You might click on tools > options > privacy in firefox and make sure settings there are like you want them.

When following Bob's instructions check the status of the option regarding "clear all private data when closing" (I'm at work and drawing on memory so the phrase-ology may be off a bit.)

DA

you may have recently cleared your personal data or cache, that will clear out history in some cases if you have it selected in the list of what you want deleted.
As mentioned above check your settings, there are options that say clear upon closing, which would wipe out all that info each time you close the browser, you can change those settings and options to your liking. Look under the privacy tab on your firefox preferences.

Thanks for trying to help. Still having problem. Under Options/Privacy always clear my private data when closing Firefox is not checked. Any other suggestions??

What about the 'history' part of the options/privacy? Do you have the items there checked like you want them?

Thanks for your prompt response. Yes, the 3 items are checked in History.

I am a bit puzzled: "retaining them" where? (This seems to be clear to everyone but me, so maybe I am just dense.) When you say they disappeared, do you mean that you had bookmarked them and now the bookmark links, or the links you had put up on the Bookmarks toolbar don't work?

I'm finding it hard to express what I want to say. When I type a web site into the browser - it would save it so I would not have to type it in each time. For instance I'll type gardenweb.com - check out what I wanted on Garden Web and then type in another web site in the browser. Gardenweb would then drop down - and so forth and so on - retaining all my web searches so I don't have to retype them. I feel I must have done something - pressed a wrong key maybe - because when I shut down and restart - all those sites that I have frequented are deleted. I know it's not that important but so far I have not been able to correct the matter after trying all suggestions. Thank you.

i'm taking a wild guess here. After you begin with, say Gardenweb.com, are you then opening the next site in a NEW WINDOW, or NEW TAB?

If so they will "disappear."

When you go to GW.com and are ready to go to another site, first save that site to Bookmarks. Then type in another site, do the same there. Save each site to Bookmarks before you type in another site. Each new bookmark will drop to the bottom of the list. You can rearrange them if you choose.

Using NEW WINDOW or NEW TAB is another question.

HTH

Sue

I believe she is talking about the browsing history that is available when you click the drop down arrow in the address bar area. You can set the history to remember x number of sites for x number of days or set it to clear the history each time you close the browser. Hers appears to be clearing the history each time she closes the browser.

There are some good add-ons you can add to your firefox that will give you even more options. The one I have, as soon as you start to type it brings up a list below the address bar for matching sites as I type it not only shows the ones I recently visited but also those in my favorites list which I find very helpful, I don't have to go hunting in my massive faves list near as much.

That particular add-on is: Autocomplete manager 2.3
I will provide the link to that add-on

Here is a link that might be useful: autocomplete manager

I'm giving up - I downloaded autocomplete manager and now when I click the drop down arrow there must be 25 web sites listed - PLEASE PLEASE tell me how to delete these sites and the autocomplete manager and get back to where I was before - I'll just deal with typing in each new web address as needed. Should have left well enough alone. Sorry.

To remove an extension in firefox click tools > add-ons and then click on the extension you want to remove. You will see an option to remove it.

no worry as bob said it is super easy to remove any add on you put on just as easily as it went on.

the list you see are from sites in your history and in your favorites that match up what you have begun typing.

Maybe she's talking about 'auto complete?' Under Privacy make sure you check 'Remember what I entered in forms and the search bar.'

Try that,

Jane

As far as I can see everything is properly checked: remember visited pages, remember what I've entered in forms and search bar, remember what I've downloaded, ask before clearing private data. "Browsing history that's available when I use the drop down arrow" is deleted every time I shut down - is the problem. It's not a big problem as I might only use about 10 sites on a regular basis.Thanks for your patience.

Firefox uses a file called history.dat that is kept in your profiles folder to keep the history of webpages visited. I think this file (history.dat) is probably corrupt. It can be deleted and when firefox starts again it will make a new history.dat file.
To fix the problem, here's what you need to do.
1. Go to start, run.
2. Copy/Paste the line below into the run box and click ok.

%APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\

3. A Windows Explorer window should open with a folder with a name consisting of 8 random letters and numbers followed by .default.
4. Double-click on this folder and you should see a whole bunch of files. Highlight the history.dat file.
5. Close Firefox because the file can't be deleted when firefox is open.
6. Right-Click on the history.dat file and select delete.
7. Close the Windows Explorer box.
8. Launch firefox. It should create a new history.dat and start putting/retaining the list of visited sites.
Repost if you have any problems and/or if it works okay.
HTH.
Terry

Sorry for the delay in getting back to everyone who has tried to help. Terry - I must have tried your suggestion 25 times but without any luck. The only difference is the Windows Explorer box never came up - but a Profile window did. I THINK I was doing everything right but when I shut down and re-started the visited web sites were deleted from the browser. What I did do however was use the Bookmarks feature and that seems to be doing the trick. Thanks again - knowing me - I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again!!

oceanbaby,

Sorry for the confusion. I should have just said a window will open. So from what you said it deleted the visited websites from the browser. That was what it was supposed to do to clear the corrupt history.dat file. Now you said it is still not retaining the history, correct?
Try this. Open a new tab and type the following in the Firefox address bar:

about:config

hit enter.
In the filter box copy/paste the following:

browser.history_expire_days

You should see three entries. Make sure all three have a value for the number of days that you have set up. If not, double-click on each, and change the numbers to the number of days you set before in tools, options, privacy, history.
Let me know what you find. HTH.

Terry

Thanks. It's taken me a while to respond - unfortunately I don't know how to "open a new tab" - tried but couldn't figure it out. Your patience is appreciated.

Right-Click anywhere on the tab bar, right-click, and select "New Tab" or click ctrl + T. HTH.

Terry

you can add the open new tab icon to your browser bar, just go to View> toolbars> customize and when you see the new tab icon simply grab it with the cursor and drag it right onto your browser top bar. Then to open a new tab just click on that icon.

Also anytime you are looking at a link you want to open you can right click on the link and choose open in new tab.

If you have a mouse with a middle scroll wheel placing the cursor on a link then clicking down on the scroll wheel will also open the link in a new tab.