Netscape 7.2 profile disappeared this morning! Help!

I've never had a profile window popup before and this morniing when I started netscape it popped up. In my stupidity I think I deleted my info, but I'm not sure. What when wrong, and where and how can I get my info back. My whole world is there!! I'm new to this forum, but some help would be much appricated!

 

I am not sure what you mean by profile window popup. Normally, clicked on the shortcut it should get you into the program. the reason is that the vast majority of people have only one profile, and, most don't even know that it is possible to have more than one profile. However, if a Netscape and a Mozilla are installed, two separate profiles should be used, and the Profile Manager should pop up, until you make your final choice.
What info did you delete? If you got the profile manager, and then selected Manage profiles, you are given two choices, one is to delete file, and the other to not delete files. It you made the first choice everything is gone. If you took the second choice, you can get everything back.
But, you are not explaining what you did, or even what this popup was about.

 

"Select user profile" pops up. Never had that happen before today. And yes, i think I did hit the delete key, I wasn't sure what had happened, and tried to close it out (I closed it alright!) Anyway, I can search for the password file, etc and find them, I just gotta figure how to restore it all back into netscape and stop the netscape user deal from starting. Its a mess I know, but all my saved mail, passwords, bookmarks, everything is gone and I need to get it back. Somebody smarter than me please chime in on this!

 

Also, windows explorer is not in my start= menu=programs? Anybody know why that is?

 

In first place tells what is your operating system. I am not sure what you are finding, since if you have WinXP, the profile folders would be hidden. so, you are either using an operating system older than Win2k, or you are finding the incorrect info. I will give you a link to find the location of the profiles , in different operating systems. The Netscape7.x would be on the top line, if you are given locations for NS7 and 8.
You would get a box called "Select Profile Manager ", and you would have a "select available profiles" on the right, and three buttons on the bottom. "Manage profiles" on the far left allows you to delete profiles, or create new one.The other two choices are obvious.
I could not do what you say happened. I, still, have no idea what happened.
So, were you seeing what I describe.
Then, most important do you see a Mozilla folder, in whatever path is needed for your operating system. The Netscape profile would be in the Mozilla folder, unless you did something special to put it elsewhere. If it is in the standard location, the profile would be called "default ".
But, no matter what, you should have had at least two profile names in the available profiles.
So, you will have to do some looking around.
Windows Explorer is not, nor has ever been in the Programs, but it should be available after opening "My Computer" on the Desktop, or from Start|My Computer. You would see the drives.
You can see a Start|Programs|Accessories|Windows Explorer. I made a shortcut to it.
If you have only one entry in the available profiles, I don't know, but you have to see if you have a profile in first place. I don't have a clue what you did.

 

I'm using XP. I installed netscape years ago and have never had a window pop up when I click on netscape, it just always opened the browser and that was it. This morn9ing it pops up asking to select profile manager. I think I accidently deleted my profile, as it was unnamed, probably "user ". I also have firefox broswer on here, thats what I'm using right now, but it doesn't have any of my information stored, as I don't use it often. And start=program=ass=windows explorer, explorer is not there. i can access it threw my start button. Why did this profile manager all of a sudden pop up after years of using this program? And once I find the files, I haven't a clue how to put them back. All your help is greatly appricated, thanks, Bob

 

Welcome to the Forum, bobbyd54!

Bob,

Your Profile is located here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles

NOTE: These files are hidden by default.
To see hidden files:
1. On the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, click Folder Options
2. Click the View tab
3. Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders
4. Disable "Hide File Extensions for Known Files. "
5. Click OK.

To search for files in the Application Data folder, go to Start | Search.
Under More Advanced Options select Search system folders, Search
Hidden Files and folders, and Search subfolders.
--

I run Windows 98SE, therefore, would hesitate to help with the Windows Explorer issue. Perhaps Westside can confirm that location for you...

Once you locate your Profile, let us know, and we can help you further.

 

I found the profile, its a .slt file, right? It doesn't seem to have the right files in it, although the porperties shows it being created back in early '04, which is about right. I don't know what to do with it since I found it, I'm at a loss in a big way here. Way to much info to lose if theres anyway to recover it. Thanks for your help, Bob

 

Bob,

Good work, and now we'll help you recover the Profile. In the Profile Path there should be a user name:
~\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\username\*.slt

Try this workaround first:
Right click the Netscape 7.2 Desktop Shortcut
Select: Properties from the menu
Click on: Shortcut
You should see this path in the "Target" field:
"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape\Netscp.exe "

Next:
At the end of the above "Target" path
Leave one space, and then type: -p yourusername

The -p denotes Profile, and the username should be what appears in the Profiles folder, as shown above.

Let us know if this works. If not, there is a second workaround we can try.

 

The .slt file is named default, so I tried -p default, and it didn't work, still opens the user manager box. If you hit default user, it can't find the files or directory. I guess thats the one I accidently deleted, but have found??? Does that make sense to you ?

