Under Windows XP: How to Create a Shortcut to Firefox's Cookies and other Profile Settings Files

An alternative method to using "Map Drive" - found under Tools in the Menu Bar in Windows Explorer:

1. In Windows XP, first navigate to the following folder using Explorer:

(Make sure Hidden Files and Folders are enabled.)
Documents and Settings/YOUR USER/ApplicationData\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\SOMEcomplexALPHASnums.default

2. (Now make sure your address bar is viewable.
If it is not:
Menu Bar -->View --> Toolbars --> Address Bar)

3. Copy the address to your clipboard

4. Open DOS window (Start --> Run. Then type "cmd" without the quotes. Hit OK)

5. At the C: prompt, type:

subst z: "

(- use any alpha not assigned to a drive  instead of z

(Z:) will be the new virtual drive)

6. Then, without adding a space, right-click your mouse, and paste the address from your clipboard.
(NOTE: CTL+V shortcut does not work under DOS, but right-click does.)
Type the closing quote at the end of the string.
Your command should look something like:
subst z: "C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR USER NAME\ApplicationData\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ SOME-COMPLEX-ALPHAS-NUMS.default”

7. Hit the Enter Key.
If you did this correctly, you should get no error message.

8. Close the DOS Window.

9. Open "My Computer".
Your mapped drive should appear now as (Z:) - with a long name derived from its address.

10. You can now give it a more memorable name - like "Firefox Cookies" or "Firefox Profile".

... More Tips and Tricks in Windows ...

How to Change Your IP Address

This will not work for all ISPs. However, it does work for many. It will not work if you have a static IP address assigned by your ISP.

Assuming you are using a router:
Before doing any of these steps, please do the following:
Go to whatismyip and copy down your IP address and save the document.

Before making each change below, save the original settings somewhere -- just in case.

You may also be successful skipping steps 1 and 2 - that is, not bothering to change your gateway address first.  If you wish to try that, begin from step 3 (Clone MAC Address.)

Now you are ready to begin:
1. Login to your router and change your gateway's address.
Example: change 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.2
2. Release and renew your IP address. You may need to restart your modem, router and computer -- but, not necessarily. You may just need to login to your router again.
3. Change your MAC address by enabling MAC address cloning and typing in a new MAC address. 
On a Linksys WRT54G:
Setup -> MAC Address Clone -> Enable



You only need to change one or two of the last digits of the MAC Address. Click on "Clone your PC's MAC."  Save your settings.
4. After you receive the message the settings were changed successfully, you will lose internet connection. Power cycle your modem, router and computer.
5. You should again be connected to the internet now. Go to whatismyip and copy down your IP address: It should be different from the original IP Address you had before you started this exercise.

If you completed step 5 successfully, congratulations!