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The Search Bookmarks function in Library is not working after a Mac OS upgrade

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  • 1 has this problem
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  • Last reply by Shadow110

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I upgraded my MacBook Pro yesterday from Yosemite to High Sierra. My computer became non-functional today (no applications would open). Apple Support walked me by phone through erasing my hard drive, reinstalling High Sierra, and then restoring my OS, applications and folders/files from a recent Time Machine backup. After the restore, the computer seems to be functioning OK, but the Search Bookmarks function in Firefox is not working: If I enter anything in the Search Bookmarks field at the upper right of the Library screen, even a word that I know is present in at least one bookmark, the Name, Most Recent Visit and Added fields remain completely blank in the main area of the screen. I don't know if the problem existed yesterday after the initial OS upgrade but prior to the computer malfunction and OS (etc.) restore today, as I can't recall if I had tried to use the search function yesterday. Restarting Firefox doesn't restore the function, and neither does rebooting the computer. I would be grateful for any suggestions as to how I can get the Search Bookmarks function working again.

I upgraded my MacBook Pro yesterday from Yosemite to High Sierra. My computer became non-functional today (no applications would open). Apple Support walked me by phone through erasing my hard drive, reinstalling High Sierra, and then restoring my OS, applications and folders/files from a recent Time Machine backup. After the restore, the computer seems to be functioning OK, but the Search Bookmarks function in Firefox is not working: If I enter anything in the Search Bookmarks field at the upper right of the Library screen, even a word that I know is present in at least one bookmark, the Name, Most Recent Visit and Added fields remain completely blank in the main area of the screen. I don't know if the problem existed yesterday after the initial OS upgrade but prior to the computer malfunction and OS (etc.) restore today, as I can't recall if I had tried to use the search function yesterday. Restarting Firefox doesn't restore the function, and neither does rebooting the computer. I would be grateful for any suggestions as to how I can get the Search Bookmarks function working again.

All Replies (6)

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I would think that Apple has torn something out fixing you. Not even going to think what it could be so best option is : Hi, please try a Refresh but Note that this does more than uninstalling and re-installing does. Normal uninstalling does not remove some preferences which may have become corrupt. Please Refresh but do this 1st:

then

TEST....... If no issues then Extensions which need to be added back in 1 at a time and tested ..... Or it is your Profile : Make a new one and test ...:

If is your Profile :

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Thanks, Pkshadow. It sounds as though that approach will work. I may try a regular uninstall/reinstall first to see what happens and then do a refresh if needed.

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Hi, might want to wait maybe, Sept 5th Release of ver 62.0 at least think that will be the version number.

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You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database (bookmarks and history) in the Firefox profile folder.

  • use "Verify Integrity" on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page
    in case errors are reported close and restart Firefox and retry

See also:

If "Verify Integrity" on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page cannot repair places.sqlite then remove all places.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder. Firefox will rebuild places.sqlite and restore the bookmarks from a recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

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Thanks, cor-el. Here's an interim update to you and Pkshadow. It suddenly struck me two days ago that, although I have never experienced this problem before (bookmarks search function not working), I have experienced other problems with bookmark functions during periods when I have had a lot of open tabs (I had 402 open tabs on August 28). In the past I would click on “Bookmark All Tabs” and save the tabs to a dated “Open Tabs” folder, and then close all the tabs. Doing that would resolve the bookmarking problems. I would then swear never to allow the accumulation of tabs to happen again, but after a few sessions of resolve, the whole process of accumulating open tabs would start over. I therefore thought that it would be worthwhile to try doing that again. The only problem was that the “Bookmark All Tabs” feature wasn’t working. I therefore started going through tabs one at a time, bookmarking each one that I wanted to save, and then closing the individual tabs. When I had gotten about 10% into the process (I think around 40 tabs closed), the search bookmarks function began to work again (although other bookmark-related problems persisted or appeared). It’s a big job, given my compulsivity, but my plan is to strip the tabs down to one and see what happens. I will post an update at that point. In the meantime, thanks to you both for your help so far.

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Hi, maybe something here will help you out : https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/search/?platform=mac&q=limit%20tabs