 

I found a file named ojr8pada.default that has all my info in it. How do I edit into a user to make it all come back? Best I can tell its all there, if I can figure out how to put it back!

 

Bob,

The "default" Profile you found is for Firefox, not Netscape 7.2. Your Profile Name folder in Netscape 7.2 will end in .SLT, and not the Profile Name, as does Firefox. If this is the ONLY user name folder in the Profiles folder, then you most likely DID delete the Netscape 7.2 Profile.

You will have to create a new Profile for Netscape...

 

If I click on the profile name it brings up a file with a .slt extension, but its a alhpanumeric file name. I can look thru it and find my passwords, history, etc, I just can't place it back in the netscape folder in the place where it will reconize it.

 

1. ojr8pada.default could be either Firefox, or Thunderbird, or Netscape 8's.
I don't know if you could use it, in any way, but it would help to know whose it is. It should not be located in the path: ~\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles
Profiles with the description you gave should be in: ~\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles for Thunderbird;~\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles for Firefox; and ~\Application Data\Netscape\NSB\Profiles for Netscape 8.x.
You either have a ~\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\default\xxxxx.slt for NS7.2, or nothing. The other profiles may help to rebuild the needed profile, but would not be usable in 7.2. Firefox and Netscape 8 don't have mail, while Thunderbird is mail only.
Please tell us what you see in that profile, and where it is located, and, what in the world could you have done to make this mess.
There could also be a "Default User" profile, and, in such case, you should enter that name, i.e. -p Default User, but it should have only an alphanumeric description.
But, at this point there are two questions:1. If you clicked to Delete, you should have the folder in your Recycle bin. If you dump the trash, or use any other method, you are out of luck.
2. What is in the path which we gave you?

And, referring to Windows Explorer, you said earlier: And start=program=ass=windows explorer, explorer is not there. i can access it threw my start button. What do you mean by that?
There is no "ass ", but Accessories, and it open with a series of names from Accessibility down to Wordpad. Windows Explorer is right above it.
And Windows Explorer accomplishes the same things as My Computer.
But, if you found the .slt, you must have figured out what to do.
Honestly, i have not figured out a thing with the information you provided.
But, I will try.

 

Your right about that xxxxpada.default, it is a thunderbird file. The profile that should be under mozilla, default, is no longer there. I have another computer in my shop running the same netscape and looked to see where it was on that one. I went to add/remove programs, deleted netscape completely, figured I'd start fresh. After downloading it, it still trys to start with profile manager and can't find a default file either, even after a fresh install. I've loaded netscape on 3 or 4 computers and have never had this happen. It says that netscape can't use the profile default because the directory can't be found. I thought it would create that on a fresh install? Did I not uninstall all the components of it or what? I'm no dummy, though it may sound like it from this mess, I relly need those bookmarks, etc, I'm thankful for all your help. Bob

 

If you found an alphanumeric file, e.g., 12bcd43j.slt, then that is your Netscape 7.2 Profile. All you need to do now is to point Netscape to this location. That should be here:
C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\profilename\12bcd43j.slt

With Netscape 7.2 closed:
Open the Profile Manager for Netscape 7.2
Click on: Create Profile
Name the Profile the same name as the Profile Name folder where you found the alphanumeric file. Be exact.

Add this Profile Name (the Profile Name folder where you found the alphanumeric folder) to the Desktop Shortcut: -p profilename

You should be able to open the Netscape 7.2 profile now.

Let us know...

 

Absolutely correct. I have done it many times, removing a profile, without deleting the files, so that I could reuse it.
I am getting confused by what has been said. Nothing should have changed on the hard drive. Removing a profile, without removing the files, will do nothing more than removing the profile from the list in the profile manager.
One cannot just have a .slt folder in midair. It must be in a profile folder.
I don't understand what is going on, but Ramona is correct. All is needed is the profilename.

 

Profile name was default, like I said , it tells me there is no directory for that file now. I have NEVER seen netscape profile manager in my life til yseterday, its always loaded the default folder without ?

 

At this point, it is no point to ask why. But, please read Ramona's directions.
Or to make things simpler, since you can't open Netscape7.2, but you see the profile manager. as I said in a previous post, click on the Manage Profiles button, and then select Create profile, and follow directions. When you get to the name, you should enter "default" if it is not there already. You should not have to do anything else, because the path should already be there. Now, the "default" profile should be accessible.
I give up if it does not work that way.

 

Bob,

I reread all your posts, and you did say:

If I click on the profile name it brings up a file with a .slt extension, but its a alhpanumeric file name. I can look thru it and find my passwords, history, etc, I just can't place it back in the netscape folder in the place where it will reconize it.

That would be the profile for Netscape 7.2, so is the folder which contains the alphanumeric name Default? In other words, is the Netscape 7.2 Profile Name Default?