To reset Firefox on a desktop or laptop, use Mozilla’s Refresh Firefox feature: open the menu, go to Help → More troubleshooting information, choose Refresh Firefox…, confirm, then select Finish and Let’s go! when Firefox restarts. Refresh creates a new profile and resets many settings, while keeping items such as bookmarks and passwords.
Before resetting: check whether you need a refresh
Refresh Firefox makes permanent changes to the current profile. If you are trying to identify the cause of a problem, first try Mozilla’s Troubleshoot Mode. It temporarily disables extensions, switches to the default theme, turns off hardware acceleration and WebGL, and disables some other customizations. Restart Firefox normally to leave the mode; your add-ons and settings return to their previous state.
If the problem disappears in Troubleshoot Mode, an extension, theme, or hardware acceleration is the likeliest cause. If it remains, Mozilla’s troubleshooting guidance recommends trying simpler measures, such as restarting the computer or clearing cookies and cache when relevant, before refreshing.
| Option | What it changes | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Troubleshoot Mode | Temporarily disables selected features and customizations; normal settings return after restarting normally. | To test whether an add-on, theme, or hardware acceleration is causing the issue. |
| Refresh Firefox | Permanently creates a new profile and removes many extensions and customizations while preserving selected personal data. | When simpler checks have not fixed the problem and you are ready to set up removed customizations again. |
| Separate new profile | Tests Firefox without using the old profile’s data. | When a refresh does not fix the issue, or you want to preserve a heavily customized profile. See Mozilla’s profile troubleshooting guidance. |
How to refresh Firefox to its default state
- Open the Firefox menu and select Help.
- Select More troubleshooting information.
- On the troubleshooting page, select Refresh Firefox….
- In the confirmation prompt, select Refresh Firefox.
- Firefox closes and restarts. In the imported-data window, select Finish.
- Choose whether to restore your previous windows and tabs, then select Let’s go!.
Mozilla calls this feature Refresh Firefox. Menu availability can vary during the gradual rollout of its new profile management system. Mozilla says Refresh Firefox may be unavailable to users of that system unless they update to Firefox 150 or later. For the current steps and availability details, see Mozilla’s Refresh Firefox instructions.
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If Firefox will not start normally
Open the Troubleshoot Mode window; Mozilla says it includes a Refresh Firefox button. If that route is unavailable or a refresh fails to resolve the problem, create a separate profile and transfer only the data you need.
What Refresh Firefox keeps and removes
Refresh creates a new profile folder and preserves selected information. Mozilla lists these items as saved:
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- Bookmarks
- Browsing and download history
- Passwords
- Cookies
- Web form autofill information
- Personal dictionary
It removes extensions and themes, website permissions, modified preferences, added search engines, DOM storage, security certificate and device settings, download actions, toolbar customizations, and user styles in the profile. Extension data and accessibility customizations may also need to be configured again.
Where the old profile goes
Firefox places the old profile in a desktop folder named Old Firefox Data. It can contain sensitive information, so delete it once you no longer need it. Do not assume every old setting can be restored automatically: Mozilla describes selectively copying files into the new profile if the problem persists, but bringing old profile data back can also bring back the cause of the problem.
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If a refresh does not fix the problem
A refresh preserves some profile data, including bookmarks and browsing history, so a remaining problem may still involve files or information carried over from the old profile. Create a separate new profile to test Firefox without that old data. If Firefox works correctly in the new profile, you can transfer needed information selectively rather than restoring the entire old profile.
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