FireFox – The Profiles.ini Guide
In Windows, an .ini file is a plain text file, containing various configuration settings for a specific app. Firefox (or FF for short) uses a simple one to handle profiles and start-up behavior. It’s called ‘profiles.ini’. It can be found here:
C:\Users\*YOUR USER NAME*\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox
When installed, Firefox will create this file automatically. Firefox reads this file at each launch. It also edits this file to match changes you’ve made inside of the app. It must be named exactly ‘Profiles.ini’ and be in the above location for FF to recognize it. Otherwise, it has no effect.
You can also manually modify this file or create your own. Why would you want to do this? It depends. You may have a Firefox setup with multiple profiles and custom startup behavior. If you backup your profile folders and the matching custom ini file, you can restore them to a new setup and save yourself a bus load of time and manual configuration. Imagine preparing 10 different computers that need the same Firefox setup. You could install FF, then restore the backups to each system. Done.
Create and Use Your Own Profiles.ini File
If you want to make your own, do the following:
- Using notepad (or any other plain text editor) save a blank document. Name it ‘profiles.ini’. (Make sure the extension is ini, not txt).
- Use the info in this guide to get an understanding of each line of code and its settings. What they mean and how they’re used by Firefox.
- Add the correct lines of code to the file, customized to your needs.
- Don’t forget to save it and make a backup of your custom ini file.
- Rename the ini file being used by Firefox to something else. (Don’t delete it. You may need it later.)
- Place your custom ini in that same folder, which is shown above.
Now on to the details. To make things easier to read and understand in this guide, I define things as such:
Section: A block of text that relate to each other.
Section Name: The first line of text/code in a section, encased in brackets.
Lines: The supporting lines of code directly underneath each section name.
Line Skip: I think this is obvious. Exactly as the name implies. Each section is separated with a line skip.
You can visually see what I mean by all this from the image below.
In the profiles.ini file, there are 3 main sections.
- [Install]
- [General]
- [Profile]
Note that you can have multiple Install sections as well as multiple profiles sections in the same file. Like so…
Below is an explanation of each section/line and its function (if I can find one, at least). You may have additional sections and/or supporting lines that are not explained here (which I doubt), depending on your setup. If so, let us know.
Every installation of Firefox is assigned a unique code or ID consisting of numbers and/or letters. If you have multiple FF versions installed, they will share the same ini files. (Exception for the Developer version?) So there can be more than one Install section in a single ini file. For this project, I’ve got a regular Firefox installation and a nightly build installed for testing. They both have their own installation code. You can find these codes inside the installs.ini file, located in the same folder as the profiles.ini file. Here’s a peak at it.
This section should have the word ‘Install’ immediately followed by the Firefox ID from the install.ini file. Like this…
[Install7987654321234567]
All profile.ini settings will be applied to the Firefox belonging to that ID.
Default=Profiles/*Profile Folder Name*
This defines which profile will be loaded automatically, each time Firefox is launched.
A manual startup over-rides this setting. See the General section for details.
Keep in mind, this Default line conforms to the same rules as Path. Check there for more info.
Locked=1
This one has some issues circulating! I don’t freaking know what this line is for or how it makes FF behave. What’s locked? Beats the sniffles outta me. I changed it numerous times and looked for differences in Firefox behavior. Didn’t spot not a one.
I later read on the Mozilla forum that this line determines if OTHER firefox installations can share the listed default profile. If so, this would only make a difference if you’ve got more than one FireFox installation on your system. Maybe an official build, along with a nightly build or an ESR build for whatever reason. Allegedly, locking a profile ensures that only the build that matches the code listed in the ‘Install’ section can access that default profile. No other build would have access to that profile. 1 is locked, 0 is unlocked?
Another answer says this relates to the ‘Use the selected profile without asking at startup’ feature….. Allegedly.
Well you know HTP, we don’t print stuff without testing and verifying. So far, both of these statements have been proven untrue in our tests. For some reason they are marked on the Mozilla forum as being true and the solution. Nope. In one test, I completely deleted the line! There was still no noticeable or significant difference in FF behavior. Firefox does not even re-create the line if I use the same profile on each start-up. It re-creates the line and sets it to 1 by default only if you switch profiles. Still doesn’t lock anything though. It seems useless, but I could be wrong. Until it proves purpose, wave at it.
