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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteUninstalling Firefox normally removes the browser program but leaves your Firefox profile on the computer. That profile contains bookmarks, history, saved passwords, cookies, extensions, preferences and other personal data. Mozilla documents one important exception: a Firefox installation delivered as a Snap on Ubuntu may handle user data differently.
If you want a clean removal, you must separately delete the profile folder (or choose Delete Files in Firefox Profile Manager). Back up anything you need first, because deleting profile files cannot be undone through Firefox.
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Firefox has two separate parts: the application and your profile
Firefox stores its executable program files separately from the profile that holds your personal settings. An ordinary uninstall targets the application. It does not normally remove the profile, which is why a later installation can often find the same bookmarks, passwords and preferences still stored on the computer.
This is a local-storage issue, not a guarantee that every reinstall will look exactly as it did before. A profile might have been deleted manually, a different profile might be selected, files might be damaged, or the browser might have been installed through a package format with different behavior. Mozilla’s current uninstall guidance also identifies an exception for Firefox installed as a Snap on Ubuntu.
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Uninstalling the program also does not automatically delete your Mozilla Account or erase information held by Firefox Sync. Local profile files and cloud-synchronized account data are separate things. Removing a local profile should not be described as secure forensic erasure; it is ordinary file deletion.
What remains in the profile after a normal uninstall?
The profile is much more than a bookmark folder. Mozilla lists these categories as examples, and notes that the list is not exhaustive:
| Profile data | What it controls | Typical file or folder |
|---|---|---|
| Bookmarks, downloads and browsing history | Saved pages, download records and the places database | places.sqlite |
| Saved passwords | Login records, used with Firefox’s key database | logins.json and key4.db |
| Cookies and site storage | Sign-in sessions, preferences and data stored by websites | cookies.sqlite plus site-storage folders |
| Extensions and themes | Installed add-ons, their settings and visual themes | extensions folder |
| Preferences and permissions | Website permissions, search engines, download actions and browser options | prefs.js and related files |
| Form and dictionary data | Autocomplete entries and personal dictionary words | Profile databases and preference files |
| Certificates and security settings | Imported certificates and related trust settings | Profile security databases |
| Open-session and window data | Recently open tabs, windows and session-state information | Session files in the profile |
Because these items share one profile, deleting it can remove far more than browsing history. A user who only wants to uninstall the application should not delete the profile by accident.
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| Action | Normally removed | Profile data left on disk? | Recovery position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard application uninstall | Firefox program files and shortcuts | Yes, normally | Data can usually be used by a later installation if the profile remains intact |
| Delete the profile folder | Bookmarks, passwords, history, cookies, add-ons, settings and other profile files | No | Firefox cannot undo the deletion; recovery requires a separate backup or specialist file-recovery process |
| Profile Manager: “Don’t Delete Files” | The profile entry in the manager | Yes | Files remain available on the computer |
| Profile Manager: “Delete Files” | The profile entry and its files | No | Mozilla says this cannot be undone |
| Firefox Snap on Ubuntu uninstall | Behavior depends on the Snap packaging instructions | Do not assume retention | Check the package-specific guidance before uninstalling |
The two Profile Manager choices are deliberately different. “Don’t Delete Files” disconnects a profile from Firefox’s list but preserves the folder. “Delete Files” removes the folder, including bookmarks, settings and passwords. Choose the first option if you are troubleshooting or changing profiles and may need the data later.
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Before uninstalling: decide what you want to keep
Use this checklist before removing Firefox or changing a profile:
- Keeping your data: confirm which profile is active and make a backup before uninstalling.
- Starting fresh: export or copy anything you may need, then remove the old profile only after verifying the backup.
- Sharing or selling the computer: remember that ordinary uninstalling leaves local profile files behind.
- Using Ubuntu: identify whether Firefox came from the standard package or a Snap, because Mozilla documents different expectations for the Snap case.
- Using the Microsoft Store build: use its package-specific profile path rather than the path for a traditional Windows installer.
When Firefox still opens, type about:support in the address bar and find the Profile Folder section. The Root Directory is the profile’s main data location. Firefox’s about:profiles page also lists profiles and exposes both the Root Directory and the Local Directory. The Local Directory is used for cache and other temporary data; the Root Directory is the one you must preserve for bookmarks, passwords and settings.
Where Firefox stores profiles
Mozilla documents these usual locations. Customized installations, portable setups and package formats can differ, so confirm the location through about:support whenever possible.
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| Operating system or package | Usual profile location | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Windows standard desktop build | %APPDATA%MozillaFirefoxProfiles |
The environment variable points to your user roaming-data folder. |
| Windows MSIX (Microsoft Store) build | %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMozilla.FirefoxLocalCacheRoamingMozillaFirefoxProfiles |
This is separate from the traditional Windows installer path. |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/ |
The Library folder is normally hidden in Finder; use Go to Folder or confirm with about:support. |
| Ubuntu standard profile | ~/.mozilla/firefox/ |
This is the usual location for the standard Linux setup. |
The folder named Profiles can contain more than one profile, each with a generated name. Do not delete the first folder you see without checking which profile Firefox actually uses.
