Separate Security Issue: Update your Flash Player Note: Windows users should download the active_x for Internet Explorer. and the plugin for Plugin-based browsers (like Firefox).

Note: Windows 8 and Windows 10 have built-in flash players and Adobe will cause a conflict. Install the plugin only. Not the active_x.

Flash Player Version: 24.0.0.194

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ Direct link scans current system and browser Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/otherversions/ Step 1: Select Operating System Step 2: Select A Version (Firefox, Win IE . . . .) Note: Other software is offered in the download. <Windows Only>

See if there are updates for your graphics drivers https://support.mozilla.org/kb/upgrade-graphics-drivers-use-hardware-acceleration

Are we talking about your history or tabs or restarting the last session?

Last Session: You may have corrupt sessionstore file(s). Delete all sessionstore* files and the sessionstore-backups folder.

Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.

Under the page logo on the left side, you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Locate the above file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.

History: Open the History Manager <Control><Shift> H. Is your history there?

My history. I had a handful of separate windows and tabs open on the desktop when I closed Firefox and restarted my computer. Usually a window opens asking me if I want to restore previous sessions when I restart, but this time that didn't happen.

And your History Manager is empty? What about the Bookmark Manager?

While Firefox automatically makes backups of your bookmarks, that is all that is backed up.

There are two things to check out.

1) Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

2) Type about:profiles<enter> in the address bar. How many profiles are listed? How many should be there?

WWTTFF said

My Firefox preferences are set to save browsing history. Usually when I restart my computer Firefox will prompt me to re-open all the tabs that I had open when I did the restart. However, I just restarted my computer and when opening Firefox it says I have no browsing history. How do I recover my browsing history?

This sounds like you purposely keep Firefox running when you shut down and this causes Firefox to crash. The crash restore is not meant to be used this way.The crashing can potentially damage your Profile.

If you want to resume where you left off. In Options/Preferences > General> Startup> When Firefox starts [Show my windows and tabs from last time]. Then when you want to close Firefox you should File > Quit/Exit Firefox and then when you start Firefox next time it will resume as long as you did not clear history.

On a Mac it's not possible to shut down or restart (I did the latter) without closing Firefox. There's no "Old Firefox" folder that I can find on my computer. As I said, I've not experienced this problem before, but I nonetheless changed the preferences as you suggested.

So, back to my original question: is it possible to recover the browsing history when I closed Firefox and restarted the Mac?

Unless you have a backup somewhere . . . . . . . . . .

These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.

These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox

FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) {web link} FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backups of files that you choose.

OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences

You would need a copy of sessionstore.js to recover tabs from a previous session.

Did you check "History -> Recently Closed Tabs/Windows"?

Note that on Mac you need to make sure to close the Firefox application with all windows to you want to keep still open.

Firefox uses sessionstore.js in the profile folder to store session data. Sessionstore.js is only present when Firefox is closed. The sessionstore.js file is created from recovery.js when you close Firefox and is removed and copied to previous.js when you start Firefox to make is possible to restore the session at any time.

Backup the session files in the sessionstore-backups folder in the Firefox Profile Folder to make sure not to lose possible important session data. Do NOT close Firefox when Firefox is already running.

You will normally find these files in the sessionstore-backups folder:

previous.js (cleanBackup: copy of sessionstore.js from previous session that was loaded successfully)
recovery.js (latest version of the sessionstore written during runtime)
recovery.bak (previous version of the sessionstore written during runtime)
upgrade.js-<build_id> (backup created during an upgrade of Firefox)

You can copy a file from the sessionstore-backups folder to the main profile and rename the file to sessionstore.js to replace the current file (make a backup copy of the current sessionstore.js).

See also:

• http://www.ghacks.net/2014/06/27/mozilla-launches-improved-session-restore-firefox-33/

You can use this button to go to the current Firefox profile folder:

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Directory:
  Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox