does my profile update automatically when I add bookmarks etc.
I have been reading about Profile and where to find it. Does it update automatically every time I add new bookmarks etc AND how should I backup my profile on a stick every time I add bookmarks etc to Profile please. I've just changed to Firefox from IE8.
Thanks Pingu70
Modified by pingu70
Chosen solution
I know how to find my profile, does it update automatically every time I add new bookmarks etc AND how should I backup my profile on a stick:
The files within your profile are updated when you close Firefox, and your file backups/restores/renames/deletes should be done when Firefox is down. Once a day early in morning when Firefox is running, your bookmarks are backed up by Firefox to the bookmarkbackups folder .
You would not want to backup your bookmarks every time you changed them (at least I wouldn't). You can create your own backup of your bookmarks to your thumb drive anytime through Firefox and restore that backup anytime through Firefox perhaps half minute to do either once you press button.
What I would really recommend though when Firefox is down would be to backup not just your current profile but all of your Firefox profiles and that should fit on most thumb drives you would purchase today.
Profile -- backup: You should be backing your for Firefox profiles, there is not a lot of data and you should be backing up frequently. There is a lot more data for other applications in your Windows user library and you should be backing up data from there as well.
When you backup all of your user data to external hard-drive (500GB to 3TB) your Firefox profiles would be included.
But this is about Firefox. For Firefox a thumb drive would probably suffice to backup one or more profiles.
backing up your Firefox Profiles (the following is all on one line)
- <tt>xcopy C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*.* g:\profiles\*.* /s /d /h /y /c /q</tt>
If you wanted to carry your bookmarks with you to refer to them you would not want to use the .json backup as that is only for restoring with a complete replacement of your bookmarks. If you want something you can view elsewhere you might want to put an exported bookmarks file on your thumb drive as well.
Don't know if you know how to use XCOPY in a .bat file or not but that is how I do all of my backups with applications not running at least not applications that use the files. The following won't help much if you're no familiar with them.
- http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/w7xcopy.txt
- Microsoft Windows XP - Xcopy
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/xcopy.mspx?mfr=true - COPY, XCOPY, and MOVE Overwrite Functionality Changes in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/240268 - Microsoft Windows XP - Command-line reference A-Z
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx?mfr=true - MS-DOS xcopy command help
http://www.computerhope.com/xcopyhlp.htm - The Command Prompt in Windows- Introduction
http://commandwindows.com/command1.htm
For those that may not know how to find their profile simply type about:support support into the Location bar, then click on the "Open Containing Folder" button in the Troubleshooting information page. If Firefox is down you may have to use other means.
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (5)
Hello at 1805 BST Saturday 16th July 2011. It's nine days since I put my question in. Can anybody help with my question above. I have read about doing a profile backup on something other than the machine you are using but how often should I do a Profile Backup. Does my Profile change each time I use Firefox please and therefore should I back it up each time. Sorry but I'm a new user os Firefox
Many Thanks pingu70
Hello at 2200 BST Sunday 17th July 2011. It's ten days since I put my question in. Can anybody help with my question above. I have read about doing a profile backup on something other than the machine you are using but how often should I do a Profile Backup. Does my Profile change each time I use Firefox please and therefore should I back it up each time. Sorry but I'm a new user os Firefox
Many Thanks
pingu70
Hello at 2340 BST Monday 18th July 2011. It's eleven days since I put my question in. Can anybody help with my question above. I have read about doing a profile backup on something other than the machine you are using but how often should I do a Profile Backup. Does my Profile change each time I use Firefox please and therefore should I back it up each time. Sorry but I'm a new user on Firefox
Many Thanks
pingu70
Modified by pingu70
Profiles https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Profiles
Managing profiles https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Managing-profiles
Backing up your information https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Backing%20up%20your%20information
Recovering important data from an old profile https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Recovering%20important%20data%20from%20an%20old%20profile
EnjoY !!
Chosen Solution
I know how to find my profile, does it update automatically every time I add new bookmarks etc AND how should I backup my profile on a stick:
The files within your profile are updated when you close Firefox, and your file backups/restores/renames/deletes should be done when Firefox is down. Once a day early in morning when Firefox is running, your bookmarks are backed up by Firefox to the bookmarkbackups folder .
You would not want to backup your bookmarks every time you changed them (at least I wouldn't). You can create your own backup of your bookmarks to your thumb drive anytime through Firefox and restore that backup anytime through Firefox perhaps half minute to do either once you press button.
What I would really recommend though when Firefox is down would be to backup not just your current profile but all of your Firefox profiles and that should fit on most thumb drives you would purchase today.
Profile -- backup: You should be backing your for Firefox profiles, there is not a lot of data and you should be backing up frequently. There is a lot more data for other applications in your Windows user library and you should be backing up data from there as well.
When you backup all of your user data to external hard-drive (500GB to 3TB) your Firefox profiles would be included.
But this is about Firefox. For Firefox a thumb drive would probably suffice to backup one or more profiles.
backing up your Firefox Profiles (the following is all on one line)
- <tt>xcopy C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*.* g:\profiles\*.* /s /d /h /y /c /q</tt>
If you wanted to carry your bookmarks with you to refer to them you would not want to use the .json backup as that is only for restoring with a complete replacement of your bookmarks. If you want something you can view elsewhere you might want to put an exported bookmarks file on your thumb drive as well.
Don't know if you know how to use XCOPY in a .bat file or not but that is how I do all of my backups with applications not running at least not applications that use the files. The following won't help much if you're no familiar with them.
- http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/w7xcopy.txt
- Microsoft Windows XP - Xcopy
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/xcopy.mspx?mfr=true - COPY, XCOPY, and MOVE Overwrite Functionality Changes in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/240268 - Microsoft Windows XP - Command-line reference A-Z
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx?mfr=true - MS-DOS xcopy command help
http://www.computerhope.com/xcopyhlp.htm - The Command Prompt in Windows- Introduction
http://commandwindows.com/command1.htm
For those that may not know how to find their profile simply type about:support support into the Location bar, then click on the "Open Containing Folder" button in the Troubleshooting information page. If Firefox is down you may have to use other means.
Modified by David McRitchie