Totally forgot that an issue with "Bookmarks" happened approx. 9 months ago, except that this time, I Lost not only My "Book Marks", but also, my "Other Bookmarks", & My "Book Marks Tool Bar"!

I do not have "Sync"

And I went ahead & did this:

"Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.

You will find Places Database near the bottom. Press the Verify Integrity button."

Which is posted below:

> Task: checkIntegrity + The places.sqlite database is sane + The favicons.sqlite database is sane > Task: invalidateCaches + The caches have been invalidated > Task: checkCoherence + The database is coherent > Task: expire + Database cleaned up > Task: originFrecencyStats + Recalculated origin frecency stats > Task: vacuum + Initial database size is 10240KiB + The database has been vacuumed + Final database size is 10240KiB > Task: stats + Places.sqlite size is 10240KiB + Favicons.sqlite size is 34336KiB + pragma_user_version is 54 + pragma_page_size is 32768 + pragma_cache_size is -2048 + pragma_journal_mode is wal + pragma_synchronous is 1 + History can store a maximum of 114474 unique pages + Table moz_origins has 3075 records + Table moz_places has 14313 records + Table moz_historyvisits has 171 records + Table moz_inputhistory has 0 records + Table moz_bookmarks has 15534 records + Table moz_bookmarks_deleted has 0 records + Table moz_keywords has 3 records + Table sqlite_sequence has 1 records + Table moz_anno_attributes has 1 records + Table moz_annos has 498 records + Table moz_items_annos has 0 records + Table moz_meta has 5 records + Table sqlite_stat1 has 19 records + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_origins_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_inputhistory_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_bookmarks_deleted_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_keywords_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_anno_attributes_1 + Index moz_places_url_hashindex + Index moz_places_hostindex + Index moz_places_visitcount + Index moz_places_frecencyindex + Index moz_places_lastvisitdateindex + Index moz_places_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_places_originidindex + Index moz_historyvisits_placedateindex + Index moz_historyvisits_fromindex + Index moz_historyvisits_dateindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemindex + Index moz_bookmarks_parentindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemlastmodifiedindex + Index moz_bookmarks_dateaddedindex + Index moz_bookmarks_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_keywords_placepostdata_uniqueindex + Index moz_annos_placeattributeindex + Index moz_items_annos_itemattributeindex > Task: _refreshUI

Would this Solve My Problem?:

Restore the default Smart Bookmarks Folders Note: Smart Bookmarks folders are no longer created in new Firefox profiles starting with Firefox version 63.

In Firefox version 62 and below, Firefox includes the following bookmark folders by default:

   Most Visited: Available from the Bookmarks toolbar, this folder lists pages you have visited the most number of times.
   Recent tags: Available from the Bookmarks menu, this folder keeps track of the bookmark "tags" you've used most recently. Expand the Recent Tags folder to see a list of tags, then expand each tag to show pages you've recently bookmarked using that tag. For more information on tags, see Bookmark Tags - Categorize bookmarks to make them easy to find. 

If you have deleted one or more of these default "Smart Bookmarks" folders, you can restore them by doing the following:

   Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter.
   A warning page may appear. Click Accept the Risk and Continue to go to the about:config page.
   Search for the preference browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion.
   Click the Edit Fx71aboutconfig-EditButton button next to browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion and change the value to 0 (zero).
   Click the Firefox menu Fx57Menu and select Exit. 

The next time you start Firefox, the default Smart Bookmarks folders will be re-created.

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another development here:

When I click on "Open Menu", then "library", then "Bookmarks", I can see "Bookmarks" that were in the "Other Bookmarks Section", from Feb. 14, 2021 to Feb. 22,2021.

This is both Good & Bad for, I know that somewhere in this "High Tech Universe",My "Other Bookmarks" exist, up to Feb. 22, 2021. If I'm understanding correctly, but, the "Other Bookmarks" that I know for sure that were added after Feb. 22,2021, are missing.

I'm thinking that the "Other Bookmarks" are from the Feb.22, 2021 backup only because the Backup/restore after the 22nd, would restore absolutely nothing.

I do have the "Normal Bookmarks" at this point, but no "Other Bookmarks", nor the Bookmarks that were placed on the Tool-bar.

> Table moz_bookmarks has 15534 records

So you have a few bookmarks!!

> When I click on "Open Menu", then "library", then "Bookmarks", I can see "Bookmarks" that were in the "Other Bookmarks Section", from Feb. 14, 2021 to Feb. 22,2021.

Normally this would show the "Recently Bookmarked" list, so it seems they are *somewhere* and we need to track them down.

If you click one of those recent bookmarks to open it, and then click the blue star icon in the address bar to edit the bookmark, the drop-down should show the current location of that bookmark below "Folder". What does it say?

Did you restore any bookmark backups or import any bookmarks.html files during your recovery process?

If so:

Do you use the "Default Bookmark Folder" extension?

If so:

There is a bug in version 3.0.0 and 3.1.0 related to Firefox 85's new feature to remember the last-used bookmark folder. If you have that extension active when you restore a backup or import a bookmarks.html file, things end up in weird places. You need to disable the extension while performing those operations.

