firefox error? (1 Viewer)

[thejosiekiller]

hay about 10 mintes ago firefox asked me to create a new profile for some reason because the program was already in use, when it wasnt open...

neways ive lost all my previous settings and bookmarks

does anyone know how to change profiles back to the original default settings that i made changes to ....o rshould i just start all over again

 

[Generator]

Search the IT Stuff forum using the terms 'firefox' and 'bookmarks'. I searched through the forum a few weeks ago as I was trying to deal with a similar problem, and it appears to be a fairly common.

Edit: If you haven't already done so, that is (I just noticed the time of your post).

 

[thejosiekiller]

my system clock?

nah i havnt searched- im lazy, someone do it for me

 

[jm1234567890]

this is a bug in firefox that will hope fully be fixed in 1.1.

when you see the profile screen, DON'T click anything.

go to task manager->processes and end all firefox tasks


Since you have already stuffed it up, goto:

C:\Documents and Settings\John\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

you profiles should be there.

find which one is the one you want
then:

go here

C:\Documents and Settings\John\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox

and edit "profiles.ini" appropriately.

 

[thejosiekiller]

this is a bug in firefox that will hope fully be fixed in 1.1.

when you see the profile screen, DON'T click anything.

go to task manager->processes and end all firefox tasks


Since you have already stuffed it up, goto:

C:\Documents and Settings\John\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

you profiles should be there.

find which one is the one you want
then:

go here

C:\Documents and Settings\John\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox

and edit "profiles.ini" appropriately.

mmm i cant find my application folder in document and settings...

bummer

 

[jm1234567890]

mmm i cant find my application folder in document and settings...

bummer

it is a hidden folder.

tools->folder options-> view ->show hidden files and folders

 

[Rafy]

Yeah this is a fairy common problem. The above solution should work. The profile remains in your application data folder, but for some reason firefox sometimes becomes confused

 

[mr_brightside]

yeah that happened to me once...
my poor lost bookmarks

 

[sunny]

There is a simple fix for this.

When Firefox starts, it creates a 0 byte file called "lock" in your profile directory, noting that this profile is currently in use. If Firefox crashes unexpectedly, the lock file doesn't get deleted, and the next time you start Firefox, it will think your old profile is still in use.

All you need to do is to go to your profile directory as described above, and delete the file named "lock", and restart Firefox.

 

[jm1234567890]

There is a simple fix for this.

When Firefox starts, it creates a 0 byte file called "lock" in your profile directory, noting that this profile is currently in use. If Firefox crashes unexpectedly, the lock file doesn't get deleted, and the next time you start Firefox, it will think your old profile is still in use.

All you need to do is to go to your profile directory as described above, and delete the file named "lock", and restart Firefox.

hmm.. that might be an easier way to fix it rather than "rm -r .mozilla" on *nix

didn't know that, thanks.

 

[thejosiekiller]

are sure the file is called "lock" cause i cant find that file in profile folder

 

[jm1234567890]

are sure the file is called "lock" cause i cant find that file in profile folder

its called "parent.lock" or just "parent", if you have entensions hidden

 

[sunny]

Yes, sorry. Under *nix its called "lock", in Windows its called "parent.lock"

 

[thejosiekiller]

the only files i have in profile folder are:

search.rdf
localstore.rdf
mimeTypes.rdf
prefs.js

 

[sunny]

You may be looking in the wrong folder. Perhaps a file search for parent.lock will show where it is. (but trust me, it exists, I delete it all the time in Unix and Windows )

 

[thejosiekiller]

the search just finished the parent.lock file did not show up....

 

[sunny]

Have you turned on the option to view hidden files? By default, the profiles are in a hidden folder, and a search won't find hidden files if you haven't turned on viewing hidden files.

 

[thejosiekiller]

yeah i have done that as well...

 

[sunny]

Well I'm perplexed. If you are using Firefox now, the lock file must be in your profile folder, otherwise Firefox doesn't start at all.

Read more here: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_in_use

 

[thejosiekiller]

yes im using firfox now, i just want my old bookmarks back...

but if it involves alot of effort- i can just start over again