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Firefox deployment and bookmarks backup
Hello All, I'm planning to push a big update to all users (2000+). And from what I can see all are using different versions of the Firefox from the 40.x.x - 77.x.x. I'm able to push an update with .exe or .msi but getting into the issue with the users loosing bookmarks and saved passwords and the only way to get it back go to the backup Firefox folder. Is there any way to automate this with the script or parameters and put those bookmarks and passwords? Thanks in advance!
Vahaolana nofidina
If you push the LegacyProfiles policy, when your users upgrade to the latest versions of Firefox, those policies will be in effect.
We didn't have policies for the older Firefox, but it shouldn't matter because the problem you are trying to solve happens only when people upgrade.
Hamaky an'ity valiny ity @ sehatra 👍 0All Replies (10)
Anyone?
I'm not sure whether pushing an update that spans going directly from very old Firefox 44 to current Firefox 77 is a good idea.
There are some releases called watersheds that include special migration code to ensure that files in the profile folder are properly upgraded to newer schemes and to address other issues that have come up and this is likely why you ran into these issues.
If you use builtin means via "Help -> About Firefox" then you jump from one watershed release to the next until you reach the current release.
There can also be a problem if there are users with no longer supported platforms like Windows XP or Vista that can't update beyond Firefox 52.9.0.
If they are allowed to install extensions then there is the problem with Legacy extensions that are no longer supported in 57+ and require a Web extension replacement.
Current Firefox releases require Windows 7 and later. Users on Windows XP and Vista have been moved to the Firefox ESR version.
- https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2017/10/04/firefox-support-for-windows-xp-and-vista/
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/end-support-windows-xp-and-vista
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/your-hardware-no-longer-supported
For logins and certificates there have been these changes from DBM to SQLite.
- logins.json (passwords) and key4.db (58+) or key3.db (57 and older) (decryption key) for Passwords saved in the Password Manager
- cert9.db (58+) or cert8.db (57 and older) for (intermediate) certificates stored in the Certificate Manager
Hello, Thanks for your reply, but 99% of all the devices are Win 10. They had to use some of the older versions for some reason but that's not the case anymore and I need to push an updates to all of the PCs. I don't have any issues with deploying of the new version, the only issue I'm having with the users loosing bookmarks and saved passwords. Is there any way I can pull bookmarks and passwords and import into the new profile?
Are they actually losing bookmarks or are they using a different profile?
You should be able to install over an old Firefox and your bookmarks should keep
After I push a new version its creating a new profile from what I can see. I'm able to pull it from the old profile backup but it would be very hard to do for all 2000+ users. Trying to automate this with the patch. Install a new version and put all the bookmarks and passwords back on the new profile if that's the case. Thanks.
> After I push a new version its creating a new profile from what I can see.
This sounds like our legacy profile support:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/understanding-depth-profile-installation
You can turn this off via the LegacyProfiles policy on Windows:
https://github.com/mozilla/policy-templates/blob/master/README.md#legacyprofiles
Or setting the environment variable MOZ_LEGACY_PROFILES to true
Hello and thank you for your reply. I don't see any current GPO in place for Firefox. Is there any official Firefox template for GPO ? Thanks.
ok Thanks for your reply. I see it has Templates for all the different versions. Any idea how can I go about pushing this to all machines with the different versions of the the Firefox ? As I can't updates Firefox due to the Bookmarks/Passwords issue.
Vahaolana Nofidina
If you push the LegacyProfiles policy, when your users upgrade to the latest versions of Firefox, those policies will be in effect.
We didn't have policies for the older Firefox, but it shouldn't matter because the problem you are trying to solve happens only when people upgrade.