Greetings jscher2000,

I got excited, thinking that with those"Bookmarks" showing up, & then You replying, that My Problems would be solved soon.

I did what You asked, & those "Book Marks" are in Folders located in what I'm calling the "Main Bookmarks", which by playing around with the various settings, I've managed to get back. In other words, they aren't in any folder in the "Other Bookmarks",... They were important enough to immediately place them in folders in the "Main Bookmarks".

But,....The date of Feb., 22,2021 must be when these problems started,possibly cuz' I know that Bookmarks since that time had been transferred to the "Main Bookmarks" section.

Do You have any suggestions on what to do now, hopefully?

Wait, I just found one that I'm not familiar with!

It states that it's in "Bookmarks Menu", in fact, there are several in that Folder Js.

Did you possibly restore an HTML backup as that can cause the Other Bookmarks folder to end up in the Bookmarks Menu folder ?

Cor-el,

You'll have to forgive me for being "Computer Illiterate", but what is an "HTML backup"?

To the best of My Knowledge, the Bookmarks listed under "Back up & Restore" weren't identified as "HTML backup".

Corel,

How would I find out, if, I did use an "HTML backup",... Would it have been identified as being HTML?

Greetings

In what I am calling the "Main Book Marks", I just found at the very bottom of that list a Folder called "Other Bookmarks", which I never put there.

When I click on that folder, nothing happens.

And, when I Right Click that Folder, "Open all tabs", "Delete", & "Properties", are faded out, & apparently in-operative, cuz' I tried to click on "properties" to see if I could get any Data, & Nothing happened.

Greetings, cor-el & jscher2000

After a little study of several topics, herein the Forum, ... No, I didn't use the "HTML backup", but the Restore & Backup selections above it.

Hi David, did you use Restore and choose one of the listed backups?

I have a converter to create an HTML export-format file from one of the backup files. You could open that HTML file (web page) in a tab and check to see whether it has the "Other Bookmarks" in the correct place. In that case, something is wrong with the restore function, but your data is good. If not, you might need to straighten it out by hand.

Finding the Backup Files

Open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" Help > Troubleshooting Information
• (menu bar) Help > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table on the page, on the Profile Folder row, click the "Open Folder" button. This should launch a new window listing various files and folders in Windows 10 File Explorer.

Double-click into the bookmarkbackups folder.

Here you should find 5-15 compressed backup files. The naming pattern shows the creation date and number of items in the file (items includes bookmarks, folder, and separators):

bookmarks-2021-03-05_6809_gibberish==.jsonlz4

Generating a Readable View

Resize that window so you can see Firefox and load the converter page at:

https://www.jeffersonscher.com/ffu/bookbackreader.html

Drag and drop a backup file into the box on that page and Firefox should decompress the data and display it in the box. Hard to read at this point. Click the Export HTML file to generate a web page download. You can save that in your Downloads folder, or use the Open button to open it in Firefox.

Sometimes the script gets stuck in a loop and doesn't work. If the page seems to lock up for 15 seconds or more, you can close that tab, it's not likely to come back. Try again in a new tab.

"Hi David, did you use Restore and choose one of the listed backups?"

Yes Sir.

And Today, while fumbling through everything, somehow, I've worked myself back to having No "Bookmarks Toolbar", "No Main Bookmarks", nor "Other Bookmarks".

I tried to go back to the latest restore date & Firefox began to repeatedly Freeze Up.

'"Double-click into the bookmarkbackups folder.

Here you should find 5-15 compressed backup files. The naming pattern shows the creation date and number of items in the file (items includes bookmarks, folder, and separators):

bookmarks-2021-03-05_6809_gibberish==.jsonlz4

I fumbled through that last night, & earlier,today, without really knowing what I was doing, & managed to Save at least three "Bookmark Profiles"? dated before this Catastrophe occurred, & the latest one.

I'll use your Instructions, & see what I can come up with.

Jscher, I followed Your Instructions, & dragged a very large Folder over in to the window at:

https://www.jeffersonscher.com/ffu/bookbackreader.html

I "exported" the HTML & Opened it in Firefox, & I can literally read it,... That File is what I call the "Main Bookmarks", & unless I'm missing something, it doesn't show The "Bookmarks Tool Bar", nor the "Other Book Marks". But now that I've opened the file in Firefox, how do I get it to become part of the Firefox Browser?

And, I Absolutely Appreciate Your help n this!

"Hi David, did you use Restore and choose one of the listed backups?"

Yes Sir.

"Finding the Backup Files", "Double-click into the bookmarkbackups folder." "Generating a Readable View

Resize that window so you can see Firefox and load the converter page at:

https://www.jeffersonscher.com/ffu/bookbackreader.html

Drag and drop a backup file into the box on that page and Firefox should decompress the data and display it in the box. Hard to read at this point. Click the Export HTML file to generate a web page download. You can save that in your Downloads folder, or use the Open button to open it in Firefox.

Sometimes the script gets stuck in a loop and doesn't work. If the page seems to lock up for 15 seconds or more, you can close that tab, it's not likely to come back. Try again in a new tab."

jscher

HalleluYah! Thank You Sir!

