ABP creates its own daily filter backups, just look into the adblockplus
directory in your FF profile. They are called "patterns-backup<number>.ini"
Oh, and it BTW doesn't hurt to make backups more often than once per year...
This happened to me today, I had already tried to restore my filters from the latest .ini backup, but Adblock said it wasn't a valid filter file or something. Is there a specific method of restoring backups (I just used the "Import Filters" option which was asking for a .txt file)??? Thanks heaps.
jacobbrett wrote:This happened to me today, I had already tried to restore my filters from the latest .ini backup, but Adblock said it wasn't a valid filter file or something.
Is there a specific method of restoring backups (I just used the "Import Filters" option which was asking for a .txt file)???
Yes there is.
You cannot import one of the pattern backup files as filter list because there are
additional metadata entries in the file (the hitcounter numbers e.g.).
But you actually don't need to import anything:
Just close your browser completely and rename one of the backup.ini files patterns.ini - that's all there is to do.
Firefox 2.0.0.3
Adblock Plus 0.7.2.4
All filters gone from Adblock for me as well today!
All I can add is that everything has been working fine until I started adding @@ filters. When I left Adblock all was well only to return later and all gone!
Whether copying some filters had any bearing on the matter I do not know.
Seems that if the filter setup is left well alone it works fine. Start turning on / off or adding / copying filters and before you know where you are they are all gone!
I mention this, but I do not think that it could be relevant. I had installed Ad Muncher to remove ads from Internet Explorer. The reason for this was that Firefox has been behaving badly recently and required resending data because it could not find the server, so I decided to install IE7 and have been pleasantly surprised at how well it performs. Still prefer Firefox with Adblock if it would perform better for me.
I think it would be helpful to have instruction in FAQ on how to re-install patterns from backups as I struggled a while to find out how to do it. I simply had not logged out of Firefox before installing the backup file. That is why things took so long to get Adblock back together again.
jacobbrett wrote:This happened to me today, I had already tried to restore my filters from the latest .ini backup, but Adblock said it wasn't a valid filter file or something.
Is there a specific method of restoring backups (I just used the "Import Filters" option which was asking for a .txt file)???
Yes there is.
You cannot import one of the pattern backup files as filter list because there are
additional metadata entries in the file (the hitcounter numbers e.g.).
But you actually don't need to import anything:
Just close your browser completely and rename one of the backup.ini files patterns.ini - that's all there is to do.
No go, still doesnt work, still says "not a valid adblock plus filter file" each time! *le sigh*
Once again: you do not import patterns.ini. You rename one of the old backups into patterns.ini, when you start Firefox Adblock Plus will load this list then. Nothing you have to to other than close Firefox entirely, rename file and start Firefox again.
