SOLVED: What is the easiest way to move FF&TB

Hi all
I want to move Thunderbird & Firefox from my C:/ drive to my E:/ drive what's the easiest way? and Should I use Moz backup to help with the move ?

 

sutsujsti,

You don't need an extension for backup. Create a folder on your HDD, and copy both the Thunderbird and Firefox Profiles to this folder. Now you have a backup.

To move the two programs to your E: drive:

Move an existing profile or restore a backed up profile

It's possible to move the location of a profile folder. This could be useful if you have a backed up profile folder somewhere on your hard drive and want to tell Firefox to use that as your profile. This section explains how to do this.

Shut down Firefox completely (File > Exit).

Move the profile folder to the desired location. For example, on Windows XP, move the profile from C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default to D:\Stuff\MyProfile. If you are reading these instructions because you want to restore a previously backed up profile, this step isn't necessary. Just note the current location of the profile you want to restore.

Open up profiles.ini in WordPad. The file is located in the application data folder for Firefox:

On Windows Vista/XP/2000, the path is %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\

In profiles.ini, locate the entry for the profile you've just moved. Change the Path= line to the new location. If you are using a non-relative pathname, the direction of the slashes may be relevant (this is true for Windows XP).

Change IsRelative=1 to IsRelative=0

Save profiles.ini and restart Firefox

This is from: How to Manage Profiles

 

THX Ramona I couldn't remember for the life of me where I had seen how to manage profiles, was located at Duh! Thx for the help

 

Always a pleasure!

.

 

I don't understand how to do this . Do I just add the E:/ before my profile name, and after Path=line

 

Profile.ini should have one or more entries, like this:

[Profile3]
Name=TB2.0
IsRelative=1
Path=Profiles/xxx4xxxx.TB2.0

I have no idea, other than deleting the profile .slt folder from the C drive.
But, don't quote me.
And, I have a question for Ramona. Although FF and TB 2.x are default, link open at times other unused profiles, although I use the -p switch.
What happens if I edit out the other three profiles. Should I switch the numbers, like Profile3 to Profile0, and that's it, without deleting any entry?
The profile.ini is a mystery to me. By the way all four profiles are relative=1.

 

sutsujsti,

Change the Path= to the exact location of the Profile on the E: drive:

Code:

[General]
StartWithLastProfile=1

[Profile0]
Name=bird
IsRelative=0
Path=E:\folder_name\TBprofile  (name the folders anything you wish)
Default=1

.

 

IsRelative=1 indicates the Profile is in the default location
IsRelative=0 indicates the Profile is in a custom location

If you edit out all but one Profile, then when you start the program, it will be unable to find those other three profiles. The profiles.ini file is similar to the registry.dat file in Netscape, except this file can be edited by the end user.

The number of the profile is in the order they were created, if I remember correctly.

If everything works like it should, don't fix what ain't broken...

OR, if you want to try removing those other three profiles from the file, then backup the file, and try it. You will find that you will get an error, probably a "Thunderbird is already running but is not responding" error ".

 

Ah now I understand that part thx
I had tried to do this earlier today and got everything all messed up (took me 2 hrs to get it back to working order) Glad I had a backup !!! will try tomorrow

 

I will leave the profile.ini alone. The profile used for TB2.x was, indeed, the last one which I created.
Even if it is a nuisance, in one cases. I have an Internet and am e-mail button on my keyboard, but have no recollection on how I set it up. When I select Internet, I get the profile, formerly used for FF1.5. However, nothing happens when I select e-mail. I did not even know about the keyboard shortcuts, until my wife told me. It is not important, in any way.

 

Its me again I hate being such a dummy on this but! I still have trouble. I got my profile moved to my E:\ drive, edited the ini file and installed Firefox (the program) on the E drive. Now when I open FF. on the E:\ it asks if I want to make this my default program (I select No) and it opens like it should! But I know its still using the original profile on the c:\ drive Because FF is in the same state I left it from the C:\ shortcut. So how do I get the program on my E:\(firefox) to see the profile on my E:\ drive

 

sutsujsti,

Remove the Profile on the C:\ drive. You have moved your Profile to the E:\ drive and pointed to it to the E:\ drive, in the profiles.ini file.

 

Thats what I did yesterday and it got me into all sorts of trouble (but I didn't have the ini edited ) and I had a bugger of a time getting the profile back in the right spot on the C:/ drive ! so I will give it a try Thx

 

sutsujsti,

You'll be fine, as you have your pointer edited to the correct location...

You're almost there!

 

Nope it did not work! firefox on my E:drive did not find the profile on the E:/ drive so when it loaded none of my stuff is there

this is the path I typed in
Path=E:\mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\akls2nq9.default
(Got the hang of putting back the profile on the c:/ drive ) Ha Ha !!

 

sutsujsti,

These three files should remain on the C:\ drive:

pluginreg.dat
profiles.ini
registry.dat


Did you move them to E:\

 

as far as I know I moved everything that was in the folder under Mozilla (firefox) folder ! thats where I found the ini file that I edited so I need to leave those 3 files there and just move the profile folder PS I just went in there and I don't have a registry.dat file in there . all that's there is pluginreg.dat,and profiles.ini

 

Right, you won't have a registry.dat file. Sorry about that, I was copying my Mozilla folder, and I also have Netscape 7.2 installed, which contains the registry.dat file...

Yes, all you need to move is the Profiles folder.

 

Ok thx for all your help I need a break! I will let you know if it works tomorrow

 

sutsujsti ...

I have always located my Firefox and Thunderbird profile and program folders on my E: drive, but I've found through hard-won experience that manually editing the profiles.ini files to reflect the new profile folder locations isn't the best way to tell FF and TB where to locate the desired profiles.

The following procedure uses the Profile Manager to write to profiles.ini, is bullet-proof, and works for either FF or TB (simply substitute thunderbird for firefox) ...

After moving your profile folder to its new location, give it a simple, easy to remember name.

Open FF's Profile Manager ...

1. Go to Start > Run; type the full path to firefox.exe followed by -p (with a space between .exe and -p). Hit Return or click on OK.

2. When the Profile Manager opens, click on Delete Profile; when the "Delete Profile" box opens, click on Don't Delete Files.

3. Back in Profile Manager, click on Create Profile. The "Create Profile Wizard" will open; click on Next.

4. Enter the desired name for your profile.

Note: the name of your profile and the name of your profile folder can be wildly different, but it helps if they're the same, and if you keep them simple (I use my initials). Profiles and their folders do NOT have to have the convoluted names that the installation programs give them by default.​

5. Because you've moved your profile folder to a new location, click on Choose Folder (do NOT click on Use Default Folder). When the "Browse For Folder" window opens, navigate to your profile folder's new location and click on the folder. Click OK, then Finish.

6. Back in the Profile Manager, if the Profile Name isn't already highlighted, select it and click on Start Firefox.​

Firefox should open configured just the way you like it.

NOTE: This can all be done on initial installation if the Custom installation is used, rather than the Standard (default) installation.