8 replies to this topic

[jeanmariegobeil]

Hello, I am having problems with this program (Firefox3) and their "help" site is useless, consequently I tried uninstall-reinstall but to no avail since it reinstalls with the same problem.
Can CCCleaner help me remove it "entirely"?. I would certqanly appreciate it, best regards,
Jean Marie Gobeil.

[Thufir Hawat]

hi Jean Marie,

actually, it can only partly:
in CCleaner go to cleaner/applications/(Firefox/Mozilla) activate and run this cleaning option (Firefox must not be running while doing so!).

you might be having problems with ff3 because this program
will retain your personal profile while uninstalling/upgrading quickly (in case s'one accidently deinstalls firefox).
this is -sometimes- not helpful when upgrading from previous versions (ff1, ff2) because some addons work only with older versions and some old troublesome settings might be retained.

in either case what you can try:

a. give ff3 another try:
run CCleaner as described above.
in Windows: go to START/programs/ and find the "Mozilla Firefox Profiler"-link and click it (while ff3 not running),
Create a NEW Profile and use this as default, do not delete the old profile (for importing your bookmarks later).
This should get rid of old settings and FF3 should work without problems.

(Alternative: type in the windows commandline: C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe -ProfileManager
if you have Firefox installed to another location, change the path accordingly. continue above.).

b. Uninstalling:
same as a., but DELETE the old profile (do not create a new one if this is possible: i did not check this).
Now deinstall from windows as usual. Please BEWARE: you will loose your bookmarks this way, if you did not export them before!

(btw: the Profile-folder usually resides somewhere under C:\Documents and Settings\ within the Firefox-folder within the Mozilla-Folder)


Hawat.Thufir.out.

[jeanmariegobeil]

Thufir Hawat, on Aug 20 2008, 06:47 PM, said:

hi jeanmariegobeil,

actually, it can only partly:
in CCleaner go to cleaner/applications/(Firefox/Mozilla) activate and run this cleaning option (Firefox must not be running while doing so!).

you might be having problems with ff3 because this program
will retain your personal profile while uninstalling/upgrading quickly (in case s'one accidently deinstalls firefox).
this is -sometimes- not helpful when upgrading from previous versions (ff1,ff2) because some addons work only with older versions and some old troublesome settings might be retained.

in either case what you can try:

a. give ff3 another try:
run CCleaner as described above.
in Windows: go to START/programs/ and find the "Mozilla Firefox Profiler"-link and click it (while ff3 not running),
Create a NEW Profile and use this as default, do not delete the old profile (for importing your bookmarks later).
This should get rid of old settings and FF3 should work without problems.

(Alternative: type in the windows commandline: C:\programs\Firefox\firefox.exe -ProfileManager
if you have Firefox installed to another location, change the path accordingly. continue as above.).

b. Uninstalling:
same as a., but DELETE the old profile (do not create a new one if this is possible: i did not check this).
Now deinstall from windows as usual. Please BEWARE: you will loose your bookmarks this way, if you did not export them before!

(btw: the Profile-folder resides within the Firefox-folder within the Mozilla-Folder)

If this was too long or complicated then my *simple answer* would be: NO, sry

Hawat.Thufir.out.

[jeanmariegobeil]

First thank you very much Hawat for your reply and I will try what you suggest hawever could you clarify the ff3 part for me. Thanks again best regards,.
Jean Marie

[Thufir Hawat]

Hi Jean Marie,

well there is not that much to clarify, i think.
If you do not find that Mozilla Firefox Profiler link under (your START-Button) / Programs / Mozilla Firefox,
then make one yourself:

go to your desktop, right-click and choose NEW, then click link, and you are
presented with a form.
If your Firefox ist installed under C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\
copy the following to the line (else change the path accordingly):
"C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -ProfileManager
(the double quotes are important!) then click next, name it Firefox Profiler and finish the form.

If you want to keep your bookmarks:
In Firefox: go to your Bookmarks-Menu, click Organize Bookmarks , then go to Import&Backup and export your bookmarks to a html-file (name it mybookmarks.html and save it to your desktop. you can import those to your new profile later).

Close Firefox, wait half a minute (until windows has shut down all firefox files internally) and
click your self-made link.
You are then presented with a profile manager that is quite self-explanatory. Make a new profile,
then delete the old one and finish.

Start up Firefox the usual way. This should have solved your problems.
Later import the bookmarks from the mybookmarks.html file you created (same way as exporting, but choose import html instead).

that should have done it.

(might be of help to print out this message for a step-by-step-reference.)

good luck.

hawat.thufir.out

[DennisD]

Hi jean, and welcome to the forum.

Let us know if you still have any problems after trying Thufir's instructions, and don't be afraid to say if you're struggling a bit with them.

A lot of people are having probs with Firefox 3, and personally I'm sticking with Firefox 2.0.0.16, which gives me no problems.

Post back if you need more advice.

