Firefox v56 Portable from PortableApps

[videobruce]

Unless someone knows of another source for a Stand-alone/Portable version of FF v56, there is a problem with their version.

First it's not fully portable/stand-alone. It creates 3 folders (only one has data in it) buried in that annoying 'Users' folder in Windows (W7 specifically). Problem with that is that 'Profile' is the default profile, not the edited/customized profile in the actual program folder wherever you placed it.
What that causes is clicking on external URL links (in e-mails using client programs) if FF is not already running will open the browser using that default profile instead of the working profile producing a 'stock' looking GUI (which is really annoying, as it might as well be a different browser, depending on how much customizing you have done).

Open the program by a desktop or start menu shortcut, it works as intended. I didn't try a another program by clicking the Help tab to see if that would point to their web site duplicating clicking on a e-mail URL link. Why and how on earth that buried default profile is used is beyond me.

So the question is, how can I makes changes (within reason) to point to the correct profile and also stop the program from creating those entries in the users folder?

BTW, just deleting those folders doesn't work, the program just recreates them again.

[mightyglydd]

"Firefox v56 Portable from PortableApps" = https://portableapps.com/forums

[videobruce]

I think you need to re-read the title & the 1st sentence of my post.

[DanRaisch]

I'm not sure why you're saying "it's not fully portable/stand-alone." The term portable means that the installation doesn't involve the Windows registry. That's the case with TB Portable. You can install it and not find any reference to TB in the Windows add/remove programs listing. The Portable version can also be installed on and run from a flash drive, something that can't be done with a standard version of the program.

"It creates 3 folders (only one has data in it) buried in that annoying 'Users' folder in Windows (W7 specifically). Problem with that is that 'Profile' is the default profile, not the edited/customized profile in the actual program folder wherever you placed it."

TB Portable creates its own \APP, \Data and \Other directories when the installer is run. It's not clear to me how it would have created those in the \Users folder because it could be "installed" into any directory on any drive in the system.

[videobruce]

How can that be "portable" if part of the program is somewhere else?
Actually, you should be able to right click on the .exe and unpack it to a named folder wherever you want it. One folder, making it a 'stand along' application with no ties to the O/S or 'stuff' scattered all over.

Every time you re-open FF, even after you delete the folders, buried in Users, it recreates them.

[Frank Lion]

I think you need to re-read the title & the 1st sentence of my post.

I don't know who you think you're rolling your damn eyes at. Where better to ask about Firefox Portable than the very place that creates the apps? Try it - https://portableapps.com/search/node/firefox%20default

Every time you re-open FF, even after you delete the folders, buried in Users, it recreates them.

Yep, and every time you close it they get deleted anyway. One of them (in Roaming) is a symlink so that it can use any plugins you already have installed on the OS. I bet they wondered why they bothered, if all they get is this stuff.

[videobruce]

Sorry, it looked like the link to PortableApps was for the application, not their forum.

That additional profiles folder does not get deleted, I wouldn't of known it gets recreated again after I deleted it.

[DanRaisch]

Actually, you should be able to right click on the .exe and unpack it to a named folder wherever you want it.

You can, which is what I said above: "it could be "installed" into any directory on any drive in the system."

[DanRaisch]

Locking as this seems to be an issue to be resolved on the Portable side -- https://portableapps.com/node/57753