One of the most popular Firefox backup solutions, MozBackup, has been updated recently in preparation for the Firefox 4 final launch. Previous versions of the backup software are already compatible with Firefox 4, but the developer has improved support in the new version. Mozbackup 1.5 has been released as a beta preview with the promise that the new final version will be released before the Firefox 4 release.

Several issues have been fixed in the beta release, among them backup improvements for profiles with a size of more than 4 Gigabytes. It is unlikely that many Firefox profiles cross the 4 Gigabytes mark, which indicates that this particular change largely benefits users of the email client Thunderbird, considering that all mailboxes and attachments are saved in the profile directory.

How to Backup Firefox with Mozbackup

It takes just a few steps to backup all Firefox data with Mozbackup. I suggest you download the portable version of the backup software from the developer homepage, as it is flexible and can be put on an USB stick.

Mozbackup scans the computer for supported products and displays all that have been found in a list. Portable versions of Firefox and other supported programs, or installations that have not been recognized automatically can be backed up by selecting Portable applications from the menu. It is then necessary to use the folder browser to add profiles from the hard drive to the backup application manually.

The available profiles are displayed in the next step if a recognized installation has been selected.

A click on next opens a prompt with options to password-protect the backup file. It is usually a good idea to add password protection to protect the data from unauthorized access. It would otherwise be possible to access all profile data directly, including saved passwords, bookmarks, the browsing history, extensions and list of downloaded files.

Mozbackup then displays a list of available modules that can be backed up. Everything is selected by default with the possibility to uncheck modules that do not need to included in the backup.

The backup is stored in a single file. You need Mozbackup to restore it at a later point in time.

Firefox users can download portable versions and installers for the latest stable and beta version of Mozbackup directly from the developer website. Mozbackup is only compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system.

I use Moz Backup for Firefox to backup my data and import it to my Toshiba Notebook that I use when I’m traveling. Mozilla Weave is using a slightly different approach that automates the process further. It provides an online storage for Firefox 3 profile data that can be used on any computer connecting if the correct user data is provided.

After installing Weave on the first computer a wizard is guiding through the initial account setup. This has to be done once only, all other computers with Weave can use the login details, that is username, password and passphrase, from that computer to connect to Weave and sync the data.

It is up to the user to select the data that will be stored at the Weave servers. By default Bookmarks, Cookies, Tabs and Browsing History will be synchronized. Saved Passwords and Form Data are optional and experimental at this stage. The transfer of the data to the server can take a while depending on the amount of data that has to be transferred.

The data will be encrypted and the transfer puts some strain on Firefox which did become unresponsive in that time on my system. Weave will connect to the server periodically after the initial synchronization if data has been changed on the computer.

Options to store extensions and themes among other things are already visible in the add-on but not selectable currently. Weave will be a nice option for users who are using multiple computers. I prefer to use Mozbackup instead to export and import data because I work with one computer at home and use the other only when traveling which is not that often.

I do use MozBackup to backup the data in Thunderbird regularly but what if you use another client ? Amic Email Backup can create backups of the data of nine popular email clients including Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft outlook Express, Opera Mail, Pegasus Mail and The Bat. The user can choose the identities, some would call it profiles, and the data that should be backed up from those profiles. By default everything is selected which means backups are created of account settings, mail folders, message rules, signatures, address books and stationery.

Backups can be password protected for increased security and scheduled so that they are created on a regular basis. It is also possible to define the amount of backups that you want to keep which would mean that older backups will be deleted eventually. Backups that are to large can be split so that they fit on a floppy disk, zip drive or CD.

The restore function can be used to restore the email account on another computer as well which is great if you have purchased a new computer or want to migrate your emails to another one. I’m not sure if the backups are compressed at all because I lack a mail program that is supported by Amic Email Backup [via Shell Extension City].

The main feature that is missing is in my opinion support for Thunderbird which is definitely one of the most popular email programs in my opinion. A way to import email backups of one program into all the other programs would be awesome as well. It’s a nice tool that is especially useful for users who do not know how to backup their emails manually and don’t want to learn how to do it.