Back in August, Mozilla released the alpha version of Firefox 3.6, code-named Namoroka. Three days ago, Mozilla announced the availability of Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 with several new features, including Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Preview support for tabs (just like IE8).

If you are keen to try out Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 and at the same time worried it will mess up with your Firefox 3.5, I have got a solution for you. Indeed by default, you can’t run both versions of Firefox together because both of them using/sharing the same Profile. So let me run through how to get your Firefox 3.5 running side-by-side with the new 3.6 Beta 1.

Let’s Get Started!

First, go and download Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 if you haven’t do so. If you have, great! Now, just install Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 as usual.

Install Firefox 3.6 beta as usual

Please take note that, after finish installing don’t launch yet, else it might mess up your current Firefox profile.

Don't launch just yet!

Now, Run this command: firefox -profilemanager -no-remote to launch Firefox Profile Manager

Launch Firefox Profile Manager

There is only one "default" profile by default

Now create a new profile for FF3.6b1 by clicking the Create Profile… button. A wizard will popup. Give your new profile a name and click Finish. Now you can close the Profile Manager.

Create a new Firefox profile

Quick tip: Give a name that you can easily remember and make sense. As for this guide I use Firefox3.6Beta.

OK, we are almost done. Now find the Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 shortcut on your Desktop and open up its Properties. At the “Target:” section add this line: -P Firefox3.6Beta -no-remote at the end. In this example it is “C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox 3.6 Beta 1\firefox.exe” -P Firefox3.6Beta -no-remote”

Edit the shortcut "Target"

Done.

Now, when ever you launch FF3.6b1, it wont mess with your default FF3.5 profile so you can still run the current Firefox 3.5 without any issues.