Firefox Profile Folder Contents

pam.in.ny · 02-22-2013, 09:07 PM

Why can't I see the contents in my Profile Folder when it says I have 144 megs in it? This started when I upgraded Firefox. MacBook Pro OS 10.6.8 Firefox 19.0

I even tried creating a new folder, then copied and pasted contents that I can't see in Profile Folder into the new folder by selecting all, command C, command V. Then I went to the new folder and the info is telling me there are still 144 mb in that new folder but I still can't see the contents. How can I see the contents again. Is there an easy fix from someone who isn't an expert with computers? Any help is greatly appreciated.

DeltaMac · 02-22-2013, 09:17 PM

All I have to compare is FireFox on a Lion system, and the profile folder is not hidden in any way.
What do you mean by "you can't see the contents"?
Are they invisible - or do you get a message that you don't have permission to open the folder - or do you just not wait long enough for the files to appear (there's probably a few thousand, I suppose)
OTOH - what in that profile do you need to see (other than the bookmarks file)

pam.in.ny · 02-23-2013, 09:46 AM

I can see the folder "PROFILES" in Library>Caches>FireFox. I double click to open the folder and there are now files showing. I've viewed in icons, list, columns and nothing shows up and I don't get any errors or permission messages. I'm the only one who used the MacBook Pro. When I do a command I to get the info of the PROFILES folder, it shows that there is 144mb in that folder and that it isn't empty. For some reason, they are hidden and with my not being too techie, I don't know how to get them to show up or why when upgrading to FireFox 19.0 they are now hidden.

Thank you for reponding to my post.

benwiggy · 02-23-2013, 09:59 AM

What are you trying to do, exactly? AFAIK, you shouldn't need to manipulate the Profiles folder content when upgrading.

In any case, the Library/Caches folder is not where your profile is stored. Your profile will be at ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles
http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/...ores-user-data

There may well be a cache of your profile, and perhaps some files are hidden there, but really you don't need to go into the Caches folder for any reason.

NB: Note the difference between /Library (visible at the top level of your hard drive), and ~/Library (usually hidden, and inside your User domain). See the instructions on the Firefox help page I linked to, to see how to browse to the correct location.

DeltaMac · 02-23-2013, 12:48 PM

I also wonder why that ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles folder needs to have hidden files!
Didn't useta be that way...
All you need to do is make files visible, through any convenient means, and you can look in that folder for anything that you need to see.

macosnoob · 02-23-2013, 03:48 PM

On my system (10.6.8, with FF 19 installed a few days ago), this hidden folder contains several files, the largest of which by far is

-rw-r--r--@ 1 ZZZ ZZZ - 62914560 Nov 20 15:50 urlclassifier3.sqlite

Googling tells me that urlclassifier3.sqlite is associated with FF's anti-phishing mechanisms. Over time, the urlclassifier system has changed to hide it from antivirus programs:

"Originally, a file named urlclassifier.sqlite was used, but the format had to be changed because the file (obviously) contained references to phishing sites, which anti-virus software noticed and complained about. urlclassifier2.sqlite obfuscates the names of the sites to prevent this from happening." http://kb.mozillazine.org/Urlclassifier2.sqlite

I imagine the hidden folder for urlclassifier3 continues along these same lines.

DeltaMac · 02-23-2013, 04:00 PM

That's an interesting point of view about the "urlclassifier3.sqlite" file, but that file doesn't live in the hidden folder, it still lives in the unhidden Firefox folder, inside the Application Support folder (at least, on my own system)

macosnoob · 02-23-2013, 04:26 PM

Hmmm, not on mine. urlclassifier3.sqlite lives in a hidden 87ic8h68.default folder:

~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/87ic8h68.default/urlclassifier3.sqlite

I also see a urlclassifier2.sqlite in an identically named--yet unhidden--87ic8h68.default folder in Application support, but I think it may just be something left over from years of using this machine.

