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Why are there two default profiles?

  • 6 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by travbug

travbug
travbug
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I have been having problems with Firefox (both 19 and 20) not starting. I have followed all of the suggestions from the various threads, but the problem has persisted. Today, I wanted to save my passwords and bookmarks and completely remove Firefox (including deleting my profile) before reinstalling it. When I located my profile folder, (%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\), I noticed that there were two .default folders. One was my complete profile and the other contained a folder named 'Extensions', which seemed to be empty. My question is whether that second default folder may be causing the problem of Firefox not starting. Is there any reason why I should not delete it to see if that solves the problem?

I have been having problems with Firefox (both 19 and 20) not starting. I have followed all of the suggestions from the various threads, but the problem has persisted. Today, I wanted to save my passwords and bookmarks and completely remove Firefox (including deleting my profile) before reinstalling it. When I located my profile folder, (%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\), I noticed that there were two .default folders. One was my complete profile and the other contained a folder named 'Extensions', which seemed to be empty. My question is whether that second default folder may be causing the problem of Firefox not starting. Is there any reason why I should not delete it to see if that solves the problem?

All Replies (6)

iamjayakumars
iamjayakumars
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travbug
travbug Question owner
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There is nothing wrong with the first profile. The second profile only has one folder named "Extensions", which is empty. Should I delete that second profile?

cor-el
cor-el
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What is the creation date and last modified date of that folder?

If this profile doesn't have files and also isn't registered in the profiles.ini file then you can delete this folder.
If it is listed in the profiles.ini file then easiest is you use the Profile Manager to remove the profile and the files.

travbug
travbug Question owner
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Creation date is 12/02/2012; last modified date is 04/11/2013.

How do I find out if the profile is registered in the profiles.ini file?

cor-el
cor-el
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  • Top 10 Contributor
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You can start the Profile Manager or open the profiles.ini in Notepad to see if you find the xxxxxxxx.default path of that profile folder listed.

Modified by cor-el

travbug
travbug Question owner
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I deleted the extra profile folder with no adverse effects. However, after two days, Firefox did not start again. This is the same problem I have been having over and over again. I have uninstalled Firefox and reinstalled it as instructed in the help section, but with no luck. It works for a day or two and then does not open on startup. Any suggestions to resolve this problem would be greatly appreciated.

Here is what I have: Firefox 20 Windows 7 AVG anti-virus free edition