Mozilla Firefox

[HPY]

Gargamel360

Thanks. I may do that.

The fact that IE still works suggests that I probably have not damaged my entire system.

So  deinstalling  FF (using CCleaner!!) and reinstalling it using xmarks may be the only answer. Actually the deinstall of FF may give the option of keeping Bookmarks and Addons.

[HPY]

Gargamel,

I downloaded Xmarks, and Add-ons says that it is Synching successfully - does that mean that it will automaticall save Bookmarks etc. Or do I have to instruct it?

[Gargamel360]

Gargamel,
I downloaded Xmarks, and Add-ons says that it is Synching successfully - does that mean that it will automaticall save Bookmarks etc. Or do I have to instruct it?

Not exactly sure, I only played with it once around a year ago, so I have forgotten the finer points of its use. 

But that seems about right, from the little I do remember, once it finishes synching, the bookmarks should be saved.

But rummage around its interface/help file, just to be 100% sure (because I am not)

[HPY]

Thanks for you frankness - and helpfulness. Most of you guys are born rummagers and see it as a challenge (thankfully) but I have no patience and go for the cautious line of asking 

There is always this lille beast that your colleagues gave me - MozBackup - should be just the thing

[Gargamel360]

Thanks for you frankness - and helpfulness.

NP, glad to help.

There is always this lille beast that your colleagues gave me - MozBackup - should be just the thing

That might work just as well for what you want also.

[HPY]

Well I tried Mozbackup too. Except that I didn't need to apply the Backup, because after I deinstalled Firefox and installed the same version afresh, it simply took over all my bookmarks etc. automatically and the pages appear exactly as in the first Screenshot. Could it be found under Firefox - View - Encodings?

There MUST be some setting in Firefox that has been tampered with, otherwise IE wouldn't work.

[DavidR]

For the future, you can also export your bookmarks from firefox.

If you click the Show All Bookmarks in the Bookmarks menu entry, you will see an Import and Backup option. That allows you to Export them, see image, once you have installed firefox again you can use the same feature to Import bookmarks.

I do this periodically as part of my system maintenance, though I also Use the FEBEs add-on to back-up lots of firefox stuff.

[Asyn]

For the future, you can also export your bookmarks from firefox.

Usually not needed, as Firefox keeps it's settings even when uninstalling it.
At least, as long as no 3rd party tool is involved.

[HPY]

Asyn

"Firefox keeps it's settings even when uninstalling " - if you instruct it to do so.

[Asyn]

Asyn

"Firefox keeps it's settings even when uninstalling " - if you instruct it to do so.

No need to instruct it.

[DavidR]

For the future, you can also export your bookmarks from firefox.

Usually not needed, as Firefox keeps it's settings even when uninstalling it.
At least, as long as no 3rd party tool is involved.

I have always been a belt and braces kind of guy, multiple back-up options.

OT - I'm on-line a bit later today as I had to go out and find a battery for my UPS (Uninteruptable Power Supply) as I wouldn't risk a power outage without it as a back-up

[HPY]

DavidR

Thanks for the screenshot.

"For the future, you can also export your bookmarks from firefox ".
Would the bookmarks still remain after exporting to html, in case I fail to instal them on IE.?
I do not particularly like IE and can't see any "controls" as you can with FF. And therefore would not know how to import them there.

What about Chrome? Never seen or tested it. Is it more like FF?

[Asyn]

I have always been a belt and braces kind of guy, multiple back-up options.

It doesn't hurt...!

[HPY]

DavidR

Meanwhile I have been muddling through with FF and IE both open. Just as an example: for some reason (I have made no further adjustments since my last post)  a news page opens perfectly now in FF but the "forms" do not e.g. a Disqus type forum form, so I would have to take the URL to horrible IE to open it.

If I do reinstall FF I will do it via MozBackup or FEBE but after checking "uninstall personal settings" - followed by a clean install in case it was one of extensions interfering.

Another possibility is that SuperAntiSpyware scans have been removing vital cookies - or interfering with Java.

Is Chrome any good? Does it compare with FF?

[DavidR]

I don't let SAS scan for cookies a total waste of time. The main issue with cookies are third party cookies, those that aren't for a site that you are viewing, they can track your browser usage and activity for that site other site (shopping, etc.). Depending on your browser (?) you should be able to block third party cookies, you can also set your browser to clear your cookies when you close it.

Since I use Firefox 6.x, I also have the cookie monster add-on and by default that only allows session cookies; they are only valid for the time you have your browser is running. The cookie monster add-on also allows you to accept cookies (normal time limited ones) for a site, like forum.avast.com as cookies are used so you don't have to logon all the time, etc.

All of the above helps remove the need for you to manually manage cookies.

- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie.

Even so if cookies were deleted, session cookies would be recreated on entry to the site.

I never have got on with Chrome, didn't like the interface, nor its lack of configurability (compared to FF) and its lessor range of odd-ons.