Startup error "#Mozilla user preferences"

I recently edited 'user.js'. I this the errant file? What should I look for?
David

 

It could be the user.js file . Perhaps you could post the contents of your user.js file somewhere so we could see if there are any errors that can be easily corrected. Or you might try renaming your user.js (to user.js.old) file and seeing if mozilla will launch after that.


tranquilo

 

Thank for the ideas. I've tried the following: (a) rename prefs.js and rebooted. Mozilla ran but I lost all my preferences (all 14 kB of them!, (b) I cannot post my prefs.js file on this BBS because it is too big, (c) I overwrote my current prefs.js with my old one before I edited it and still got the same startup error.
How can I run a trace on my bootup? Or is there a log somewhere?
Any help appreciated
David: confused:

 

ok...


Do you still have a copy of the problem prefs.js or user.js? It should (hopefully) still be there as the file you renamed. It might be a simple typo in your prefs.js or user.js

What version of Mozilla are you using?

First, close mozilla, and try renaming your prefs.js and user.js (if present) to prefs.js.old and user.js.old... Restart Mozilla, and it will make a new prefs.js file.

Will Mozilla start if you do this?

If not, you might try making another profile, and see if Mozilla will start.

There is a debug mode in mozilla.

path_to_mozilla.exe -help

path_to_mozilla.exe -console

will send debug output to a dos window.

path_to_mozilla.exe -console > some_file_name.txt

will send the output to a text file...

Let us know if anything works/doesn't work.

tranquilo

 

How do I run the debug program?

I'm new to Java and I'm not sure how to run the ddebug program. Can you please describe it in simple terms? I am not a programmer.
Before editing my prefs.js and renaming it as user.js I kept a copy of original on floppy. But when I overwrote my current prefs.js with it Mozilla changed it on rebooting. I also have the user.js which Mozilla doesn't seem to change.

David

 

I suspect the easiest thing to do would be to make a new profile, and see if mozilla will start without errors.


start > run, then type (including quotes, change if mozilla.exe is located in a different place):

"c:\program files\mozilla.org\mozilla.exe" -ProfileWizard

If a new profile works, we can be certain it is something in your old prefs.js/user.js file that is keeping mozilla from starting.

What version of Mozilla are you using? 1.0?

tranquilo

 

This in Netscape 7.0 (1)

Your comments apply equaly to NS 7.0 ? I do not run Mozilla as a stand-alone.
David

 

Yes, they should, other than the path to mozilla.exe in one of the previous messages...

There may be a shortcut on the start menu for the Netscape 7 profile manager. that can be used as well to create a new profile. However, the old profile should not be deleted.


tranquilo

 

Noticed here and in an earlier thread that you said that you edited your prefs.js file then renamed it as user.js - that would create a file that included all the other lines in your original prefs as well as the added or changed items..... That is not what you should be doing!

The user.js file is an optional file that you can use to keep track of your own added preferences. Your user.js should only contain the new entries you want to add or change. For example, my own user.js only has two lines, to change the mail authorquote information. The information in the user.js overrides whatever is contained in the prefs.js file

I created my user.js by opening notepad, adding two lines to the blank document, then saving the file as user.js in my profile folder (in the same folder that contains the prefs.js file).

Your prefs.js file will be changed when you change settings using the browser's Edit/Preferences screens. Your user.js file does not change unless you manually open and edit the file using Notepad or other text file editor.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

I agree that at this point creating a new profile might be your best bet, especially if renaming or deleting the existing user.js file didn't help.

 

Hi David,

We won't make you stand in a corner because you renamed your prefs.js to user.js.

This is a simple explanation of the user.js file, along with a sample file:
http://www.hmetzger.de/etips6.html#1

This is more information on editing the preference files, which Alice mentions:
http://techaholic.net/ns7.html#editfile

Especially note: If you use the Quick Launch feature in Netscape 7, you must exit or quit Quick Launch.

Ramona

EDIT: 12:52 P.M.
http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.0/faq/profile.html#7.1

"Your comments apply equaly to NS 7.0 ? I do not run Mozilla as a stand-alone. "

David, the above Mozilla FAQ states:

Quote:
7.6. Can I share a profile with my copy of Netscape 6.x/7, or with an earlier version of Mozilla?

Do not share a profile with Netscape 6/7. Sharing profiles between different versions of Mozilla can lead to profile corruption "“ this includes sharing a profile with a version of Netscape based on a different version of Mozilla.

Note: even if you uninstall a previous copy of Mozilla or Netscape 6/7, the old profile will still be there until you remove its folder. Be sure to create a fresh profile when you install a new version of Mozilla.
End Quote

Do you share a Profile with Mozilla and Netscape 7?

 

Clean reboot now after crating new profile

Thanks for your help. I had not realised how sophisticated NS 7.0 is ! It's a great program.

Anyway after recreating my profile from scratch (using the START menu) everything seems OK without any errors on startup.

David

 

Excellent to hear that Mozilla is up and running again!

All thanks go to tranquilo!

Keep us posted on your success.

Ramona

 

Bookmarks and my new user profile

Ramona, you asked me to let you know how I am getting on with my new prefs.js. The biggest problem was my precious 'bookmarks' which I have collected over several years and is a file of nearly 50 kB.

With a bit of deleting and overwriting I was able to restore my old "bookmarks.html" to be the current bookmarks for NS 7.0. I had to do this using WE because my usual 'Cental Point File Manager' cannot handle long file names very well.

Anyway, everthing is excellent now. Thanks
David

 

Hi David,

That's the kind of feedback we all like to get! I hear you on your Bookmarks! I back up my Profiles folder every night at shutdown, for fear of losing them. I have a hefty 352 KB Bookmark file.

Now that you are all settled in, let me rock your boat a bit:

Steal/spoof arbitrary cookie in Mozilla
1.1b is ok, others are not.

Ramona