SillyDog701

[Fulvio]

I think that I am collecting Firefoxes. Besides the 3.5.16 nightly, which is as stable as a rock, but just a look into the past, I have 2- 3.6.12s. One of them is a portable, which has an entirely different set of bookmarks from the standard one. And, I have, finally, it seems tamed 4.0 b7, after it appeared to have had a corrupted profile (only the addon part). Just for the heck of it, I am trying, also 4.0b8, which is at the nightly stage. And, just for the heck of it, I am using it with the allegedly corrupted profile, formerly used by b7. And, it works like a charm.
In the meantime, I removed TB2.0.0.25, which was located in a no standard place. On uninstalling it, not surprisingly, I noticed that the renamed 2.0.0.25 shortcut was still there, but the 3.0.16 shortcut was gone.
I have kept the 2.0.0.25 profile, but when I click on a link, 3.0.16 opens with the 2.0.0.25 profile. It works fine if I use its own shortcut ( dragged out of the Thunderbird folder).
Don't tell me that my issues are caused by the number of programs. I have profiles for each program, and they are included in the shortcut Target, but a link cannot even pick the one and only program out of two possible profiles. It has never happened before!

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0b8pre) Gecko/20101113 Firefox/4.0b8pre

[James]

You ask... Why not 5 and I've no good reason to provide. If you want 5, Fulvio, then by all means. I listened to Leo Laporte the other day say that he has every browser on his computer and makes use of them from time to time although his default browser remains Chrome. His guest, Paul Thurrott, uses only two: IE9 and Chrome although lately he's been playing a bit with FF 4 beta so he actually has 3. I have two: IE9 and FF 3. I guess it depends upon what you want to do when you boot up and log onto the internet. For me, 99% of the time I have very specific reasons for going online and none of them involve my browser(s) or their interfaces. I have forums on which I'm a member (only two of which are computer-related). I have banking and work-related tasks to perform and of course communicating with family and friends. For me the browser is simply a means to an end and not an end in itself. In fact, the less intrusive the browser is, the better I like it. I don't want silly Personnas and skins. That's why I usually just stick with the default and one of the reasons I tend to prefer IE9 since it has a Chrome-like simplicity that I prefer.

So in the end... why not 5 if that is what you want. I see no reason against it since you keep separate profiles. For me, I simply don't need 5 nor would I even want to be bothered with them. I'd find them too confusing and a waste of my time since as I said they would detract from my reason for being online in the first place.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/5.0)

[PaulD]

Regarding shortcuts -
When Firefox and Thunderbird are installed, they keep track of what/where they put their shortcuts.
See C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox[or Thunderbird]\uninstall .
In Firefox 3, file shortcuts_log.ini. In Thunderbird 2, see the bottom of file uninstall.log.

Manually created or renamed shortcuts are unknown to the Uninstall process, so expect the unpredictable. I recommend NOT renaming any 'native' shortcuts. Copy/rename or create your own and customize as needed. And don't expect them to be deleted upon Uninstall.

Note that these data are in Program Files, not a user Profile; and the locations of the created shorcuts are common in the system. Thus multiple installations of the 'same' program may result in duplicate shortcut 'pointers'. Hence, an uninstall of 3.y could delete shortcuts actually used for 3.x. 'Who's on first ...?' (Hint: I don't know.) [Everybody now: Third base.] And you are stranded out in left field.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101026 Firefox/3.6.12 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729)

[James]

Good pointers, Paul. Perhaps this is why I instinctively go with as few browsers as possible... to avoid these very conflicts and problematic shortcuts.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.1; Trident/5.0)

[Fulvio]

I, no longer, have the uninstall.log file, since I removed TB2.x, but it is possible that something remained in the Thunderbird Program File folder, since that's where my TB2.x was located, until I uninstalled it. That's where TB3.x went by default. Initially, I hated TB3.x, and there are a number of reasons why, I, still don't like it. So, I downloaded TB2.0.0.25pre, a nightly, and specifically, placed it in a folder of my choice. By default, it was trying to install in the same folder as 3.x. The shortcut was named(not by me) Mozilla Messaging for 3.x, although it was thunderbird.exe in the installation folder. The shortcut for the nightly was also called thunderbird.exe, and I renamed it (the shortcut, not the originally file) to avoid confusion. That nightly hung around for months, and coexisted with 3.x, from the earliest version to 3.1.6. During this time, 2.0.0.25 was my default mail program. Finally, I decided, first, to make 3.1.6 default, and then uninstalled 2.0.0.25pre. And, that's were confusion ensued.
As for Firefox, I had placed a rhetorical question, as I had to create a new profile to run the pretty stable 4.0b7. At another forum, I was told that the disappearance of the addons in b7 was due to a corrupted profile.
But since b7 is the first Status Bar-less version, I thought that I should look at b8, which is available, only, as test version. I did not bother looking if and where it differed from b7, but decided to check how it would do with the addons which were disappearing with b7 , by using the same profile, formerly, used by b7. And, so far, I have not lost any addons. So much for corrupted profile.
At this point, I am waiting for a stable b8, or better, a stable 4.0 period, so that will do away with one Firefox.
And, 3.5.16 is another nightly, which I keep, just in case, but I can let go of it, any time. And, having 3.6.12 portable is redundant, but good to have, in case something happens to my Thumb Drive portable.
There has, never, been any confusion before 4.0b7. If anything, it should go.
And, for the record, I have, always kept an older version, till I was satisfied with the present one, and tested a newer version, and, not once, have had any issue.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:2.0b8pre) Gecko/20101113 Firefox/4.0b8pre