[jeanmariegobeil]

Thufir Hawat, on Aug 21 2008, 01:45 PM, said:

Hi Jean Marie,

well there is not that much to clarify, i think.
If you do not find that Mozilla Firefox Profiler link under (your START-Button) / Programs / Mozilla Firefox,
then make one yourself:

go to your desktop, right-click and choose NEW, then click link, and you are
presented with a form.
If your Firefox ist installed under C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\
copy the following to the line (else change the path accordingly):
"C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -ProfileManager
(the double quotes are important!) then click next, name it Firefox Profiler and finish the form.

If you want to keep your bookmarks:
In Firefox: go to your Bookmarks-Menu, click Organize Bookmarks , then go to Import&Backup and export your bookmarks to a html-file (name it mybookmarks.html and save it to your desktop. you can import those to your new profile later).

Close Firefox, wait half a minute (until windows has shut down all firefox files internally) and
click your self-made link.
You are then presented with a profile manager that is quite self-explanatory. Make a new profile,
then delete the old one and finish.

Start up Firefox the usual way. This should have solved your problems.
Later import the bookmarks from the mybookmarks.html file you created (same way as exporting, but choose import html instead).

that should have done it.

(might be of help to print out this message for a step-by-step-reference.)

good luck.

hawat.thufir.out

Again hawat I thank you very much,I tried your suggestion but when I click "next" after creating the link windows tells me "that file cannot be found" ?.
Am I doing something wrong? I did "exactly" as you said.
Sorry for all the trouble but ... .
Jean Marie.

[jeanmariegobeil]

For Dennis D, I am running Firefox 2.0.0.16 and still have two problems 1-Everytime I logon I am asked to load a dictionary and 2-On my Home page (msn.com) I get a popup telling me :"aditional plugins are required to view all the elements of this page and if I try to load plugins I am tlod I have them all!.
I thank you for your wellcome note,best regards,
Jean Marie.

[Thufir Hawat]

jeanmariegobeil, on Aug 21 2008, 03:50 PM, said:

Again hawat I thank you very much,I tried your suggestion but when I click "next" after creating the link windows tells me "that file cannot be found" ?.
Am I doing something wrong? I did "exactly" as you said.
Sorry for all the trouble but ... .
Jean Marie.

Hi Jean Marie,
this error means that Firefox ist NOT installed in this path. I wrote:

If your Firefox ist installed under C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\
copy the following to the line (else change the path accordingly):
"C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -ProfileManager

So you skipped the "change the path accordingly". Also my advice
for backing up your bookmarks will not have worked for you,
as my advice was for FF3, and you stated in a later post that you
reinstalled FF2 (other procedure there).

As your primary problem is that you do not know
a. where your Firefox is installed
b. where to find your Profile-Folder (for easy deletion)

here is one last idea from me:
there is a Firefox addon that helps with a lot of problems, both on FF2 and FF3. (This is the addon I install first on a new profile):
it is called MR Tech Toolkit (https://addons.mozil...refox/addon/421)
With this installed you will find an entry in your HELP-menu (or maybe the TOOLS-menu?) in FF2/3: "Edit my config"
there you can chose "Open Profile Folder" and "Open Installation Folder".
This will provide you with the path to both a. and b.

If you still wish to install FF3:
Open the Profile folder and copy the bookmarks.html file to your desktop for backup.

Then open the installation folder and *write down* the path to your firefox. exe file.
Make shure you have no typos in this path.


Then use CCleaner for deleting additional files in FF.
Now, as you have the path to firefox.exe (Installation Folder), proceed
as adviced in my last message:

(If your Firefox ist installed under C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\
copy all of the following line to the input field (***CHANGE THE PATH ACCORDINGLY!***):
"C:\program files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" -ProfileManager )

The Profiler works both the same in FF2 and FF3. Continue as proposed
in my last post.
After that you can go on over-installing FF3.
Import bookmarks from the bookmarks.html file you backed up on your desktop.

Alternatively(better and safer, this will solve your other problems too):
you could now uninstall FF2 (confirm "Yes" when being asked to delete private files too!)
then install FF3. This way is safer. Note that the Installation/Profiles path may have changed.
Import bookmarks from the bookmarks.html file you backed up on your desktop.
(The plugins will need to be reinstalled after that. Mind: some plugins need to be de/reinstalled via Windows).

Well, if this did not work then best have a geek from your neighborhood have a look at your problem and this forum.

good luck!

hawat.thufir.

And, yes. FF3.01 is better than FF2, speed, structure, (security) and all.
But: it needs some tweaking to get rid of all the 'stuff' some developers?/marketing people (always reminds me of Stef from userfriendly.org think as being absolutely necessary for users to be preset (goes for FF2 and other browsers too) . at least with firefox you can tweak those.
the shared places.sqlite database in ff3 not allowing the history to be securely erased poses imho indeed a security problem, at least in settings that are dependent on a secure environment (some government branches, etc.). imho it might help to complain about this structure as being a security issue in the mozilla-firefox3 forums.

out.