How to Create and Run Multiple Profiles Firefox
Description:
Firefox lets you create and use multiple profiles.
You can use your existing profile(s) as a template for new ones (e.g. copy it).
Advantages:
- Each profile will remember its own bookmarks, downloads, history & session.
- Each profile should remember its position on the Taskbar.
- You can run multiple profiles simultaneously (see below) and transfer items between them.
Default location of important files:profiles.ini
C:\Users\<Your User Name>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\profiles.ini
profile(s)
C:\Users\<Your User Name>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<Profile Name>
To create a new profile:1 - Close all opened instance
s of Firefox.
2 - Open the "
Run" or "
Start Menu Search" box and type
"Firefox.exe -ProfileManager" (without the quotes; remember the space; Capital P). The FF Profile Manager will open.
3 - Choose "
Create Profile".
4 - Click "
Next".
5 - Enter the name for the new profile (e.g. stocks, new, etc.).
6 - Click on "
Finish". Your new profile should appear in the list.
7 - Repeat until you have created the required number of profiles.
8 - Remember to deselect, "
Don't ask at startup".
The next time you start FF, the Profile Manager should open and you can select the desired profile from the list.
To duplicate an existing profile:1 - Make a copy of your profile (e.g. "default") and then change the name (e.g. "Default User"). Repeat for as many profiles as you like. (see "
Default location of important files:" above)
2 - Close all opened instanced of Firefox.
3 - Open the "
Run" or "
Start Menu Search" box and type
"Firefox.exe -ProfileManager" (without the quotes; remember the space; Capital P). The FF Profile Manager will open.
4 - Choose "
Create Profile".
5 - Click "
Next".
6 - Enter the name of the copied profile that you edited.
7 - Click on "
Choose Folder".
8 - Navigate to the copied profile folder that you made and click "
OK".
9 - Click on "
Finish". Your new profile should appear in the list.
10 - Remember to deselect, "
Don't ask at startup".
The next time you start FF, the Profile Manager should open and you can select the desired profile from the list.
To run multiple profiles at the same time:1 - Open the "Run" or "Start Menu Search" box and type "firefox.exe -P <profile name> -no-remote" (without the quotes; remember the space; replace the blue section with the profile name).
2- Repeat as necessary.
You can create a shortcut for each profile:1 - Create a new FF shortcut for each profile and name it (e.g. stocks, new, etc.).
2 - Replace the "
firefox.exe" in the "
Target:" box, with "
firefox.exe -P <profile name> -no-remote" (without the quotes; remember the space; replace the blue section with the profile name).
In this gif I have created a shortcut to my anime profile.
Updated 25/03/2012
Clarified
Updated 7/06/2016
The command "Firefox.exe -P" no longer opened the Profile Manager, on my PC.
"Firefox.exe -ProfileManager" worked OK.
Updated 10/08/2018
See Post #6 below.