I did all that, & even saved the File to desktop, & I opened it, but.... The "Main Bookmarks" & missing "Other Bookmarks" are all on one page, & they can be read, & clicked on, .... But they are not to be found under the Bookmarks Icon. And the Bookmarks Tool Bar didn't come back, but that's not anything major.

I have to click the icon, then show all bookmarks, then bookmarks Menu, & it shows up in the window to the right. I then have to click "Open", & then the page comes up.

What did I do wrong jscher?

Are the bookmarks that you expect to see on the Bookmarks Toolbar in the real Bookmarks Toolbar folder as shown in the Bookmarks Manager (Library) directly under the All Bookmarks list ?

It is possible that they got restored to the Bookmarks Menu folder and in that case you need to move (copy) them to the real Bookmarks Toolbar folder to make them appear on the toolbar.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/bookmarks-toolbar-display-favorite-websites
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/bookmarks-firefox

No Corel,.... The "Bookmarks Toolbar Folder" was empty, until I began adding "Bookmarks" to it this morning, of which it only shows what i did today.

But again, the "Toolbar" is truly not a huge matter when compared to the "Main Bookmarks" & "Other Bookmarks".

How can I move the "Main Bookmarks" & "Other Bookmarks" to where they properly belong?

And, while I'm at it,.... Why do my posts now have to be Cleared by a Moderator,before they show here in these conversations,.... What did I do wrong?

Greetings,

This morning, I wanted to take a look at the "Recovered Main & Other Bookmarks", by going through "Show all Bookmarks", "Bookmarks menu", & then opening the Recovered Files & I got this:

"File not found

Firefox can’t find the file at /C:/Users/d2171/AppData/Local/Temp/bookmarks_from_json.html.

   Check the file name for capitalization or other typing errors.
   Check to see if the file was moved, renamed or deleted."

Greetings, I went back to the "Restore/Backup", a few minutes ago,& selected Feb.28, 2021 file, which Restored the "Main Bookmarks" only.

I then went to the saved "HTML Document" & Re-opened it, which again posted on Firefox, & gave me access to "The Main Bookmarks", "Other Bookmarks", & to my surprise, after some intensive searching, also the "Bookmarks Toolbar", so apparently, everything can be hopefully recovered?

What I don't want to do, at this moment, is in the Restore/Backup, click on "Import HTML", out of fear of causing even more problems, without being told to do so.

Also, while trying to get something to work, last night, in The "Show All Bookmarks/Restore & Back up section", while trying to find a "Restore" that would work, I began to experience "Freeze-ups". I waited several minutes for the 1st one to cease for several minutes, & finally hit "Close Progragm", which then sent some kind of message to Microsoft,..... this action happened approximately 5 times, which by that time, I was pretty flustered, & shut the PC down.

Today, as long as I have the "HTML File open", I can click on any of the Bookmarks, & access them.

And, I also noticed that any "New Bookmarks",when saving them, are not going in to the "Other Bookmarks"as usual, but in to the "Main Bookmarks" at the very bottom of that list.

Also, the Notice of my posts having to be "Approved by a Moderator", of which I did get a Screen Shot of, is no longer there.

"File not found Firefox can’t find the file at /C:/Users/d2171/AppData/Local/Temp/bookmarks_from_json.html. Check the file name for capitalization or other typing errors. Check to see if the file was moved, renamed or deleted."

Hi David, sorry I wasn't clear about that: if you use "Open" in Firefox's download dialog, it always uses the TEMP folder. Files may disappear from the TEMP folder at unpredictable intervals. If you want to save a file persistently, use Save first to get it into your Downloads folder, and then as a second step, open it from the downloads button after that.

I then went to the saved "HTML Document" & Re-opened it, which again posted on Firefox, & gave me access to "The Main Bookmarks", "Other Bookmarks", & to my surprise, after some intensive searching, also the "Bookmarks Toolbar", so apparently, everything can be hopefully recovered? What I don't want to do, at this moment, is in the Restore/Backup, click on "Import HTML", out of fear of causing even more problems, without being told to do so.

Yes, don't import, you'll get duplicates of everything.

And, I also noticed that any "New Bookmarks",when saving them, are not going in to the "Other Bookmarks"as usual, but in to the "Main Bookmarks" at the very bottom of that list.

Firefox recent switched from always saving new bookmarks under Other Bookmarks to always saving new bookmarks in the same location the last new bookmark was added.

Do you get a drop-down from the address bar each time you add a new bookmark? That lets you choose your preferred save folder. If you aren't getting that drop-down, click the blue star on a bookmarked page and then click the checkbox for "Show editor when saving" so that it does appear.

Of course, that doesn't help with cleaning up the older ones... in the converted file, are the missing bookmarks under Other Bookmarks or under Bookmarks Menu?

And, while I'm at it,.... Why do my posts now have to be Cleared by a Moderator,before they show here in these conversations,.... What did I do wrong?

There was a spate of 800-number and fake support link spam, so any post that matches certain patterns developed during that period goes through moderation. (Old timers can get an exemption and post links to non-Mozilla sites without moderation.)