[General]
You’ll find this section somewhere randomly placed between other sections. I don’t know why this section isnt conveniently listed directly below the Install section. I have arranged it this way myself, manually. Firefox just moves it wherever it feels like upon the next launch. (SHRUG) What can you do, eh? He wants it it, he gets it. It seems to hang out under Profile0, which keeps moving to awkward places as well. SMH
StartWithLastProfile=0
This line obviously determines how Firefox starts when launched. It can be set to 0 or 1.
Use 1: This is the default setting. Firefox launches, automatically loading the last profile that was used (Or whatever profile is defined in the ‘Default=’ section.)
Use 0: Manual Start. Firefox displays a window that allows the user to choose which profile to load at each launch.
A manual startup over-rides the default, allowing you to choose which profile to load at each launch. It will have the default profile highlighted, but it won’t load it automatically for you. The profile you choose at manual startup becomes the new default. To learn another way to do this, go HERE.
Version=2
I have no freaking clue what this line does. Don’t know what it means by version. Changed it numerous times and looked for differences in Firefox behavior. Couldn’t find any. Sorry. It can’t be a simple on/off switch, being that it is set at 2 by default. I just leave it as is.
[Profile0]
Firefox arranges and lists profiles based on how they are numbered in the ini file. Each profile gets its own section with a unique ID number, just like each installation. If you’re manually adding a profile folder from a backup or something, you need to make sure you give it a dedicated section and number. If you create a new profile from within FF, it creates the section for it and assigns the next available number (in cardinal order with 0 representing the first one).No two profiles can share the same number. If this is ever the case, only one of them will be recognized. I’m not yet sure how FF decides which one to choose over the other.
Even if you delete the actual profile folder, the entry will still show up in FF. But if you try to load that profile, you’ll get an error. Maybe something like this…
You must properly delete the profile from within Firefox or remove the section from the .ini file. If you only want to hide a profile but not delete it, use the IsRelative setting.
Name=
This is the name that Firefox will use to identify and display your profile. This can be set to whatever you want the profile name to be, just make sure it does not conflict with an existing profile name. You can change the name any time you want, as often as you like.
Also keep in mind that the name of the profile can be different from the name of its folder, and it usually is. This is important. I usually make my profile name and folder name identical for obvious reasons. It’s not necessary though.
IsRelative=1
I have no freakin’ clue what this is for. I don’t touch it! 🙂
No seriously. This section allows you to hide or remove the profile entry from the browser. Don’t worry though. Nothing related to your actual profile is modified, deleted or tampered with. Firefox still recognizes the profile, but the entry will not show up in the about:profiles section, the manual start-up list or anywhere else. Hit the switch! A zero represents off (hidden), a one represents on (visible). Of course we ALL know that though… Right? 🙂
Path=
This line tells Firefox exactly where your profile content is located. It’s all inside the actual profile folder.
Keep in mind, The root folder for Firefox is:
C:\Users\*YOUR USER FOLDER NAME*\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox
So what would be the path to your profile content?
C:\Users\*YOUR USER FOLDER NAME*\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*Profile Folder Name*
If your profile folder is in the default location, all we need here is the path starting from the root, not the full path. You can put the full path if you want or need to but it’s not necessary. When you
FROM ROOT (FOR DEFAULT LOCATIONS ONLY):
Path=Profiles\*Profile Folder Name*
OPTIONAL FULL PATH (REQUIRED FOR CUSTOM LOCATIONS):
Path=C:\Users\*YOUR USER FOLDER NAME*\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\*Profile Folder Name*
Speaking of custom locations….. Did you know, the default location doesn’t have to be used for your profile folder? This gives you more control and customization. Yep, profile folders can be placed pretty much wherever you want them to be. All you have to do is tell Firefox where the profile content is in this line. I keep my profile folders named and stored in custom locations to fit my needs. You may benefit from doing the same. Like in the example below…
Path=E:\Windows\Firefox Data\Profiles\Business\*Profile Folder Name*
If you save a copy of a properly configured profiles.ini file, you can use it as a template for a custom configuration. You can restore it to any compatible FireFox installation, at any time. As long as you’ve set everything else up correctly. You’d only have to change minor stuff like the FF ID number, or the usernames in the paths (maybe), making sure they match the current setup.
And we are done captain!
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