Firefox saves session history at close UNTIL computer is shut down
I am having a problem where Firefox functions normally, saves session history, saves log in information, etc, until something like a power outage happens where the computer is rebooted. The computer is a Mac desktop. I have gone into system preferences multiple times and selected the option to have Firefox restore session history, and when I simply close the Firefox browser, it does indeed save session history and all other data upon re-opening. However, when the computer is re-booted, Firefox then acts as though it has never been opened before, opening a totally virgin version of the browser. Why would it be wiped every time the computer is rebooted? This is a business computer and we need the log-ins to be saved for multiple different sites. Having to re-log-in and save info for each site we use after every time the computer is restarted is driving me mad.
All Replies (2)
It sounds like you've made the same mistake that many Mac users make when installing Firefox for the first time. When you downloaded Firefox, it is a firefox.dmg file. A lot of users just run Firefox directly from that file, but that doesn't work properly. The reason is because Mac essentially treats .dmg files like a virtual CD disc.
Each time you restart your Mac computer, Mac will essentially load that virtual CD, but it will be given a new ID number each time. That causes Firefox to think that this is a brand new Firefox installation, which makes it create a new blank copy of your data. That's why your settings, bookmarks and other data are gone.
If you check out the How to download and install Firefox on Mac page, it will have the information about how to properly install Firefox so that the issue will stop happening. Basically, you just need to move the firefox.app file that's within the firefox.dmg file to the Applications folder on your computer.
Technically, your other data that was already on there is still on the computer, you would just need to tell Firefox to use that old copy of your data. Information about those steps can be found on the Recover user data missing after Firefox update page (even though the title isn't quite related to what your issue is). But, depending on how many times you've restarted your computer, it's likely that you will have a lot of copies, so maybe it's best just to start from scratch.
Hope this helps.
Make sure you install Firefox properly and that you do not run Firefox from within the DMG (Disk Images) file.
Open the Firefox Disk Images file and drag the Firefox application to the Applications folder on your hard drive. You shouldn't double-click the Firefox application to run it from the Disk Images, but instead drag it out of the DMG folder.