5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

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Dirki
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5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

I have 6 profiles in Firefox.
Image

Only one of them I just created by myself after the last update when this message was shown after starting Firefox (something saying like older verskion of Firefox started and using such can damage the profile, create new one):

Image

Can / should I remove the other profiles or leave them?
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DanRaisch
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by DanRaisch »

First, that's not six profiles you have displayed there but three. There are two elements to the location definition of each so it appears to be six but it it not.

As to whether you can or should delete any of them, that decision should only be made after you determine which of the three you are actually using when Firefox launches. Use menu path Help->Troubleshooting Information and look at the entry next to "Profile Folder" to see which one is active. You can then either delete the other two or leave them alone as they will not harm or hinder your use of Firefox if left in place.
Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

First, that's not six profiles you have displayed there but three.
Yes, sorry, Firefox shows 6 now, couldn't show it in a single screenshot:
> https://i.imgur.com/6qXZ0y0.png
There are two elements to the location definition of each so it appears to be six but it it not.
Sorry, I not not understand that...you mean two paths to two different locations in the same profile?
You can then either delete the other two or leave them alone as they will not harm or hinder your use of Firefox if left in place.
Alright, so then I will leave them when there is no security risk or decreases of speed or such.
Last edited by LIMPET235 on November 1st, 2019, 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Image tags removed to restore the forum layout.
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dickvl
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by dickvl »

That screenshot hows only three profiles (default, default-release, default-release-1) or do you have more profiles that aren't visible in the screenshot?

Do not get confused by Firefox using two locations for a profile, the main (root) profile in "AppData\Roaming" and the secondary location for temporary files like the disk cache in "AppData\Local".

You get the warning message when you have used a profile with a newer Firefox version and try to downgrade.
The "default-release" is the name used for a preferred profile on the Firefox release update channel.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/de ... stallation

If you do not need personal data stored in other profiles then you can delete such a profile.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/re ... ld-profile

The compatibility.ini file in a profile stores what Firefox version last used a profile.
Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

That screenshot hows only three profiles (default, default-release, default-release-1) or do you have more profiles that aren't visible in the screenshot?
Yes, 6 all together.
You get the warning message when you have used a profile with a newer Firefox version and try to downgrade.
There was an automatically update, I didn't want to downgrade, before I had...I do not now anymore, now Firefox shows:
Image

After starting Firefox my old profile was gone. A new Firefox was shown.

Thank you for the links.
If you do not need personal data stored in other profiles then you can delete such a profile.
I set a a new profile to my old profile respectively I just entered the path to my old profile (on the about:profiles page), so the othere profiles are created by Firefox, I assume.

The compatibility.ini file in a profile stores what Firefox version last used a profile.
This is what is written in that file:
Image

Code: Select all

[Compatibility]
LastVersion=70.0.1_20191030021342/20191030021342
LastOSABI=WINNT_x86_64-msvc
LastPlatformDir=J:\PortableApps\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox64
LastAppDir=J:\PortableApps\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable\App\firefox64\browser
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WaltS48
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by WaltS48 »

The 6th or bottom profile is the one in use looking at the image on Imgur.

The user could launch each of the other profiles in a new window from the about:profiles tab to see what they do,

I don't think Firefox creates profiles on its own without user interaction.
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Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

The 6th or bottom profile is the one in use looking at the image on Imgur.
Yes, that it the one I created today.
I don't think Firefox creates profiles on its own without user interaction.
OK, so I at least didn't want those profiles, respcetively didn't create them by intention.
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WaltS48
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by WaltS48 »

Dirki wrote:
The 6th or bottom profile is the one in use looking at the image on Imgur.
Yes, that it the one I created today.
I don't think Firefox creates profiles on its own without user interaction.
OK, so I at least didn't want those profiles, respcetively didn't create them by intention.
Anybody else using your computer, or have you tried other versions of Firefox?

The about:profiles tab shows a profile for each version that has been installed on the system whether it is the one in use or not, even if it has been uninstalled.

I use the 72.0a1 version. My about:profiles tab shows profiles for it, the release and beta versions I have installed, and one I use with this version for banking.

I'm sure you can click the 'Remove' button without destroying anything if you only use one version of Firefox and nobody else may have setup a personal profile for their own use.
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Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

Anybody else using your computer, or have you tried other versions of Firefox?
I use the computer alone. Yes, I tried other Firefoxes. They are all porbable.
I use the 72.0a1 version.
May be beta, I would think.
and one I use with this version for banking.
For banking only? Without any add ons? For security reasons?
I'm sure you can click the 'Remove' button without destroying anything if you only use one version of Firefox and nobody else may have setup a personal profile for their own use.
Yes, it is like that. But as the profiles do not disturb I could leave them like they are.
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kerft
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by kerft »

If the profile that is now your current default has all the data that you need, I would copy ALL profiles data to a backup location (or backup whole computer) and then remove all the profiles except the one that is the default, from the about:profiles remove button. As mentioned above, there are 2 links to each profile. The first, in roaming, is the real profile, and the second, in local, is the cache part which does not need to be saved.

Many people who use Firefox Portable use it incorrectly, running the firefox.exe contained within or pinning it to the taskbar. It must be run only by running the firefoxportable.exe launcher exe. Note also that attempts to make Firefox Portable a default browser have unexpected results.
Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

I would copy ALL profiles data to a backup location (or backup whole computer) and then remove all the profiles except the one that is the default,
Yes, instead ot that one I createdt today. The profile "default" is not one I created (by intention).
Many people who use Firefox Portable use it incorrectly, running the firefox.exe contained within or pinning it to the taskbar. It must be run only by running the firefoxportable.exe launcher exe.
Yes, the other exes than the firefoxportable.exe do not start Firefox with the correct profile.
Note also that attempts to make Firefox Portable a default browser have unexpected results.
Yes, indeed, I had have some trouble with that some time ago, at the moment it works.
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kerft
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by kerft »

The profile I say to keep, as long as you are happy with what data you have now, is the one that is *set* as the current default, in profile manager in english it is marked as "This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted." also as "default profile : yes". I do not refer to a profile *named* default. The names are irrelevant.
Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

Sorry, I understand.

And so generally one could just create a new profile for testing (e.g. add ons) and if it does not work the profile can be removed without any problems / eccecting the other profile(s) or one could use different profiles for different purposes instead of using a new Firefox or more?
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DanRaisch
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by DanRaisch »

Dirki wrote:Sorry, I understand.
And so generally one could just create a new profile for testing (e.g. add ons) and if it does not work the profile can be removed without any problems / eccecting the other profile(s) or one could use different profiles for different purposes instead of using a new Firefox or more?
Correct. Many users create a new profile when problems develop to see if the issue is within the program itself or in something in the old/existing profile. Once they have evaluated and resolved the issue, they may delete that new profile or use it as a replacement for the old, problematic profile.
Dirki
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Re: 5 profiles in Firefox created by Firefox: keeping them?

Post by Dirki »

OK, so much more easier to handle such by using profiles.

Thank you very much!
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