Running two version of FF

[Rex A. Butcher]

What ho,

I seem to be the only one posting in this section!

I do want to upgrade my FF but having had too many issue recently, don't want to uninstall FF24ESR until the upgrade is stable.

From what I have researched, I can install a newer version into a different ProgramsFiles folder, just give it my chosen name. Is that correct? Likewise, the desktop icon can have whatever name I select? What happens to the folder in D&S? Does that also get a new name? If so, presumably, the new install would have its profile completely separate?

On a similar issue, I do have an upgrade on my VM and it runs OK. But when I have copied the profile to the same version of FF on my main compute, it does not run or more specifically, tells me the profile is incorrect. Why would this be?

Thanks

Rex

[Midknyte]

The easiest way would be to use portable Firefox. You can just extract it to your desktop, instead of a flash drive.
http://portableapps.com/apps/interne...x-portable-esr

On a similar issue, I do have an upgrade on my VM and it runs OK. But when I have copied the profile to the same version of FF on my main compute, it does not run or more specifically, tells me the profile is incorrect. Why would this be?

You'd need to transfer the data from the old profile to the new profile.
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferri...file_-_Firefox

See the section: Restoring to a different location
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...refox-profiles

[Rex A. Butcher]

Thanks for the links, useful.

Don't intend to appear too much of a boo-zoo here but ..............! Installing to the Desktop? Does that mean when installing, that a new folder will appear on the DT with the FF exe file inside it? If so, presumably to start, just open the folder and click on the FF.exe file?

Since a Program file version of FF create a D&S folder with the profile in it, where does a portable version, installed to the DT store its profile file?

Thanks

Rex

[Train]

The portable makes it where ever it is.
For me,it is on my 16 GB USB stick.

[Midknyte]

Don't intend to appear too much of a boo-zoo here but ..............! Installing to the Desktop? Does that mean when installing, that a new folder will appear on the DT with the FF exe file inside it? If so, presumably to start, just open the folder and click on the FF.exe file?

You can extract the folder anywhere. I just said Desktop as an example. My point was that you don't need to put it on a flash drive.
You would then run the FirefoxPortable.exe in the folder. Check out the support section:
http://portableapps.com/support/firefox_portable

Since a Program file version of FF create a D&S folder with the profile in it, where does a portable version, installed to the DT store its profile file?

The profile folder is in \FirefoxPortable\Data\profile

[Rex A. Butcher]

See what you mean; have put it into a folder within My Docs.

Given that portable appears to have everything within itself, what is the point of the main version that write to both Programs files and D&S? Why not use portable as the main version?

When I have the portable up and running the way I like, can I install the same version number as an upgrade main version and copy the portable profile?

[Midknyte]

If you just want to use it as your main browser, that's fine. However, the portable version was not designed to be the default browser. You'd normally use it when going to different computers. It doesn't leave registry entries. This has been discussed to death in the portableapps forum.

When I have the portable up and running the way I like, can I install the same version number as an upgrade main version and copy the portable profile?

I already provided links about moving profiles in post #2.
Or in the support section, read "Copying Your Local Firefox Settings". You'd basically do the opposite of that.

[Rex A. Butcher]

Not really making any progress here.

I installed FF36 Portable to a folder within MyDocs and played around with it until I had it the way I like. (As an aside, it boots fast-ish but gets to my home page in seconds unlike my main FF which is still taking about 90 seconds to load the home (or any other initial) page. After that, it is fine)

Since this portable is working almost correctly, I decided to install it to a USB stick. From the 36.exe file, installed to the USB, then using the advice above, copied and pasted the HDD files to the USB profile. The result is the two images. FF36Portable-HDD is the one that is work fine (almost) and the USB is on the stick, having copied/pasted the profile files.

FF36Portable-USB (Large).jpg

FF36Portable-HDD (Large).jpg

I even tried a second time, deleting the USB profile files and pasting all Profile files from FF-HDD but still the same.

What am I doing wrong?

[Midknyte]

You would copy the entire portable ff folder, not just the profile. That's why it is "portable".

Note that running off a USB flash drive is usually slower than from a hard drive.

From the pictures, it looks like you need to rearrange the navigation bar buttons.

[Rex A. Butcher]

Good one. That has done the trick; rather obvious if one is smart enough!