[James]

I suppose the real question, Fulvio, is why. You asked, in your initial post, why not 5 Firefoxes. I think that's a good question and I would counter with the question, why? I can understand, I suppose, if the sole purpose is to test for the Mozilla corporation. And I would understand (I suppose) having a few different browsers on one's computer (i.e. IE, FF, SeaMonkey, Safari) if one was a developer and wished to check his webpages against the different browsers, but from the standpoint of an end user, I'm still mystified in why one would want 5 Firefoxes.

Granted, I would say more power to you if that's what you want. I'm not being critical (as I sometimes, unjustifiably so, in the past).... just curious. As I mentioned, for me the browser is simply a means of getting me to the end. I've might have three different browsers (well...right now I have two) on my computer if one was not getting me to my end destination in a reasonably efficient manner. But five iterations of the same browser is confusing to me.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101026 Firefox/3.6.12

[Fulvio]

I will try, again.
1. 3.6.12 is my default. I don't need anything else.
2. 3.5.16 is an updated version of my previous stable version of Firefox. I don't like to "go back", as others do.
I prefer to have the old and the present, and would not hesitate dropping the present, if it underperforms.
3. I like to look at the future, thus b7 and b8. But I have had some issues. At this point, it may not be b7 or b8, but, rather 3.6.12 being unable to stay with its own profile, and messing up the others. I removed b8, since its profile was the first one to give me trouble. If 3.6.12 starts opening with the b7 profile, it will be a hard decision. But, if 3.6.12 is giving me trouble, it would go, first.
4. 3.6.12 portable is on an Thumb drive, and I have a copy of it, on my computer hard drive.
In conclusion, my question was, mostly, rhetorical, and I am sure that no one else is doing all there checks, but I have done it before, since I have had a computer, with no issue. And, of course, I never had five versions of the same program, but, I think I explained in nauseating detail why I am doing what I do.
I don't expect anyone to do what I do, but what is happening, now is a first, for me.
And, think about Thunderbird 3.1.6. It is the only TB left, and it, still can't figure out what to do. When, I click on an e-mail link, it thinks that it is a browser, but it can't open the link. I have, since, removed TB 2.x, and I am sorry I did it.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101026 Firefox/3.6.12

[goonie]

Firefox is my go-to. Why not five? Well, for myself, I wouldn't be able to remember which version contained the bookmarks I happened to need. I use IE to ease MS update needs. I've downloaded Chrome using Firefox multiple times, but never got around to actually using it.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101026 Firefox/3.6.12 ( .NET CLR 3.5.30729)

[Fulvio]

I have solved the problem, and I think I know why. No help was found anywhere.
To summarize, after installing FF4.0 b7, which I did not want to open, on installation, so that I could assign to it a profile, FF did not heed me, and opened, with the profile assigned to 3.1.6, using its profile. I was able to tell that 4.0 b7 had made itself default, which had been, previously 3.6.12. I closed 4.0 b7, and modified the shortcut Target to make it use my profile of choice. Then, I opened 3.6.12, and made default. I did not change its profile Target. Since the, although I could open 3.6.12 and 4.0 b7 with the chosen profiles, links in mail, e.g., were opening 3.6.12, but with the profile chosen for 4.0 b7. Apparently, this action caused corruption of the 4.0 b7 profile. I did not remove the 4.0 b7 profile from my hard drive, but after creating a new profile, 4.0 b7 behaved, but 3.6.12 continued to try opening links with the former 4.0 b7 profile. Then, I tried to use 4.0 b8, using the former 4.0 b7 profile. And, 4.0 b8 worked fine for one day, but then resumed to show the issues found with 4.0 b7, i.e. loss of installed addons.
So, I got rid of 4.0 b8, but 3.6.12 continued opening with the wrong profile from links. Finally, I decided to remove the former 4.0 b7 profile, using the profile manager (deleting the profile caused even more problem, indicating that Firefox was still open, while it was nowhere to be seen in the Task Manager).
I hope that I made it what has been going on. This was an attempt to get people's opinions on the wisdom (or lack of it) of carrying several versions. This is a strictly personal matter. And, I had carried as many as four versions of Firefox, before, with no issue.
The problem was that FF 4.0 b7 did not pay attention to me, when I unchecked the box to open it. No one at the Mozilla Firefox newsgroup has appeared to understand what was going on. Anyway, I have four versions of Firefox, now, and they peacefully coexisting, and 3.6.12, my default is opening with the chosen profile from links. I am done with this.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101026 Firefox/3.6.12