I often run multiple versions of Firefox simultaneously on Windows XP.

The -P argument requires a profile name and that is case sensitive. The alternative is to use -profile which uses the path.

Check that you do not have more profiles and profile locations than expected. You may actually have more than one profile called default. Check your profile.ini file (you can read it with notepad) to see that the profile names and locations match up correctly.

See

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Using_multiple_profiles_-_Firefox
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profiles.ini_file

I do not think you even need two copies of firefox, if they are the same version, just two profiles.

the first link was to make the profile

I start the profiles using "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -P default

and

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox2.exe" -P u2 -no-remote

the reason I wanted two exes is to make 2 windows open 2 seperate windows

This works now too except the windows are bunched in the task bar

Earlier my default profile would open in a seperate window and if i pressed Ctrl-N then a new window would open in that profile - and would be bunched which is Ok

But the 2nd profile would open in a separate window. i guess something has changed in the way the exes are registered as i can see firefox2.exe in the task manager (when i choose the 2nd window and go to processes - the home page is different for each profile so i know which is which)

I must say when I tried to reply initially I was not sure what the problem was you were seeing, I now realise it relates to the Windows 7 taskbar. I am using XP so am not familiar with Windows 7 but I understand you can change settings to pin items or set task bar items not to group buttons see this MS link Change how buttons appear on the taskbar

http://sel2in.com/docs/imgs/windows-taskbar-bunched-2ff-profiles-2windows.jpg desktop img if you have a look at this image of my house desktop can see there are 2 firefoxes, with different profiles (same home page with different params - l?profile=p2 to see which is which)

i have not yet upgraded. i had the same in office this morning. upgraded ff from 3.6 and windows started buncing together the exes i do the same with text pad - have a textpad.exe and a textpad2.exe - open each with different short cuts and they open seperately ...

i will try your link but i do suspect something has changed in the way ff identifies its windows to the OS

-- had a look at that MS tip - seen that; its for all windows... i have far too may windows to un-bunch all ...