Sharing profile on dualboot PC: parent.lock file prevents Linux from accessing profile
Hello!
I started to follow this guide (https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Mozilla_plattform%C3%BCbergreifend_nutzen/) to use the same Firefox profile in Windows 10 and Linux Mint on my dualboot PC. Windows & LM are on a partitioned SSD and the Profile is now copied to my HDD: 'D:/sharedData/Firefox/xxxxxxxx.default'. I changed the profiles.ini files for both Win and LM.
[Edited:] This works fine on Win but on LM i get the error: 'Firefox is already running' If I close FF on Win the parent.lock file is not deleted. If I delete the parent.lock file on the HDD after closing FF on Win and reboot into LM, i can write on the HDD and open FF with the profile from the HDD. LM is not able to mount the whole Hard drive in read-only mode due to the parent.lock file if it still exists.
Is the parent.lock file supposed to be deleted automatically after closing FF? If so, what could be the reason that this is not the case here?
I would appreciate any idea what could cause this problem!
Ilungisiwe ngu user32781682948796061355385898559317587558
All Replies (4)
Hello,
The Refresh feature (called "Reset" in older Firefox versions) can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your bookmarks, history, passwords, cookies, and other essential information.
Note: When you use this feature, you will lose any extensions, toolbar customizations, and some preferences. See the Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings article for more information.
To Refresh Firefox:
- Open the Troubleshooting Information page using one of these methods:
- Click the menu button
, click help 
and select Troubleshooting Information. A new tab containing your troubleshooting information should open.
- If you're unable to access the Help menu, type about:support in your address bar to bring up the Troubleshooting Information page.
- Click the menu button
- At the top right corner of the page, you should see a button that says "Refresh Firefox" ("Reset Firefox" in older Firefox versions). Click on it.
- Firefox will close. After the refresh process is completed, Firefox will show a window with the information that is imported.
- Click Finish and Firefox will reopen.
Did this fix the problem? Please report back to us!
Thank you.
Thanks for suggesting this feature! I did not know it. Unfortunately it did not solve the problem at all!
1. restoring the factory settings means: deleting the profile folder from my HDD and creating a new one. But I wanted to keep it there! The parent.lock file does not get deleted after closing FF in the new profile ether. I copied the new profile onto the HDD again and changed the profiles.ini on both Win and LM.
After some fiddeling with the mount options of the HDD (https://askubuntu.com/questions/333287/how-to-fix-external-hard-disk-read-only) :
2. If I delete the parent.lock file on the HDD after closing FF on Win and reboot into LM, i can write on the HDD and open FF with the profile from the HDD.
3. LM is not able to mount the whole Hard drive in read-only mode due to the parent.lock file if it still exists.
So to precise the question: Why is the lock-file not deleted after closing FF (using the red X in the corner)?
Edit: There are both a parent.lock and a parentlock file. Seems like LM is not deleting the file eather... :/ Are they supposed to be deleted?
Ilungisiwe ngu user32781682948796061355385898559317587558
I have now set up the shared profile for Thunderbird as well. The profile.lock file is not deleted by Windows ether but this does not prohibit LM from writing on to the drive.
Can some one help me understand this problem? Why does the profile.lock file in the FF profile prevent LM from acessing the files but not in the Thunderbird profile?
Hi Gotopos, I'm very sorry about that. The latest reply was a spammer. I've deactivated his forum account.