Hello. After using the firefox portable 3.0.3 for a while, I have come across some problems.
First of all, I wanted to install a second Firefox portable on my device, so I could have two, one with add-ons and different theme/color/settings and the other with standard settings/no add-ons. I already had 1 firefox on my USB drive, so I just wanted one more to use that with standard settings. So I downloaded the installer from portableapps.com and installed my second firefox under the path /firefox2nd/ on my USB drive. I opened it, everything looked fine, standard settings, etc. Then I closed it, and opened my OLD firefox browser (installed in /firefox/ on my USB drive), which I had tweaked the settings for over time and had add-ons for. Guess what had happened with that! Everything had been reset. The start page, the settings, everything looked like a fresh install of firefox - this happened because I had installed a second firefox browser under a different path on my USB drive! I didn't run them simultaneously, I just wanted 2 firefox browsers each with their independent settings, so I could change between them. Obviously installing the second one ruined my 1st browser on the USB drive. What went wrong? Is this a bug?
Now, for the second problem I've found with Firefox portable.
After I hadS installed the second firefox browser on to my USB key (which had reset the settings and everything on my 1st browser) I wanted to delete both browsers from my device. I marked them and SHIFT+DELETE. The second firefox folder under /firefox2nd/ dissapeared, but my first firefox browser folder /firefox/ did not go away. I went into the folder and there were some files left that I COUlD delete. The undeleteable files are located under Data/Profiles and are called "compreg.dat" and "prefs". When I delete these files, they just keep reappearing! If I try to the delete the Profiles or the Data folder, nothing happens at all, Windows doesn't even give me an error message that the files are in use! I can even rename any of the folders /firefox/data/profiles - I have even tried. I changed the name of the firefox folder to ABC and the data folder to AAA and the profiles folder to DDD so the path looked like /ABC/AAA/DDD/compreg.dat/prefs - Windows did NOT say the "files are in use/you can not rename them".
I can't get rid of these 2 files and their folder. I can move the firefox folder around in my deviec without getting error messages, I can rename the firefox folder and its subfolder as you have seen, but I can not delete them. AND I CANNOT rename the files that keep reappearing. (compreg.dat and prefs). When I try I get this error message from windows:
"An unexpected error is preventing the operation. Make a note of this error code, which might be useful if you get additional help to resolve this problem. Error: The file or director is corrupted and unreadable.
Compreg.dat, Type: DAT file, Size: 0 byte"
I have tried rebooting and safely removing hardware (my USB) and plugging it in again, the files and the firefox folder are still there, impossible to delete.
Now to the third problem I have discovered. Under some circumstances (I have not noted exactly what seems to be the factor making this happen) when clicking Tools-Options, the options menu is blank: only the OK, CANCEL, HELP buttons are available at the bottom. It's not a big problem, since clicking OK/CANCEL and going into Tools-Options again usually brings up the right menu.
Here's how it looks when there is the error:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/7821/bug3dl7.jpg
Usually it happens when there is a load on firefox already.
I have also more then one FF, similar like you in different path, but did not expereinece same problems. Setting somehow remains where it should be so far.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
Problem 1: It is likely you are either running both installations at the same time or are not using the launcher. Use the launcher and only ever run one instance of Firefox (portable or otherwise) at a time.
Problem 2: corrupted files.
Problem 3: Firefox can't load it quickly because the flash drive is being used a lot.
No bugs.
Vintage!
>1: It is likely you are either running both installations at the same time or are not using the launcher. Use the launcher and only ever run one instance of Firefox (portable or otherwise) at a time.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
You need to specify the profile in the ini file, otherwise it will use the same profile (in the default location) for both.
Vintage!