Here's How To Run Firefox 56 alongside Firefox 57

With so many long time Firefox users not happy having to see so many of their legacy addons no longer compatible with the new Firefox 57 Quantum upgrade, here's a simple solution so you can have the best of both the old and the new Firefox.

• First be sure to make a backup copy of your existing FF 56 installation folder located in Windows 10 at:

C: \Users\ [username]\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla

• Next create a new top level local folder on your C:\ drive and call it Firefox 57 Portable (or any name so you remember this is the PORTABLE location.) DON'T put this new folder in or near the existing Firefox folder.

• Next download Firefox 57 Quantum Portable from PortableApps.com and save it to your new Firefox Portable folder >>

HERE IS THE DOWNLOAD LINK FOR FF 57 PORTABLE: Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition | PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB, portable and cloud drives

• CLOSE YOUR FIREFOX 56 BROWSER NOW

• Next click and run the FF 57 PORTABLE .exe file and it will install in your newly created portable version folder in a sub-folder labeled \FirefoxPortable

• Open your Windows File Explorer and click into the new sub-folder to this file location:
\FirefoxPortable\Other\Source\ and with your mouse RIGHT CLICK ON the file FirefoxPortable.ini and select COPY from the menu.

• Next go back up to the directory \FirefoxPortable\ and RIGHT CLICK and select PASTE from the menu.

• Next click on that file you just pasted FirefoxPortable.ini and it will open in Windows Notepad and you should see this:

[FirefoxPortable]
FirefoxDirectory=App\firefox
ProfileDirectory=Data\profile
SettingsDirectory=Data\settings
PluginsDirectory=Data\plugins
FirefoxExecutable=firefox.exe
AdditionalParameters=
LocalHomepage=
DisableSplashScreen=false
AllowMultipleInstances=false
DisableIntelligentStart=false
SkipCompregFix=false
RunLocally=false

# The above options are explained in the included readme.txt
# This INI file is an example only and is not used unless it is placed as described in the included readme.txt

• Go to line 10 that says AllowMultipleInstances=false and type and replace the word "false" and change it to "true"

• Next click File in the top menu bar of Notepad and click SAVE

• Now you should be seeing in your File Explorer view this:

(folder icon) App
(folder icon) Data
(folder icon) Other
FIrefoxPortable.exe
FirefoxPortable.ini
help.html

• Now place your mouse over the file FirefoxPortable.exe and from the Right Click Menu select "Create shortcut" and a shorcut file will appear. You should rename the shortcut to Firefox Portable so you know that is the Firefox 57 Portable.

• Now Cut and Paste that shortcut and move it to your Windows Desktop.

• Finally open and close your old Firefox 56 to check to be sure everything looks the same there.

• Now open the new Firefox 57 Quantum and check that out.

• You can now safely run either FF 56 with all your addons or FF 57 Portable AND ALSO YOU CAN RUN BOTH AT THE SAME TIME!


ENJOY!!


FOR BOOKMARKS TRANSFER

• You can make a backup of your FF 56 Bookmarks and then in FF 57 do a Bookmarks Restore and use that 56 backup for the restore.

In your FF 56 Menu Bar select Bookmarks then select SHOW ALL BOOKMARKS and then from Import and Backup select Backup and name and save the backup so you can find it again. In your FF 57 Portable do the same thing and select RESTORE and use that saved FF 56 backup .json file and that will transfer all your bookmarks to FF 57 Portable.

Good work KRL - exactly what I need. Will try implement when finish current job and advise outcome.

I would like to set up this configuration but my Firefox automatically upgraded to v57. (Bad practice)
Is it too late for me?

stanhilliard said:

I would like to set up this configuration but my Firefox automatically upgraded to v57. (Bad practice)
Is it too late for me?

The prior version of FF would be 56.02 located here to download.

Directory Listing: /pub/firefox/releases/56.0.2/

However you would need a PortableApps.com version of 56.02 and then keep V 57 in the default directory and have the older in the portable directory. I'll check now and see if they keep older versions on PortableApps.com. I'll post if I can find it there for you.

KRL said:

The prior version of FF would be 56.02 located here to download.

Directory Listing: /pub/firefox/releases/56.0.2/

However you would need a PortableApps.com version of 56.02 and then keep V 57 in the default directory and have the older in the portable directory. I'll check now and see if they keep older versions on PortableApps.com. I'll post if I can find it there for you.

Cool! PortableApps.com does archive the earlier FF versions.

Here is the link Stan for the portable version FF 56.02. There are several language selections on the page.

PortableApps.com - Browse /Mozilla Firefox, Portable Ed./Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition 56.0.2 at SourceForge.net

KRL said:

Cool! PortableApps.com does archive the earlier FF versions.

Here is the link Stan for the portable version FF 56.02. There are several language selections on the page.

PortableApps.com - Browse /Mozilla Firefox, Portable Ed./Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition 56.0.2 at SourceForge.net

Then you'll need to reinstall your legacy addons that don't work on V 57 to the FF Portable 56.02.

Thanks KRL, I will set that up and post back as to how it worked.

KRL said:

Then you'll need to reinstall your legacy addons that don't work on V 57 to the FF Portable 56.02.

Not actually true, or at least not for me. I installed 56 downloaded from Filehippo over the top of 57 and my configuration was exactly as I had before installing 57.

Followed your instructions KRL. Worked very well - many thanks. Next time however, I will install it in my data drive, so it gets backed up every day.

But I need more help, urgently. I have tried to set up 57 in a usable way, but failed. I need to have unlimited TABs open (but normally around 50) without them scrolling off the page. So (i) I need to stop scrolling, (ii) I don't need/want names on tabs, (iii) I would like tabs to be below the bookmarks toolbar. Ie, I want my TabsMixPlus back. Hopefully someone can advise on one or more of these. I have spent an hour looking for an add-on in 57 but so far failed. Thanks in advance. Otherwise it's back to 56 again. Jon

jonrichco said:

Followed your instructions KRL. Worked very well - many thanks. Next time however, I will install it in my data drive, so it gets backed up every day.

But I need more help, urgently. I have tried to set up 57 in a usable way, but failed. I need to have unlimited TABs open (but normally around 50) without them scrolling off the page. So (i) I need to stop scrolling, (ii) I don't need/want names on tabs, (iii) I would like tabs to be below the bookmarks toolbar. Ie, I want my TabsMixPlus back. Hopefully someone can advise on one or more of these. I have spent an hour looking for an add-on in 57 but so far failed. Thanks in advance. Otherwise it's back to 56 again. Jon

I've kept both 56 and 57 running. Too many of my important addons are legacy and I don't have the time to go on a hunt to find and test others.

I've only noticed a slight speed improvement on FF 57. 56 is plenty fast and it's really a time burden for a lot of users to have this change of direction and have their addons not working. I think the user base is going to drop significantly on FF now.