The Adblock Project

[Zachariah]

(please add anything I missed or correct anything I got wrong
I made this topic so I could refer to it from other threads)

How to do a really fresh install of Firefox:

I am only 99.9% sure these are the right directions
(so proceed at your own risk).
But...

If you are having problems (or want to avoid them), then I recommend doing a fresh install and only copying over some of your settings:

1. Export your Adblock list.
   
2. Download Firefox.
   
3. Clear your cache.
   
4. Close Firefox.
   
5. Backup your "Profiles" directory to somewhere safe.
   
6. Uninstall Firefox.
   
7. Delete the Firefox program directory.
   (which could have been deleted during uninstall, but check to make sure)
   
8. Delete the Firefox "Profiles" directory.
   (first make sure your backup is still safe)
   
9. Install Firefox, and let it launch.
   
10. When the "Import Wizard" launches, select "Don't import anything" and then click "Next".
    
11. Let Firefox continue to launch.
    
12. Set the Options the way you want.
    (such as how long history is kept, and how to handle cookies)
    
13. Close Firefox.
    
14. Copy these files* into your freshly created profile directory:
    • bookmarks.bak
      
    • bookmarks.html**
      
    • cert8.db
      
    • cookies.txt
      
    • formhistory.dat
      
    • history.dat
      
    • key3.db
      
    • signons.txt
15. Install Java.
    ("Windows (Offline Installation)" recommended)
    
16. Start Firefox.
    
17. Install Adblock or Adblock Plus.
    (restart Firefox after installation)
    
18. Install your other addons (such as Filterset.G Updater) and themes one at a time (restarting Firefox after each)

Your Bookmarks, Saved Passwords, Saved Cookies, Saved Form Data, and History should all be there.

Any other settings should not (which is good 'cause presumably those are the settings causing problems).

I doubt this will be the case, but if it ends up that you really are missing settings you really, really needed you still have your backed up profile which you can (I think) just drop right over your current profile (though user.js may have paths in it you need to fix).


* Henrik Gemal has created descriptions of files in your profile directory, in case you're wondering what they are.
These are also documented at the Mozilla website now: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Migrating_settings_to_a_new_profile
** note: you may want to just import this file so you don't overwrite the example Livemarks which are new since v1.0PR

__________________________________

The work in this post is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Special Thanks to those who made suggestions, below.

[kstahl]

This is a good idea.

I just want to add:

7½: Close the import wizard without importing anything.
_________________
Adblock 0.5.3.042
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1. Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5

[Zachariah]

done.

Now updated for 1.0PR
_________________
• Latest Adblock!

• If all else fails try a really fresh install of Firefox.

[komradekyle]

my step 13 also contains:


downloads.rdf
downsort.rdf (requires extension)
hostperm.1
mimeTypes.rdf
secmod.db (I don't know what it is)
tabextensions.rdf (requires extension)
user.js
chrome/userChrome.css
chrome/userContent.css
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http://CommunistsForKerry.com

[Zachariah]

Instructions now updated for Firefox 1.0!


If you're doing the fresh install to fix a problem, then I'd be more likely to add komradekyle's "step 13" as a very last step. After finishing the directions in the first post in this thread, I'd:

• First make sure any problems you were having aren't happening anymore.
  
• Then backup the newly created profile directory.
  
• Then add komradekyle's files one-by-one -- making sure none of those files breaks anything.

(Instructions work for 1.0.1 as well)

[hank]

If anyone is sure of the exact steps for OSX users -- we have the same problem with AdBlock not showing up since the 20050226 nightly (nightlies have been broken since that date, either empty disk image files or broken application files).

Don't know if the 0225 build is secure, given recent worries; haven't seen advice posted on that.

I'm using
Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.7.6) Gecko/20050303 Firefox/1.0.1

(found in the "hourly" folder -- definitely not "nightly-ready quality" -- but it won't open new windows, won't quit unless Force Quit, and has the same problem of not showing AdBlock in the Extensions tab, so preferences aren't available).

Probably this'll be worked out in a few days in the official nightlies -- but more generally, if anyone has the "really fresh install" cookbook procedure for OSX users, it'd be welcome to have posted. It will be needed.

[Zachariah]

[hank]

Here's a list I found, um, somewhere else -- for OSX:

To which I'd add:
Before giving up your old Firefox, if you have been using and can get to your AdBlock Preferences, export that as a text file to your desktop. NOTE do this every week or so; the current bugginess in nightly builds prevents getting to AdBlock as far as I know; maybe the prefs are somewhere they can be moved manually but I lost my most recent ones.

