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\ => temp files
I have to amend the previous reply: there is a folder in your "real" profile folder named storage that sites can use to store data using a database technology through a script. Typically the amounts are small, and you would get a prompt for permission to store anything large in there. Also, the folders usually are named for the website that stored the data. Is that were you found the epub folder?
Thank you for your very prompt response. I do view the epub files in a tab using the plug-in, and save the files in a totally separate folder. I am using an extension called EPUBReader and a Plug in from Sony called Reader Application Detector. In both computers the Firefox Profile is stored under Roaming.
It does seem that the EPUBReader extension may be the culprit, doesn't it?
Re your later response, thanks once again but I do not get any prompt, and the epub sub-folder is stored alongside all the other sub-folders in the Profiles folder under a sub-folder called 5e1idigs.default. My Mozbackup file has now reduced from Gigabytes to 20kBytes - much more reasonable.
Chosen Solution
I think it has to be the extension. The manual says:
When you open an ePub-file with EPUBReader, the ePub-file is downloaded and stored in your Firefox profile folder. By clicking on the save-button, you have the possibility to store the ePub-file at a location of your choice.
http://www.epubread.com/en/manual.php#navigation
Maybe it has a hidden setting to relocate its default folder to, say, Documents? Or maybe that feature can be added? There is a contact link at the bottom of that page to submit questions that aren't answered on the site.