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How to remove Firefox and its local data completely
Complete removal has two separate stages: uninstall the application, then remove the profile data. Close every Firefox window first. If Firefox is running, files may be locked or a final session update may still be written.
Windows standard installation
- Back up the active profile. In Firefox, open
about:support, locate Profile Folder, and use Open Folder. Close Firefox after identifying it. - Uninstall Firefox through Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features on older Windows versions), select Firefox and choose Uninstall.
- To remove personal data, open File Explorer and enter
%APPDATA%MozillaFirefoxin the address bar. Delete the Firefox folder only after confirming that your backup is complete and that no other Firefox profile is needed. - If you used the Microsoft Store/MSIX build, do not use the standard path. Check
about:supportfirst, or inspect%LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMozilla.FirefoxLocalCacheRoamingMozillaFirefoxProfiles.
macOS
- With Firefox open, use
about:supportto identify the Root Directory, then quit Firefox. - Remove the application from the Applications folder if you only want to uninstall the program.
- To erase the local profile as well, in Finder choose Go > Go to Folder, enter
~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/, and delete the Firefox folder after verifying your backup.
Ubuntu and other Linux setups
- Check
about:supportwhile Firefox is still available and record the Root Directory. - For the usual non-Snap profile, the location is
~/.mozilla/firefox/. Close Firefox, then remove the relevant profile folder or the Firefox profile directory if you intend to erase every local profile. - If Firefox was installed as a Snap on Ubuntu, stop before assuming the profile will survive. Mozilla’s uninstall guidance specifically lists Snap on Ubuntu as an exception to the normal retention behavior. Follow the Snap package’s documented removal instructions and make a backup first.
Deleting a folder from the file manager removes files but does not provide a Firefox undo command. If you are uncertain which directory belongs to Firefox, leave it in place and verify the Root Directory rather than guessing.
How to keep data for a clean reinstall
A clean reinstall does not require deleting your profile. The safer sequence is to back it up, uninstall only the application, install Firefox again, and then allow Firefox to find or select the existing profile.
- Open
about:supportand use Open Folder beside Profile Folder. - Quit Firefox completely.
- Copy the entire profile folder to another location. A second drive or other separate storage can be used, but it is optional; the essential point is to have a copy outside the profile’s original directory.
- Uninstall Firefox without deleting the profile folder.
- Install the same type of Firefox package when possible. Switching between a traditional Windows build, MSIX, Snap or another package can change the profile path and access permissions.
- Start Firefox and check
about:profiles. If the expected profile is not selected, use the profile manager to locate or create the correct profile instead of overwriting the backup.
Mozilla’s backup and restore guidance recommends preserving profile data before removal. A copied profile is not a promise that every future Firefox version or package will accept every old file unchanged, so keep the backup until the restored installation has been checked.
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Using Profile Manager safely
Firefox Profile Manager is useful when several profiles exist or when you want to remove one profile without uninstalling the browser. Open about:profiles from a running Firefox session to review profiles and their directories.
- Don’t Delete Files: removes the profile from Firefox’s profile list but leaves its files on the computer. This is the reversible choice at the file level; you can add the profile again if you know its folder.
- Delete Files: removes the profile and its files, including bookmarks, settings and passwords. Mozilla states that this cannot be undone.
Profile Manager does not replace a backup. Before selecting Delete Files, copy the profile and verify that the copy opens or at least contains the expected files such as places.sqlite, logins.json and key4.db.
Common situations and what to do
“I uninstalled Firefox, but my bookmarks came back after reinstalling.”
That is the normal result when the profile folder remained on disk and the new installation used it. Check about:profiles to see which profile is active.
“I want no Firefox data left on this computer.”
Uninstall the application, then identify and delete every local Firefox profile directory associated with the installation. Check both the standard and MSIX Windows paths when applicable. On Ubuntu, determine whether the installation was a Snap before acting. Also review any separate backups you created; deleting the active profile does not delete copies elsewhere.
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“The profile is missing after uninstalling on Ubuntu.”
If the browser was installed as a Snap, the documented exception may explain why the normal retention assumption failed. Look for the package-specific profile location and rely on a backup if one exists.
“Firefox opens, but my old data is not visible.”
The data may still be present in another profile. Open about:profiles, compare each Root Directory, and select the profile that contains the expected files. Do not delete unselected profiles until you have confirmed which one is needed.
“I deleted the profile by mistake.”
Firefox itself cannot undo Delete Files. Stop writing new data to that disk, check your profile backup, and consult an appropriate data-recovery professional if the files are critical. Mozilla’s instructions explain profile deletion and backup, not guaranteed forensic recovery.
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What uninstalling does not remove from your online account
Local profile deletion and Mozilla Account data are different operations. Uninstalling Firefox does not, by itself, close an account or establish that synchronized information has been erased from Mozilla’s servers. If your concern is account or Sync data, manage that separately through the account and Sync controls; do not infer its status from what happens to a local profile folder.
The practical decision
Choose the action that matches your goal: uninstall only when you want to remove the program while retaining the profile; back up and reinstall when troubleshooting while preserving settings; or uninstall and deliberately delete the correct profile when you want local Firefox data removed. In every case, confirm the active Root Directory first, account for Windows MSIX and Ubuntu Snap packaging, and treat Profile Manager’s Delete Files option as permanent.
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