Doesn't See Firefox App

[tw33k]

I have the Firefox app from the Windows store on my main PC but CCleaner doesn't see it and so it doesn't appear in the Smart Cleaning list or the Custom Clean tab. I have Firefox that I downloaded from the Mozilla website on another PC and CCleaner sees it

 

[Guest MeganCCleaner]

Hi @tw33k I am curious if this could be attributed to the Firefox Profile folder being in a non-standard location, preventing CCleaner from being able to recognize it.

Can you please tell me where the Firefox "Profile Folder" is located?

You can find this information using these steps:

• Open Firefox
• In the URL/Address Bar, type and enter: about:support

[tw33k]

C:\Users\<NAME>AppData\Local\Packages\Mozilla.Firefox_n80bbvh6b1yt2\LocalCache\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

[nukecad]

Is there a particular reason why you got it from the Microsoft store rather than direct from Mozilla?
(Windows 10 S mode perhaps?)

It is new in the store and was only added on 9th November, before that you had to get it from Mozilla.
https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/firefox/firefox-the-first-major-browser-to-be-available-in-the-windows-store/

Your profile path is not where you would normally expect to find the Firefox profile, (it's normally: C:\Users\{name}\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\....) but that could simply be because it's been installed from the MS Store rather than direct from Mozilla?

As it was only put in the MS store a week before the latest CCleaner v5.87 was released then the CCleaner developers may have been caught on the hop and not aware at the time that if/when installed from the MS store Firefox would be using a different profile path?

let's see what Megan has to say.

PS. I just tried to look up the Firefox app in the store and it shows up, but when I try to go to it flashes up briefly then says that "The thing you're looking for isn't here".

[tw33k]

are you running Win 10 or 11?

[nukecad]

I'm not having a problem CCleaner sees my Firefox fine.

As you are having issues then which one are you running?
(I don't actually think it makes a difference here, but JIC).

I was just pointing out that if you get it from the MS store then it seems to give you a different profile  path.
(ie. under '\Local\Packages\' rather than under '\Local\Mozilla\')

TBH I wouldn't get Firefox from the MS store anyway.
I prefer to get any software from the source, if possible.

[tw33k]

you said "PS. I just tried to look up the Firefox app in the store and it shows up, but when I try to go to it flashes up briefly then says that "The thing you're looking for isn't here". If you're running Win 10 that would explain it.

[nukecad]

I take it from your reply that you are running Windows 11 then?

You can get it in the store for both Win 10 and Win 11.
from that link I gave above:

Quote

As of today, Firefox desktop is the first major browser to become available in the Windows Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11 users.

I think it's because I don't have a MS account on this machine only a local account (even though it's a free app and I've downloaded free apps from the store before).
When I have a look on my other machine that is linked to a MS account then I can get to it.

The MS Store works in mysterious ways at times, I try to avoid it.

[Guest MeganCCleaner]

Hi @tw33k Due to how the Profile folder is in a non-standard location, I believe you'll need to specify a 'CustomLocation' entry for Firefox, using the following steps:

1) Save CCleaner's settings to an INI file:

- Open CCleaner > click Options > Advanced > check "Save all settings to INI file"
- Close out of CCleaner (The INI file is created upon closing CCleaner)

2) Take permission of CCleaner's folder in Windows:

- In Windows, navigate to C:\Program Files > right-click on the CCleaner folder > click Properties
- Deselect "Read-only" from within the Attributes section
- Click on the Security tab > Edit...
- In the "Groups or usernames" section, click "Users"
- Check "Allow" under the "Full Control" option
- Click Apply > OK > OK

3) Add a "CustomLocation" entry for Firefox into CCleaner's INI file:

- In Windows, navigate to: C:\Program Files\CCleaner
- Open the "ccleaner.ini" file
- Add a new line of text, typing the following:

CustomLocation1=Firefox|C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Packages\Mozilla.Firefox_n80bbvh6b1yt2\LocalCache\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

More information about this can be found at https://support.piriform.com/hc/en-us/articles/360048432991-How-to-clean-user-data-from-other-browsers-with-CCleaner-for-Windows#cleaning-the-profile-information-for-chromium-or-mozilla-based-browsers--0-4

[nukecad]

@MeganCCleaner Presumably there are plans to add these new 'Firefox MS store version' paths into the standard CCleaner so that they then won't need to be added as custom locations?

It is acknowledged that the MS store Firefox version is not entirely the same as the standard Firefox, In particular you can run the two versions side-by-side.

https://www.ghacks.net/2021/11/09/mozilla-firefox-is-now-available-on-the-windows-store/

Quote

You can have the Windows Store version and the normal Firefox installed at the same time. Can you run both versions of the browser simultaneously? The answer is, surprisingly, yes.
.
The Firefox Windows app uses the Proton UI, and allows you to access about:config and make changes to the flags. The tab-bar, address bar, right-click context menu are similar to the regular version that users are accustomed to.

So it looks that in future we may have to ask users having Firefox issues where they got their Firefox from.

[Guest MeganCCleaner]

Hi @nukecad Most definitely; I've reported this to our development team to ensure they are also aware of the issue, and I suspect they should have this resolved in the near future so that it will not longer be necessary to add the 'customlocation' entry. 

[tw33k]

@MeganCCleaner great...thanks

Edited December 10, 2021 by tw33k