Hi, sorry about that; your bookmarks shouldn't have gone! First try restarting Firefox - 3-bar menu > Exit Firefox in bottom right corner.

If that doesn't help, and in case a Refresh has occurred, please look on your Desktop for a file named Old Firefox Data - Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings.

If the file isn't there, please see -

• Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data.

• Recovering important data from an old profile.

For future reference: If you have a lot of important bookmarks, it's worth backing them up manually every so often, it's very easy, and only takes a minute: Open bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Backup. Or, Export Bookmarks to HTML, and save them to somewhere convenient on your computer. Note that Backup will overwrite any existing bookmarks when you restore them.

If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you!

These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.

These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox

FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) {web link} FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backups of files that you choose.

OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences

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

• https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/

See also:

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Bookmarks+not+saved#w_fix-the-bookmarks-file

You can try to restore an older compressed .jsonlz4 backup if there is a problem with the most recent.

• Bookmarks -> Show All Bookmarks -> Import & Backup > Restore

Do you have an "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop in case the Refresh feature in Firefox has been used and a new profile has been created?

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/reset-firefox-easily-fix-most-problems

You can copy files like these to the current Firefox profile folder to recover specific data.

• bookmarks and history: places.sqlite
• bookmark backups: JSON backups in the bookmarkbackups folder
• SQLite files like cookies.sqlite (cookies) and formhistory.sqlite (saved form data)
• logins.json and key3.db (decryption key) for Passwords saved in the Password Manager
• cert8.db and possibly cert_override.txt for (intermediate) certificates stored in the Certificate Manager
• persdict.dat for words you added to the spelling checker dictionary
• permissions.sqlite for Permissions and possibly content-prefs.sqlite for other Site Preferences
• sessionstore.js for open tabs and pinned tabs and tab groups

You can use this button to go to the current Firefox profile folder:

• Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Directory:
  Windows: Show Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox

None of the above help, if I perform a refresh the firefox or my browser will no longer open or if I stay with the new version it will not access my bookmarks even after performing a backup of them. What ever they have upgraded has not worked used firefox for over 15 years without a problem until now. Also after refresh you struggle to even delete firefox as when you try to uninstall even though closed it states canot uninstall as firefox is running.

Type about:profiles<enter> in the address bar. How many profiles are listed? How many should be there?

It has taken me THREE YEARS to save and personalize my Firefox page. Many people who know about teckie things warned me that FF was a "piece of shit". I ignored them and continued collecting saved shortcuts with p/words, for my favourite site.

I asked here how to increase the one line of saved little clickable icons to 3 and someone kindly helped.

The point I am making is that it took me YEARS AND YEARS to get Firefox set up how I wanted. Now it is all gone. Firefox itself has gone, now I am only left with Google which I HATE for the CENSORSHIP.

Unless someone is able to tell me how to get my own setting and info of saved often used icon bars back, I guess it is time to move to a a reliable browser which does not willy-nilly wipe out YEARS of work from a fan (previous fan) of Firefox.

WTF didn't you sent out a warning if an update is the reason this happened? I have turned off ALL updates and yet Google updates are still getting through.

I strongly suspect that the Google update which persisted last night is to blame, although may be wrong.

Kept saying postpone for 4 hours. But when I switched the machine off, it jumped in and updated.

First time of switching on today and Firefox is GONE. Totally gone.

To say I am angry is a Huge understatement.

Those tabs represented a distilled number of sites I visit more than 3 times a day, they each had the pw remembered. AND I had 3 lines of them, that being about 19 remembered sites I could easily and quickly connect to. GONE.

Not only that, all my add ons, like Ghostery the traffic sign with a bar through it to stop ad trackers - ALL OF IT HAS GONE

What kind of people do that to their best customers ?

Unless I hear from someone pretty soon about this FFox are toast. AND i will spread the word far and wide.

I am DISGUSTED at this. You have WIPED OUT setting and dont ask me to look for a back up because there isn't one.

SICKENING FIREFOX

annethewriter It sounds like your Firefox was reset.

Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible

These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.

These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/febe/ FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension)

FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backups of files that you choose.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/opie/ OPIE

Import/Export extension preferences

Hi annethewriter, I'm sorry to hear about your data loss. Obviously that is not supposed to happen.

What OS do you run, for example, Windows 10, MacOS 10.11, etc.?

If you haven't already, before doing any file moves/deletes/reinstalls, you may want to do a normal system shutdown and startup to release any file locks and complete any pending updates. One user reported it took three shutdown/restarts to sort out his issues.

If your data does not magically reappear, the most likely scenarios are:

(1) A Refresh occurred but the migration of data from your old profile to your new profile was incomplete, or
(2) Your old profile was locked, so Firefox ignored it and created a new one

Here's how to investigate those two possibilities:

Did Firefox perform a Refresh?

Unless it was interrupted in progress, you should find a folder on your desktop named Old Firefox Data. Inside would be a semi-randomly-named folder with freshly updated files. Do you see anything like that?

If so, we'll suggest how to rescue key files or completely restore the earlier profile folder.

If not...

Does the Profile Manager list your immediately previous profile folder?

To check on that, inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it.

This page should list all the profiles Firefox is currently aware of. If you see a profile that is not currently set as default that looks promising, scroll down to it and click the Set as default profile button below that profile, then scroll back up and click the Restart normally button. (There are some other buttons, but I think those are still "under construction" so please ignore them.)