~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/87ic8h68.default/urlclassifier2.sqlite

02-22-2013, 09:07 PM	#1
pam.in.ny Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7	Firefox Profile Folder Contents Why can't I see the contents in my Profile Folder when it says I have 144 megs in it? This started when I upgraded Firefox. MacBook Pro OS 10.6.8 Firefox 19.0 I even tried creating a new folder, then copied and pasted contents that I can't see in Profile Folder into the new folder by selecting all, command C, command V. Then I went to the new folder and the info is telling me there are still 144 mb in that new folder but I still can't see the contents. How can I see the contents again. Is there an easy fix from someone who isn't an expert with computers? Any help is greatly appreciated.

02-23-2013, 09:59 AM	#4
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,038	What are you trying to do, exactly? AFAIK, you shouldn't need to manipulate the Profiles folder content when upgrading. In any case, the Library/Caches folder is not where your profile is stored. Your profile will be at ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/...ores-user-data There may well be a cache of your profile, and perhaps some files are hidden there, but really you don't need to go into the Caches folder for any reason. NB: Note the difference between /Library (visible at the top level of your hard drive), and ~/Library (usually hidden, and inside your User domain). See the instructions on the Firefox help page I linked to, to see how to browse to the correct location. Last edited by benwiggy; 02-23-2013 at 10:03 AM.

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02-22-2013, 09:17 PM	#2
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,938	All I have to compare is FireFox on a Lion system, and the profile folder is not hidden in any way. What do you mean by "you can't see the contents"? Are they invisible - or do you get a message that you don't have permission to open the folder - or do you just not wait long enough for the files to appear (there's probably a few thousand, I suppose) OTOH - what in that profile do you need to see (other than the bookmarks file)

02-23-2013, 09:46 AM	#3
pam.in.ny Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7	I can see the folder "PROFILES" in Library>Caches>FireFox. I double click to open the folder and there are now files showing. I've viewed in icons, list, columns and nothing shows up and I don't get any errors or permission messages. I'm the only one who used the MacBook Pro. When I do a command I to get the info of the PROFILES folder, it shows that there is 144mb in that folder and that it isn't empty. For some reason, they are hidden and with my not being too techie, I don't know how to get them to show up or why when upgrading to FireFox 19.0 they are now hidden. Thank you for reponding to my post.

02-23-2013, 12:48 PM	#5
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,938	I also wonder why that ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles folder needs to have hidden files! Didn't useta be that way... All you need to do is make files visible, through any convenient means, and you can look in that folder for anything that you need to see.

02-23-2013, 03:48 PM	#6
macosnoob MVP Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,751	On my system (10.6.8, with FF 19 installed a few days ago), this hidden folder contains several files, the largest of which by far is -rw-r--r--@ 1 ZZZ ZZZ - 62914560 Nov 20 15:50 urlclassifier3.sqlite Googling tells me that urlclassifier3.sqlite is associated with FF's anti-phishing mechanisms. Over time, the urlclassifier system has changed to hide it from antivirus programs: "Originally, a file named urlclassifier.sqlite was used, but the format had to be changed because the file (obviously) contained references to phishing sites, which anti-virus software noticed and complained about. urlclassifier2.sqlite obfuscates the names of the sites to prevent this from happening." http://kb.mozillazine.org/Urlclassifier2.sqlite I imagine the hidden folder for urlclassifier3 continues along these same lines.

02-23-2013, 04:00 PM	#7
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,938	That's an interesting point of view about the "urlclassifier3.sqlite" file, but that file doesn't live in the hidden folder, it still lives in the unhidden Firefox folder, inside the Application Support folder (at least, on my own system)

02-23-2013, 04:26 PM	#8
macosnoob MVP Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,751	Hmmm, not on mine. urlclassifier3.sqlite lives in a hidden 87ic8h68.default folder: ~/Library/Caches/Firefox/Profiles/87ic8h68.default/urlclassifier3.sqlite I also see a urlclassifier2.sqlite in an identically named--yet unhidden--87ic8h68.default folder in Application support, but I think it may just be something left over from years of using this machine. ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/87ic8h68.default/urlclassifier2.sqlite