Firefox variant - how to backup profile?


  1. Posts : 4,776
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1

    Firefox variant - how to backup profile?


    Up until now I've always used MozBackup - Backup tool for Firefox and Thunderbird to backup/ restore Firefox profiles. This method worked with Cyberfox/ Waterfox or other Firefox variants that shared the same profile as Firefox. However in preparation for a future upgrade to Cyberfox v.29 the latest version now uses it's own separate profile and MozBackup will not detect the folder path.

    So I've started using FEBE Firefox Extension to backup/ restore profiles instead and it seems to work.

    Firefox variant - how to backup profile?-febe.jpg

    The only problem is that it requires actually running Cyberfox then starting the FEBE add on in order to perform profile backup/ restore operations. MozBackup could restore a profile without having to run the browser.

    Does anybody know of a reliable alternative Firefox variant profile backup/ restore utility that's similar to MozBackup? I know about copying and creating profiles using Profile Manager but again it requires use of the browser and I'm looking for a solution that will work independently.
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  2. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #2

    Hi,
    That's a heck of a list
    I live a some what simple life,
    So are Firefox... profiles that venerable ?
    I manually backup my Favorites would I need a third party to do this for me ?
    Been that way for a far as I can remember,
    Cheers.
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  3. Posts : 4,776
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Profile backup


    It's not as bad as it sounds. It's just that on a few occasions (typically once or twice per year) I've installed an add on that didn't work correctly resulting in a corrupted profile or experienced unexpected high RAM usage or it just went screwy for some other reason. Rather than spending time trying to fix it or creating a new profile it's easier to restore a backed up profile with all customizations/ performance/ privacy tweaks applied without having to

    1) Remember the ones that worked and the ones that didn't.
    2) Re-tweak and apply every setting and about:config preference one at a time!

    I'm not worried about bookmarks - just the rest of it.
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  4. Posts : 67
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #4

    Speaking about Firefox itself, I back up:

    AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\
    AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles.ini

    I have three profiles in the Profiles folder, and besides doing this for backup, I can copy them along with the .ini file to duplicate my environment on other machines. I guess if I ever wanted to selectively restore pieces of a profile, I could restore a backup profile to a VM and extract it from there using whatever means there are for that, maybe involving an extension like the one you posted. However, I don't see any reason to use an extension all the time for backup/restore. Copying the profile folder and .ini file does it all for my bookmarks and extensive organization in the sidebar and toolbar, other customizations, history, cookies, saved passwords, and the extensions I use, which include Tabmix Plus, All-In-One-Sidebar, Noscript, Adblock Plus, Video DownloadHelper, GreaseMonkey, and in one profile, Classic Theme Restorer.
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  5. Posts : 4,776
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Solved


    crawfish said:
    Speaking about Firefox itself, I back up:

    AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\
    AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles.ini

    I have three profiles in the Profiles folder, and besides doing this for backup, I can copy them along with the .ini file to duplicate my environment on other machines. I guess if I ever wanted to selectively restore pieces of a profile, I could restore a backup profile to a VM and extract it from there using whatever means there are for that, maybe involving an extension like the one you posted. However, I don't see any reason to use an extension all the time for backup/restore. Copying the profile folder and .ini file does it all for my bookmarks and extensive organization in the sidebar and toolbar, other customizations, history, cookies, saved passwords, and the extensions I use, which include Tabmix Plus, All-In-One-Sidebar, Noscript, Adblock Plus, Video DownloadHelper, GreaseMonkey, and in one profile, Classic Theme Restorer.
    Thanks for the suggestion. Tested and it works just as you described. Okay so everything is backed up rather than selected items but that's no problem! Your solution is so simple and will save time and effort in future so I'm very grateful. Currently I have the default profile along with another tweaked profile and added extensions.
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