Firefox should exit and then start up using the other profile. Is that the right one?

If it's not there...

Did Firefox orphan your old profile folder?

Here's how to check whether there are additional profile folders in the standard location in addition to the one you're using. Start by opening your current Firefox profile folder using either:

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

In the first table on the page, click:

* Windows: the "Open Folder" button, to launch a new window listing various files and folders in Windows Explorer.
* Mac: the "Show in Finder" button, to launch a new window listing various files and folders in Finder.

In the Windows Explorer address bar, click the capitalized word Profiles to move up one level in the folder hierarchy. More than one folder here by any chance? Do the files in those folders look like they were last updated around the time of the update?

(Mac users: please do what you need to do in Finder to check up one level...)

If you've got any promising looking folders, we can discuss next steps to recover use of them.

To the first poster who replied, NO there is nothing on the desktop. Or anywhere else.

I read someones reply and said to look for some other poor bastard that this happened to. Nada.

WHY and WHO would "re-set Firefox" without even the courtesy or manners to tell me ? I am totally disgusted with Firefox, Google who have taken over where Firefox was, and Microsoft, because I think (but may be wrong ) that it was THEIR pesky UPDATE NOW box which insisted I update all day yesterday. I postponed it for 4 hours all day AND have switched off all auto updates so how the heck would any get through ?

Sickening.

Reply to "JS"  : I am running Win 7.

I have done NOTHING yet about it (except cry, I am not a techie person and it takes me DAYS to get things working, I put a great deal of effort into FF for 4 yrs minimum and in one update - swish - it is all wiped clean. Primarily I want to know WHO did it so I can blast the living hell out of them.

It could have been interrupted in progress by me switching it off at the wall. But I am not even sure it was an update from FF - could just as easily have been from Windows, Microsoft, Google or anyone else.

I have SWITCHED OFF all auto updates and i was MAD that they were STILL trying to do it without my permission.

I have rebooted 4 times. I will try more when time.

NO there is nothing whatsoever on my desktop about FFox.

For JS

I have tried to do your "from within FF" but it seems I dont have FF any more on my computer.

I have clicked on the icon on the lower icon bar - up pops Google search. I have looked at my list of ALL programs on the bottom right corner of the screen, clicked on the FF logo and again, up comes Google search Only. Nothing whatsoever to do with firefox.

I have no idea where else to look.

To JS

Now, when I click on the FF logo to start it this is what I get:

https://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=L0cbWYf4OMKN8QelgoGwAw

No sign of firefox anywhere

So I cannot get inside it to do anything since it appears to be gone.

A WHOLE DAY WASTED DUE TO SOMEONES CARELESS THOUGHTLESS ATTITUDE. I AM STILL HOPPING MAD. How can I find out WHO updated the machine any ideas ? (and by the way thank you for being so very helpful". Anne x

Hi Anne

What Firefox version do you currently use (Help > About)?

annethewriter said

I have tried to do your "from within FF" but it seems I dont have FF any more on my computer.

I have clicked on the icon on the lower icon bar - up pops Google search. I have looked at my list of ALL programs on the bottom right corner of the screen, clicked on the FF logo and again, up comes Google search Only.

It's possible for Firefox to start with Google as the home page. That's not the standard setting, usually you get a built-in Firefox home page if you lose all your settings.

To see whether the Google home page is appearing within Firefox, check the styling of the browser. Firefox has rounded edges on the active tab on the tab bar, which I think is unique among current browsers (Chrome has angled edges, and Microsoft's browser's have straight vertical edges).

You also can call up Firefox's "Troubleshooting Information" page from the hidden menu bar to see details about your installation. To try that, tap either the Alt key or the F10 function key to display the menu bar temporarily. Then you can use Help > Troubleshooting Information. If that loads, I'm pretty sure it's Firefox.

annethewriter said

A WHOLE DAY WASTED DUE TO SOMEONES CARELESS THOUGHTLESS ATTITUDE. I AM STILL HOPPING MAD. How can I find out WHO updated the machine any ideas ?

The software mostly updates itself now. There probably are no humans involved on your machine other than you and anyone you live with.

I should mention that cats have been known to occasionally walk on a keyboard and cause havoc; it's a good idea to lock the screen when you leave the keyboard if you have a cat.

To JS :

I clicked the coloured round button bottom right which has all the programs listed above it. An empty search box appears above it. i type in Firefox. The screenshot attached is what came up.

I clicked on the very top one, shaded in blue FIREFOX and got the link to the Google search engine I sent you before come up in the URL box. Nothing about firefox at all.

I am adding the screen shot so it may provide a glimmer of a clue for you and thank you very much for bothering to help, you are a good man.

To JS

Does the attachment, the screen shot tell you if the edges are round or straight or whatever, sorry I dont understand that bit at all.

Did warn u I am no techie. Not even vaguely.

And no, only me here, no cats dogs ppl, oh, a big spider in the bathroom I am too scared to get near to in order to spray him or whack him.

Not joking.

For JS

No clue where this is

"You also can call up Firefox's "Troubleshooting Information" page from the hidden menu bar to see details about your installation."

Didn't even know I had a hidden menu bar.

A hopeless case ?