To fix the problems such as slowness and other issues Firefox users face, Mozilla has introduced Refresh feature, which is also useful to remove malicious toolbars and restore search engine defaults, you can find the Refresh button in the about:support page.
After refreshing Firefox, you’ll find “old Firefox Data” folder on your desktop. Mozilla’s intention behind this is to let you restore your old profile data if you didn’t find much help with the newly created profile.
And more over, you can restore all lost customization including add-ons, without needing to install them again using this folder, but how is the question? We’re explaining that below with step by step in detail.
Restoring data from old profile folder on desktop after refresh, to Firefox browser
1. Ensure Firefox is not running , backup current Profile folder using tools like Firefox backup tool or MozBackup or you can manually copy Profile folder- click on “open Folder” in the about:support page -and paste to another location in the the hard drive.
2. Open Old Firefox Data folder and profile folder after that, and copy all files in it with Ctrl +C button, now launch Firefox and open profile folder by visiting about:support page and close Firefox browser after that.
3. Now use Ctrl+V to paste items copied earlier to Firefox default profile folder, when Windows Explorer shows “confirm folder replace” dialog, at the bottom of it select “Do this for all Current items” (check the screenshot below) and click “Yes” button.
5. Next ‘Copy File’ dialog appears on screen with message “there is already a file with the same name in this location, select ‘Do this for next (number shown) conflicts’ at the bottom, and click on ‘copy and replace’.
That’s it! Your old Firefox profile data has been restored, open Firefox and check to confirm that.
If you want to restore specific files from your Firefox old Profile to- such as bookmarks or browsing history or cookies or passwords or site specific preferences – to refreshed Firefox, please check this article from Mozilla.
My experience with the reset feature is that it left my browser much slower than before the reset. Firefox is dog slow now that I have run this. I am NOT happy with this new feature.
Which Firefox version you’re using? And what extensions you’ve installed, have you checked how Firefox behaves in the safe mode?
I made o mistake in refreshing firefox and i want to go back to my older version i lost but how do i get it back?
What you mean is resetting Firefox updated you to latest version, you want to go back to old version. Am I correct? Then uninstall current version and install old version of Firefox which you can download from this site. Go through the links in older versions .http://filehippo.com/download_firefox/69488/
Why do we Firefox, users/devotees, not deserve the common curtesy, of being informed, re; the contraindications, of Firefox ‘refresh button’ activation??
I totally agree. Years of site specific work / site tuning flushed in an instant.
Why is this feature So cumbersome?? SOOO many steps involved. I want FEBE back…it was quick and slick and PERFECT.
“How” may be A question, but “Why?” is more to the point. Why does Firefox mess with a user’s customization with each new update? Why should we have to close this, copy that, reinstall, etc.? I spent time making the browser look like I want, do what I want and resent having to go to great lengths to restore it after an update, reset, refresh or whatever.
Bless you, Venkat! I refreshed Firefox in May after the browser repeatedly, inexplicably lost sound over the course of several weeks. I was stunned, angry and upset when the refresh resulted in me losing ALL my extensions, most of which were no longer available to redownload. Multiple trips to “Help” and “Support” and multiple attempts to reach mozilla, all unfruitful, added to the frustration.
Today for the first time I saw that folder sitting innocuously on my desktop. My heart may have skipped a beat. One Internet search later, up pops your article and my extensions have all been restored. Firefox even sent sent me a message saying “thank you for coming back” even though I had been (furiously!) using the stripped down browser for months.
I’m not even angry anymore. Yes Firefox should include this information and instructions in their “Help” section. Yes they should more clearly state the consequences of a “Refresh”. But I am forgiving them because they at least gave me a solution even if they didn’t tell me the solution was there. (Okay so maybe there is a little resentment there, but only just a VERY little).
Have a great day, everyone.