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Resume browsing session in Firefox Web Browsers
I often need to restart my computer or quit Firefox to free up RAM, but don't want to lose all my open tabs. I find the following solution by accident: Force quite Firefox (Cmd-Opt-Esc), and the next time you launch Firefox it will ask you if you want to restore your session, and will load all the tabs and windows you had open before the quit. A hack, yes, but a useful feature not implemented in the normal interface!

[kirkmc adds: I'm not a regular Firefox user, and can't find any other way to do this in the help. Is there any other way?]
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Resume browsing session in Firefox | 21 comments | Create New Account
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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: jrcarroll on Jun 01, '07 07:45:17AM

From the Bookmarks menu, choose "Bookmark all tabs", then name it and save it in Toolbar Favorites. Still, I often do what Anonymous does.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: thehigherlife on Jun 01, '07 07:46:34AM

if you goto Tools -> Session Manager -> Save this Window

you can restore from that session later by going back to session manager.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: DotDotComma on Jun 01, '07 09:03:39AM

Session Manager? Save Session? Under the Tools menu .... ?

Not in my Firefox 2.0.0.4 ... Could this be an extension or something?



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: thehigherlife on Jun 01, '07 11:09:43AM

good call. Tab Mix Plus. ff extention



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: osxpounder on Jun 01, '07 11:19:32AM

It's a truly great extension called Tab Mix Plus, that comes with "Session Manager". I've used both for a long time now, and they are the reason I prefer Firefox.

Session Manager remembers whatever windows were open when Firefox was last quit [and after a crash, too]. It's so reliable, compared to Google Browser Sync, that I often don't bother bookmarking sites I just want to read next time Firefox starts. I just leave their windows open.

Tab Mix Plus adds nice features, keystrokes, custom mouse click behaviors, stuff for the context menu, and my favorite feature is "Undo Closed Tab", which reopens a tab I closed before I realized I need it back. It keeps a list of closed tabs, and it's faster than going to History.

Love it.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: dcottle on Jun 02, '07 05:19:48PM

I second this opinion. Very nice.

I just spent the last hour browsing other add-ons. Very useful stuff. So far my favorite is FireFTP, which turns FireFox into an FTP client. Since it doesn't use the custom icons it's much faster than apple's built in connect to server.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: bugmenot on Jun 01, '07 07:51:08AM

um, or on the Main tab of the Preferences window, under "when Firefox starts" set it to "show my windows and tabs from last time."



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: Coumerelli on Jun 01, '07 08:04:15AM
is this a re-hint from last week? http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20070516070802376

---
"The best way to accelerate a PC is 9.8 m/s2"

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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: HairyPotter on Jun 01, '07 08:32:48AM

Why so much trouble?
Just go to Safari preferences, main tab and adjust
WHEN FIRE FOX STARTS box to
SHOW MY WINDOWS AND TABS FROM LAST TIME.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: ghay on Jun 02, '07 08:45:48AM

I think that would confuse a lot of people, as the SAFARI preferences don't affect the functionality of FIREFOX.

moopay.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: blakefrost on Jun 01, '07 08:48:13AM
Restart Firefox. This simple FF extension adds a Restart Firefox option to the file menu. Super quick, intuitive, mindless operation allows you to remain focused. There are no prompts to fuss with -- Just set it, and forget it. A couple heartbeats later you're right back where you started, all the dirty work done. Also comes in handy when messing with extensions.

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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: jpmsi on Jun 01, '07 08:56:11AM
Save Session Extension Saves a Firefox session and quits the program.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4199

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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: davidfmendes on Jun 01, '07 11:03:47AM

That small extension people are talking about is cool but I go with Google Browser Sync. Because it does just the same (you get your last sessions tabs and windows) with a plus: you get that also if you open Firefox in a different computer. I use it a lot when I interrupt some browing at home and want to resume it at the office or on the road.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: osxpounder on Jun 01, '07 11:23:25AM

GBS and Tab Mix Plus work together well [when GBS works, that is, which isn't 100% of the time]. When I leave the office and come home, my Firefox usually gets the same windows that the office Firefox had open last. From there, TMP's Session Manager handles remembering it on the local machine.

For me, GBS fails about once a week or so, often with a cryptic error about "FILE EXISTS". The point is, I can't rely on it, but it's great when it works because it brings my bookmarks and history to any of the 3 Macs I use. GBS will also bring the same info to my Windows PC. Haven't booted that in over a year, though.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: anil_robo on Jun 02, '07 06:43:56PM
I am in favor of Google Browser Sync. It not only syncs the surfing sessions, but also saved passwords, cookies etc. The best point is that you can leave your session at home, and open exactly the same session in the office, for example. Click here for more info

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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: rjetton on Jun 02, '07 11:11:02AM

I'm a bit off topic here, but the best solution to your problem is probably to add more RAM to your computer. RAM is cheap. Your time spent pursuing a strategy of "I often need to restart my computer or quit Firefox to free up RAM" sounds pretty expensive to me. There again, we all live under differing constraints.

But do think about it. I use Firefox daily and have never rebooted or restarted it due to memory constraints (at least not that I can remember). Right now I have 8 tabs open and Firefox is using 9 threads, 92 MB of real memory and 368 MB of virtual memory. My system is a dual G4 with 2 GB of RAM (and just over 75% of that is free right now).



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: paulpro on Jun 03, '07 07:47:58AM

As a couple of other readers have attempted to mention, there is no need for an extension, as Firefox has session saving built-in.

Go to Firefox Preferences. On the Main tab of the Preferences window, under "When Firefox starts" set it to "show my windows and tabs from last time."

That's it, no need to force-quit the app, simply quit is as you regularly would, and when you start Firefox again, all of your previous windows and tabs will open to the locations you left them.



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: balthisar on Jun 03, '07 12:40:39PM

Normally I don't want all of my tabs from the last session to re-open. Only in certain circumstances do I want such behavior, and so I use the force-quit option from time to time.

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--Jim (me)



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: mustang_dvs on Jun 03, '07 09:52:40PM
Normally I don't want all of my tabs from the last session to re-open. Only in certain circumstances do I want such behavior, and so I use the force-quit option from time to time.
I would strongly suggest setting Firefox to resume sessions and closing any windows (⌘-SHIFT-W) you don't want open, or Option-clicking the close button to close all the open windows.

Force-quitting an active application when it's not required can lead to corrupted files, broken permissions or damaged plug-ins -- it's a bad idea in general.

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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: blab13 on Jun 03, '07 01:36:00PM

or you could use tab mix plus which can restore and do much more



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Resume browsing session in Firefox
Authored by: stimpy on Jun 03, '07 02:08:46PM

Firefox has this feature built in, but it's in a confusing place. It took me a long time to find it:

In the 'Main' Firefox prefs, change "When Firefox starts:" to "Show my windows and tabs from last time"



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