Run Firefox 3 Without Removing Version 2

The great people over at PortableApps.com have done it again. This time they have made the next major version of Firefox browser, version 3,  available as a portable app. This means you can run Firefox 3 without disrupting the current Firefox installation and check out all the new features.

If you're not familiar with PortableApps, check out running Firefox on a USB drive for more information. In the meantime, let's look at how you can get Firefox 3 up and running.

Installing Firefox 3 Portable

While Firefox 3 portable edition is meant to be run on a removable drive, you can also install it in a folder on your hard drive.

Start by downloading the portable edition of Firefox 3 from PortableApps to your Computer and click on the executable to start the installation.

• Click Next at the first screen.
• Check the box to accept the License Agreement and click Next.
• Click Browse to select a location to install Firefox 3 and click Install to start the installation.
• Click Finish to close the wizard.
• To start Firefox, make sure version 2 is closed then open the folder you selected during installation, and double click on FirefoxPortable.exe.

Import Your Previous Settings

To import your settings (bookmarks, etc..) from version 2, just copy your local Firefox settings right into Firefox Portable.

Locate the profile folder which is usually installed in:

XP computers - C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxx.default

Vista computers - C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxx.default

Then select all contents inside the profile folder (except the cache folders if they exist) and copy (do not cut!!) to the FirefoxPortableTest\Data\profile folder. After the copy has completed, delete the file FirefoxPortableSettings.ini found in the FirefoxPortableTest\Data\settings folder (if there is one).

Now startup Firefox 3. If you have any add-ons installed in version 2, Firefox will check for incompatablities and allow you to check for new versions or skip the check.

If you are using Firefox 3 on a flash-based portable device, it is recommended that you turn off disk cache, password saving and history. These settings can be found within the Privacy tab of the Firefox Options window.

NOTE: If you experience any problems, disable any extensions or add-ons.

So what's new with version 3? A lot! You can check out all the great new features located in the Welcome page when Firefox starts for the first time or in the Release Notes.