Managing Profiles
If you use the Internet at home and at work, you may want to have access to
a different set of bookmarks, preferences, address books, email accounts,
Sidebar setup, and so on. Similarly, family members may want to share a copy
of the same browser software but keep their Internet identities separate.
The Profile Manager lets you create different profiles, each with its own
bookmarks, preferences, email settings, and so on. You automatically create a
default profile when you first install your browser software. After you
create one or more additional profiles, you will be asked which you want to
use each time you launch the browser.
Creating a New Profile
To create a profile:
- Open the Profile Manager:
- If Mozilla is running: Open the Tools menu and
select Switch Profile.
- If Mozilla is closed: Open the
Start menu and choose Programs, then Mozilla, then Profile
Manager. Hold down the Option key while you're
starting Mozilla from the Finder or the Dock.
Type the following at the command line:
./mozilla -profilemanager
- Click Create Profile, read the Profile description, and then click
Next.
- Enter a profile name. This can be anything you like, such as your real
name or a name that's related to what you use the profile for, such as
"School".
- Accept the default location for the new profile, or click the Choose
Folder button and navigate to the location you want.
- If you have Language Packs or Regional Content Packs installed, click
Region Selection and choose the Language/Content set you want.
- Click Finish.
Deleting or Renaming a Profile
You may want to delete profiles that you don't normally use. To delete or
rename an existing profile:
- Open the Profile Manager:
- If Mozilla is running: Open the Tools menu and
select Switch Profile. Note: You can't delete the
profile that is in use.
- If Mozilla is closed:
Open the Start menu and choose Programs, then
Mozilla, then Profile Manager. Hold down the
Option key while you're starting Mozilla from the Finder or the
Dock. Type the following at the command line:
./mozilla -profilemanager
- To delete a profile, select its name and click Delete Profile. In the
confirmation box, choose one of the following options:
- Delete files: Deletes the whole profile folder
with its stored data (bookmarks, preferences, email
accounts, and so on). Make sure that you won't need anything from
the profile in the future before you choose this option.
- Don't delete files: Removes the profile from the
list of available profiles, but keeps the profile folder. By choosing
this option none of your profile's stored data will be deleted.
To rename a profile, select its name, click Rename Profile, and follow the
instructions.
18 June 2002
Copyright © 1998-2003 The Mozilla Foundation.