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Firefox Sync broken, keeps messing up my sync

  • 1 reply
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  • 6 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

Chris
Chris
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Hello Mozilla,

I'm at wit's end with using Firefox sync. I've tried every fix I can find in the support docs, including deleting my account, stopping sync on all devices and fully deleting the app on 2 Windows PCs, a Mac, two iPads and an iPhone. I've tried creating a new account, then reinstalling a clean backed up copy that I'd fixed all the screwed up bookmarks, then reinstalled and reysnced all devices and FF sync is still an utter mess.

It keeps messing up the order of my folders and bookmarks, as well as randomly duplicating the bookmarks all over hell and creation in my bookmarks segmentation.

This is the first time I've had a problem with Sync, but I'm getting sick of it, because I cannot rely on it to work and because I'm too reliant on my bookmarks for many things, I'm about to dump using Firefox entirely, which is saying something because I despise other browsers.

I'd appreciate help.

Chris Pierdominici

Hello Mozilla, I'm at wit's end with using Firefox sync. I've tried every fix I can find in the support docs, including deleting my account, stopping sync on all devices and fully deleting the app on 2 Windows PCs, a Mac, two iPads and an iPhone. I've tried creating a new account, then reinstalling a clean backed up copy that I'd fixed all the screwed up bookmarks, then reinstalled and reysnced all devices and FF sync is still an utter mess. It keeps messing up the order of my folders and bookmarks, as well as randomly duplicating the bookmarks all over hell and creation in my bookmarks segmentation. This is the first time I've had a problem with Sync, but I'm getting sick of it, because I cannot rely on it to work and because I'm too reliant on my bookmarks for many things, I'm about to dump using Firefox entirely, which is saying something because I despise other browsers. I'd appreciate help. Chris Pierdominici

All Replies (1)

cor-el
cor-el
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  • Top 10 Contributor
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If you use Sync, best is to disconnect Sync temporarily during troubleshooting.

This could be a problem with the places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder.

  • use the "Places Database" -> "Verify Integrity" button on the "Help -> More Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page

If errors are reported with "Verify Integrity", close and restart Firefox or reboot and retry.

If "Verify Integrity" cannot repair places.sqlite, rename/remove all places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed. Firefox will rebuild places.sqlite and restore the bookmarks from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

  • keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created
  • you lose the history when a new places.sqlite is created

You may have to restore an older bookmarks backup in the bookmarkbackups folder via the Bookmarks Manager (Library).

See also:

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