180614 - Incorrect profile manager operation because of improper directory searching

Status: RESOLVED EXPIRED

(Core Graveyard :: Profile: BackEnd, defect)

Description

[Scott Craig]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win 9x 4.90; en-US; rv:1.2b) Gecko/20021016
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win 9x 4.90; en-US; rv:1.2b) Gecko/20021016

o  I do not allow the directory "Application Data" to exist on this computer.
o  The Mozilla defaults were created in \Windows\Mozilla by Mozilla
o  If something recreates the "Application Data" directory I have to delete it
   or Mozilla will try to find its profile there instead of \Windows\Mozilla
o  The search path for the profiles should be revised to check \Windows\Mozilla
   as well as the \Windows\Application Data directory.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Run something (i.e. Visual C++ v6) that creates \Application Data directory
2. Start Mozilla
3.
Actual Results:  
Profile manager appeared even though the profile exists in \Windows\Mozilla

Expected Results:  
Found the profile in \Windows\Mozilla instead of prompting me to create a new one.

Application software should keep its files in its own directory.  There is no
excuse and no reason to install files in the Windows directory (yeah, I've heard
all the arguments like "The Windows directory is the only one that is guaranteed
writable") but there is no reason for Mozilla to be installing profile data in
the Windows directory (or any sub directory of Window) in the first place.

If you insist on placing files in a Windows subdirectory, at least check them all
before telling the user that he needs to recreate them.

Comment 1

[Matthias Versen [:Matti]]

-> invalid

You must change the application data directory ifg you don't want applications
write in that directory.

Comment 2

[jag (Peter Annema)]

Reopening.

Comment 3

[jag (Peter Annema)]

-> backend

Comment 4

[Conrad Carlen (not reading bugmail)]

Strange. Calling SHGetSpecialFolderLocation with CSIDL_APPDATA gives \Windows\
if "Application Data" doesn't exist? Is there is a way of getting a list of
these alternate locations from the OS? We're using a Windows API to get the path
to what is the recommended place to put this kind of data.

Comment 5

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

This is an automated message, with ID "auto-resolve01".

This bug has had no comments for a long time. Statistically, we have found that
bug reports that have not been confirmed by a second user after three months are
highly unlikely to be the source of a fix to the code.

While your input is very important to us, our resources are limited and so we
are asking for your help in focussing our efforts. If you can still reproduce
this problem in the latest version of the product (see below for how to obtain a
copy) or, for feature requests, if it's not present in the latest version and
you still believe we should implement it, please visit the URL of this bug
(given at the top of this mail) and add a comment to that effect, giving more
reproduction information if you have it.

If it is not a problem any longer, you need take no action. If this bug is not
changed in any way in the next two weeks, it will be automatically resolved.
Thank you for your help in this matter.

The latest beta releases can be obtained from:
Firefox:     http://www.mozilla.org/projects/firefox/
Thunderbird: http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/releases/1.5beta1.html
Seamonkey:   http://www.mozilla.org/projects/seamonkey/

Comment 6

[Gervase Markham [:gerv]]

This bug has been automatically resolved after a period of inactivity (see above
comment). If anyone thinks this is incorrect, they should feel free to reopen it.