Then, the list:

1. Goto "~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/"
2. open your profile folder (xy.default)
(aside -- mine at the moment is named 083pvu3f.default )

3. copy - "bookmarks.html"; "key3.db"; "signons.txt"; and if you want you can also try "prefs.js" - to your desktop
(see additions to list, below)
4. move your profile folder to your desktop
5. launch Firefox
6. Create a new profile
7. quit Firefox
8. Goto "~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/"
9. copy - "bookmarks.html"; "key3.db"; "signons.txt"; and if you want you can also try "prefs.js" - from your desktop to your new profiles folder
10. launch Firefox

To this I'd add, having just done it successfully (although I won't make any promises it's always safe to do -- someone who knows something may correct this if it's wrong)

also copy:
cookies.txt
cookperm.txt
signons.txt

[Reynard]

I uninstalled Firefox, deleted every directory and file I could find, including the Profiles, then purged my Windows Registry of every trace of Mozilla and Firefox. After a new online install I got the same error: "Incompatible Extension Adblock 0.5.2.039 could not be installed because it is not compatible with this version of Firefox. (Adblock 0.5.2.039 wll only work with Firefox versions from 0.7+ to .10+) I am running the latest version 1.0.4."

[mcm_ham]

Reynard, try:
Adblock_0.5.2.039.xpi
http://aasted.org/adblock/viewtopic.php?t=2264

The max supported Firefox version number has been bumped so it should not have the problem any longer.

[Reynard]

This link points to a .xpi file. I don't run Windows XP, I have Win 2000, so how do I install it?

[mcm_ham]

Actually .xpi is not related to WinXP it is simply the file type used for Mozilla Extensions. Just save the file to your desktop, open up the extensions manager via "Tools->Extensions" and drag the file onto that window. You should then be prompted to install.

Before Adblock takes affect you'll need to add filters to remove the ads. Here's a tutorial on how to do that:
http://www.help2go.com/article234.html

Alternatively G has compiled a relatively comprehensive list of filters. Download the txt file with the latest date to your desktop by right clicking on it and selecting "Save Link As..." then open up "Tools->Adblock->Preferences->Adblock Options->Import Filters..." and choose the downloaded file.
http://www.pierceive.com/

[piddly diddly]

3 config file you might want to save

user.js Used to change various preferences.
userChrome.css Used to change the appearance of the browser.
userContent.css Used to change the appearance of web pages.

see:
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/edit

why :
Firefox Help: Tips & Tricks
http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/tips

[Zachariah]

Good suggestion, but...

I specifically didn't include those because they (often) can be the cause (or hide the cause) of problems.

I prefer to just make the mods again manually...

But, you could always (back up the fresh versions and then) add them one at a time, restarting Firefox after each, and see how it goes.

I should probably list files I consider to be in this category in the instructions, though.

[rospy]

[Zachariah]

[rospy]

OK. I got the adblock to install and it works great. I forced the extension to open in firefox and it worked. I don't know why the "extension window" thing didn't work.

I also got the keyconfig extension and I have configured it to use similar keystrokes to that of safari. In the past, that's the main reason I didn't use firefox more often.

I'm soo happy now!!! Firefox is now my default browser.

GOOD BYE daily crashes from Safari!!!

[Robert]

um..is that "fresh install" info still relevent ?
isn't it rather old ?

[Zachariah]

it works with versions of Firefox up to 1.0.6
_________________
• Latest Adblock!

• If all else fails try a really fresh install of Firefox.

[Guest]

You forgot the ending "]" for the link to Henrik Gemal

[Zachariah]

[Zachariah]

• Updated instructions to use the fixed version of Adblock
  
• Instructions work in Firefox versions up to version 1.0.7
  (or if you like testing betas, the instructions do work with Firefox 1.5 Beta 2)
  
• Updated instructions to list "Update 5" for Java

[Guest]

Are these instructions current for the RC1 version (and also assuming the final release soon)?

Perhaps a separate post or page with the info would be easier to track or watch. That, or a .pdf one can download and print out. Part of the document should show the version it works for. Thanks for this.

[Zachariah]

[mcm_ham]

Could even make it a picture by picture guide if it's a pdf . Don't know what program you use for creating PDFs but I found that this free one allows you to have clickable links where other free ones don't.
http://www.primopdf.com/

[Guest]

I found OpenOffice has a pretty nice .pdf export feature.

[Guest]

Anything yet?

[Zachariah]

[Zachariah]

[bumper]

"Tomorrow' was over two months ago.

[Zachariah]

"may not" won out over "may", it seems

yeah, for some reason Vacation is always more busy for me than during school (except for finals) -- (for example, I had to re-install windows this week because of a freak accident involving a 15mb .mov file)

I don't know when I'll do a printable version, if ever -- it was way more work than I had first imagined.

In the mean time, anyone can just highlight the steps, go to File>Print, and select the "Selection" radio button --- if all you want to print is the directions.
_________________
• Latest Adblock!

• If all else fails try a really fresh install of Firefox.