Restoring everything from an previous UNINSTALLED version of Firefox on Mac
I downloaded upgrade Firefox. I clicked replace. The new version was not compatible with my operative system. I then uninstalled Firefox with Clean my Mac. Too fast.
Now I have upgraded my operative system and have the newest Firefox. It works but I have lost all my bookmarks, website history, data, cookies - everything that makes it easy. Biggest problem is some lost passwords that only my old Firefox remembers..
Is it possible to restore this somehow? Please say yes and describe me how!
All Replies (5)
When you upgraded your Mac, did Mac OS save your other applications' data? That would provide some hope that it saved your Firefox data, too.
Profile Hunt
Inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it.
This page should list at least one profile and could list many. (Each profile has two folders and one or more buttons. Do not use any Remove buttons!)
The profile that Firefox is currently using will have this:
This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted.
Do you have any other profile(s) listed on this page? If so, you can check whether it is the one you were using recently by clicking its Launch profile in new browser button.
If it isn't what you want, simply close that new window.
If it IS what you want, back on the about:profiles page, click the Set as default profile button for that profile so Firefox uses it automatically at the next startup.
What if your old profile wasn't listed?'
Let's check on disk. Firefox is consistent in using the same folder. Find the "Root Directory" line for your current profile and click the "Open Folder" or "Show in Finder" button on that row. This should launch a new Finder window.
In Finder, navigate up to the next higher level -- a folder named Profiles.
Are there any folders here that weren't listed on the about:profiles page? If so, we could describe how to investigate their contents. If not, we'll need to think about Time Machine backups as the next step.
If you use the Time Machine or other backup then try to restore file(s) from this backup.
Modified by cor-el
Thank you all 3 responders so far!
Sadly no Time Machine have been used on this computer. Tried the about: profile and no there is only this current version and no other folders in the Profiles folder either.
Now Im thinking of downgrading from Catalan to El Capitan again but I guess that will also start fresh and not remembering its former incarnation..
I wonder what would a hacker do, or if I happened to be suspect in a crime and my web history would be needed for the investigation, how would they do then?
But I think I just have to let go and live with this mistake. Am happy that I learned some new stuff from you guys though!
Dropa, you are misunderstanding me. Im writing as Im talking and those sentences was more out of curious reflections. I wrote " ..if I HAPPENED to be a suspect.." so I thought that was clear. It was a way of being a bit humourously transparent with the frustration and desperacy over my own mistakes. I can ensure you Im not part of any murky things! <3
Happy weekend, Linda
You could check with CleanMyMac on whether there is any kind of recovery for files that program deletes.
If the NSA needed to find the old data, they would use programs that try to recover deleted files. On Windows, there is the following program, but I don't know what there is for Mac: https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva