Although I have copied the old sessionstore.js file (which I want to restore) to the profile directory, I can't make Firefox use it. How do I?
After a Firefox crash, I lost my sessionstore.
I have tried various options to restore my old sessionstore.js (which contains about 6 months of tabs I need). Previously I had saved a backup copy of it, thinking I just had to delete the current Firefox profile's sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak files, then copy my old sessionstore.js file (with all my old tabs) into the profile directory. Then restart Firefox. That never works. Firefox doesn't recognize my restored sessionstore.js (nor the sessionstore.bak), but instead creates a new sessionstore.js every time. It's as though it has cached its own session info somewhere else. I even tried a Firefox reset, that creates a new Profile, and then did the same as above to the new profile. That didn't work, and now of course all my settings are reset.
I am using Firefox 26.0.
I even installed Tab Mix Plus and Session Manager add-ons, but they cannot help.
Help!
Thanks.
All Replies (8)
Did you look in History > Restore Previous Session or for History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows?
Note that on start Firefox copies the sessionstore.js file (from the previous session) to sessionstore.bak to have tabs and windows from that session available during the current session at all times and Firefox creates a new sessionstore.js for the current session.
No, I have done that, but these entries are always grayed out, i.e., History > Restore Previous Session or for History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows? are grayed out.
Here is what I do: 1) I exit Firefox. And confirm in (Windows 7) Task Manager that the Firefox application is not running. 2) Go to my profile directory and copy the sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak from my backup directory (the session tabs/windows I want to restore), which then overwrites the profile's versions of these. 3) I then bring up Firefox again. 4) Firefox creates a new session (if * below is NOT set, but the result is the same) 5) The History > Restore Previous Session or for History > Recently Closed Tabs/Windows? are grayed out.
- Note that Tools > Options > When Firefox Starts = Show My Windows and Tabs from Last Time. However, if Tools > Options > When Firefox Starts = Show A Blank Page, the result is the same. I.e., Firefox creates a new sessionstore.js in the Profile directory.
Did you try to copy only the sessionstore.bak file and rename this file to sessionstore.js?
Yes, I just did that, but with exactly the same result: it creates a new sessionstore. js, which is empty. It does copy the old (my restored) sessionstore.js to sessionstore.bak.
All options under History are grayed out still.
You can check the sessionstore files for possible errors:
- JSON Formatter & Validator: http://jsonformatter.curiousconcept.com/
I tried. Unfortunately my file blows the JSON validator: The JSON Data field can not exceed 1000000 characters in length.
I also thought maybe it was a permission issue, but I have Administrator rights.
You can look at post(s) in this MozillaZine forum thread about extracting URLs from a sessionstore.js file to see if that is possible.
I found a fix for this at https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=668359, and it worked for me.
FIX:
Use a text editor and open the good sessionstore.bak is you still have it.
If the file begin like this:
{"windows":[],"selectedWindow":0,"_closedWindows":[{"tabs":[{"entries":[{"url":"https://
Only delete:
],"selectedWindow":0,"_closedWindows":[
So you get:
{"windows":[{"tabs":[{"entries":[{"url":"https://