Firefox doesn't restore previous session after restart/crash

[dfoulkes]

Ok... so it didn't actually crash then. I'm not sure if those sessions clear out or not when a user has the option to clear history on close. Did you read up on that link I posted?

[John Witworth]

Thanks for your help, I installed https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2324 and will use that to make sure my tabs are saved. I have given up on getting the data back and the link Top 10 FREE Data Recovery Software http xxxxxxxxxx has many trojans/viruses in it so I wouldn't recommend anyone use those. I found it by searching and well, the top 10 free data recovery software is no good. I repeat full of viruses and trojans so if there is a way to delete the link, please do. Thanks for your help.

[dfoulkes]

You're welcome John... with respect to finding those "free" apps.... I'll assume that you did some searching for them... I also use this extension in order to help me "stay out of" links that have been reported to give users problems...
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3456

[John Witworth]

Thanks for all the help. My browser crashed again and so I decided to 1.Click the Windows Start button and type %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ in the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu, without pressing Enter. A list of profiles will appear at the top of the Start menu.
2 Save the eintire profile as soon as crash happens when firefox generates a report (backup th eintire above just in case) so I at least know the data is still reachable before being possibly overwritten or deleted by firefox and deleting history/etc auto set.

[dfoulkes]

In the location bar of the browser type in about:crashes in it and hit enter... if Firefox is reporting crashes to Mozilla a list of past crashed will be listed in a window that opens... copy/paste a couple of the most resent links listed to this thread... people can review the data and hopefully figure out why it's crashing.

[biff206]

I believe this to be a bug. I have used the same settings to clear history upon exiting for several years; and my session has always been restored when I open FF. The issue regarding not restoring my tabs is recent as of 3.6.3 (or maybe the release just before it).

I like to keep a clean machine so I want to keep that feature enabled to clear my history when I exit. I hope this isnt the new way FF functions moving forward.

[Guest]

I believe this to be a bug. I have used the same settings to clear history upon exiting for several years; and my session has always been restored when I open FF. The issue regarding not restoring my tabs is recent as of 3.6.3 (or maybe the release just before it).

I like to keep a clean machine so I want to keep that feature enabled to clear my history when I exit. I hope this isnt the new way FF functions moving forward.

Same here.

[Guest]

I believe this to be a bug. I have used the same settings to clear history upon exiting for several years; and my session has always been restored when I open FF. The issue regarding not restoring my tabs is recent as of 3.6.3 (or maybe the release just before it).

I like to keep a clean machine so I want to keep that feature enabled to clear my history when I exit. I hope this isnt the new way FF functions moving forward.

I can confirm this behavior on FF 3.6.3 on both OS X 10.5.8 and WinXP SP3. It's highly annoying; I just lost a 30 tab session that was a week's worth of researched links. I can probably find them all again, but I'm not happy about this.

I appreciate that FF is a free application, but bugs like this one and the insanely annoying multiple master password prompt you get when you have a lot of tabs open are making me consider alternatives.

[Guest]

I believe this to be a bug. I have used the same settings to clear history upon exiting for several years; and my session has always been restored when I open FF. The issue regarding not restoring my tabs is recent as of 3.6.3 (or maybe the release just before it).

I like to keep a clean machine so I want to keep that feature enabled to clear my history when I exit. I hope this isnt the new way FF functions moving forward.

Same here

[Guest]

Same here

Edit: with 3.6.8

[dfoulkes]

Anybody here using CCleaner?... if so, then it may be clearing out stuff that you don't want it to.

Also, in a prior post I posted this like for an extension that may be of use as a secondary system for saving sessions...
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2324/

[Guest]

Thank you mr. dfoulkes

In newer version of CCleaner, there is a new option under application tab - Firefox/Mozilla - called "Session".
If you had everything unchecked in previous version of CCleaner, now in newer one you will have to uncheck newly extra added option.

Now again, everything is as i expected <3

[dfoulkes]

You're Welcome!

[Ellipt]

What worked for me, Firefox 3.6.28 on Windows 7, March, 2012:

Decided Firefox had screwed up to where the current session restore files wouldn't work; they only referenced windows and tabs newly opened while trying to get the old set back. The primary cause was attempting to restart Firefox while the network connection was down. All windows and tabs became garbage.

Found that I did have backed up versions of sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak, located in C:\Users\MYNAME\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\4mrkymgz.default. ("MYNAME" and "4mrkymgz" will be different for you).

I'm using the native Windows 7 backup and restore control panel app. To get the restore to work I:

** CLOSED FIREFOX.

** DELETED the existing (newer and useless) files sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak from the Profiles folder (location above).

** Restored the versions I found in the previous day's backup TO ANOTHER (temporary) LOCATION (because Windows considered them "system" files or some such thing, and wouldn't put them where they belong). Then I copied them to the right place, which Windows didn't balk at.

Reopening Firefox and clicking to restore the previous session brought back all the windows and tabs that were active at the time of the backup. Newer ones could be found in the history files list for the time between the backup and the present.

[LIMPET235]

Locking due to the age of the OP.