Hi, the JSON files are used with the Restore feature. More info in this article: Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer. Does that work?

If that does not work, if you haven't already, please do a normal shutdown and/or restart of your system. Restarting Windows can help by freeing up locked files, completing any deferred updates, and resolving temporary file permission issues.

Next, if Firefox still has bookmark problems, could you let us know what you get when you run the "Verify Integrity" diagnosis and repair function. That's here:

Open Firefox's Troubleshooting Information page using any of these methods:

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

Near the bottom, there is a section titled Places Database -- that's the file which stores history and bookmarks. Click the button labeled Verify Integrity. There may be a 10-15 second delay before results appear.

If all is well, the report that appears below the button should start with:

> 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

Does yours say that, or something else? You can select and copy the report, and then paste it into a reply for review and comment.

What I had was a windows soft reset, which did wipe the bookmarks.

What is a Windows soft reset?

Soft reset is when you do not wipe anything from the laptop. The files are still here, may be browsing history has gone, together with the bookmarks. The exercise didn;t work, in fact "integrity" bit completely disappeared from that list. Troubleshooting Information This page contains technical information that might be useful when you’re trying to solve a problem. If you are looking for answers to common questions about Firefox, check out our support website. Application Basics Name Firefox Version 93.0 Build ID 20210927210923 Distribution ID Update Folder C:\ProgramData\Mozilla\updates\308046B0AF4A39CB Update History Update Channel release User Agent Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:93.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/93.0 OS Windows_NT 10.0 18363 Application Binary C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe Profile Folder C:\Users\TC\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\jniw8h29.default-release Enabled Plugins about:plugins Build Configuration about:buildconfig Memory Use about:memory Performance about:performance Registered Service Workers about:serviceworkers Third-party Modules about:third-party Launcher Process Enabled Multiprocess Windows 1/1 Fission Windows 0/1 Disabled by default Remote Processes 7 Enterprise Policies Inactive Google Location Service Key Found Google Safebrowsing Key Found Mozilla Location Service Key Found Safe Mode false Profiles about:profiles Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days Report ID Submitted

All Crash Reports Firefox Features Name Version ID Add-ons Search Detection 1.0.1 addons-search-detection@mozilla.com DoH Roll-Out 2.0.0 doh-rollout@mozilla.org Firefox Screenshots 39.0.1 screenshots@mozilla.org Form Autofill 1.0.1 formautofill@mozilla.org Picture-In-Picture 1.0.0 pictureinpicture@mozilla.org Proxy Failover 1.0.1 proxy-failover@mozilla.com Reset Search Defaults 2.1.0 reset-search-defaults@mozilla.com Web Compatibility Interventions 26.3.0 webcompat@mozilla.org WebCompat Reporter 1.4.2 webcompat-reporter@mozilla.org Remote Features Name Status bug-1690367-rollout-moving-webrtc-networking-functionality-into-i-release-87-100 active bug-1712189-rollout-keep-firefox-up-to-date-even-when-it-is-not-ru-release-90-94 active upgradeDialog (upgradeDialog-defaultEnabled) Remote Processes Type Count Web Content 2 / 8 Extension 1 Privileged About 1 Preallocated 1 GPU 1 Socket 1 Add-ons Name Type Version Enabled ID Asynchronous Pan/Zoom wheel input enabled; scrollbar drag enabled; keyboard enabled; autoscroll enabled; smooth pinch-zoom enabled WebGL 1 Driver WSI Info EGL_VENDOR: Google Inc. (adapter LUID: 000000000000778f) EGL_VERSION: 1.5 (ANGLE 2.1.14226 git hash: 31a43497be09) EGL_EXTENSIONS: EGL_EXT_create_context_robustness EGL_ANGLE_d3d_share_handle_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_d3d_texture_client_buffer EGL_ANGLE_surface_d3d_texture_2d_share_handle EGL_ANGLE_query_surface_pointer EGL_ANGLE_window_fixed_size EGL_ANGLE_keyed_mutex EGL_ANGLE_surface_orientation EGL_ANGLE_direct_composition EGL_NV_post_sub_buffer EGL_KHR_create_context EGL_EXT_device_query EGL_KHR_image EGL_KHR_image_base EGL_KHR_gl_texture_2D_image EGL_KHR_gl_texture_cubemap_image EGL_KHR_gl_renderbuffer_image EGL_KHR_get_all_proc_addresses EGL_KHR_stream EGL_KHR_stream_consumer_gltexture EGL_NV_stream_consumer_gltexture_yuv EGL_ANGLE_flexible_surface_compatibility EGL_ANGLE_stream_producer_d3d_texture EGL_ANGLE_create_context_webgl_compatibility EGL_CHROMIUM_create_context_bind_generates_resource EGL_CHROMIUM_sync_control EGL_EXT_pixel_format_float EGL_KHR_surfaceless_context EGL_ANGLE_display_texture_share_group EGL_ANGLE_display_semaphore_share_group EGL_ANGLE_create_context_client_arrays EGL_ANGLE_program_cache_control EGL_ANGLE_robust_resource_initialization EGL_ANGLE_create_context_extensions_enabled EGL_ANDROID_blob_cache EGL_ANDROID_recordable EGL_ANGLE_image_d3d11_texture EGL_ANGLE_create_context_backwards_compatible EGL_KHR_create_context_no_error EGL_KHR_reusable_sync EGL_EXTENSIONS(nullptr): EGL_EXT_client_extensions EGL_EXT_platform_base EGL_EXT_platform_device EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle_d3d EGL_ANGLE_platform_angle_d3d11on12 EGL_ANGLE_device_creation EGL_ANGLE_device_creation_d3d11 EGL_ANGLE_experimental_present_path EGL_KHR_client_get_all_proc_addresses EGL_KHR_debug EGL_ANGLE_explicit_context EGL_ANGLE_feature_control IsWebglOutOfProcessEnabled: 0 WebGL 1 Driver Renderer Google Inc. -- ANGLE (Microsoft Basic Render Driver Direct3D11 vs_5_0 ps_5_0) WebGL 1 Driver Version OpenGL ES 2.0.0 (ANGLE 2.1.14226 git hash: 31a43497be09) WebGL 1 Driver Extensions GL_ANGLE_base_vertex_base_instance GL_ANGLE_client_arrays GL_ANGLE_depth_texture GL_ANGLE_explicit_context GL_ANGLE_explicit_context_gles1 GL_ANGLE_framebuffer_blit GL_ANGLE_framebuffer_multisample GL_ANGLE_get_tex_level_parameter GL_ANGLE_instanced_arrays GL_ANGLE_lossy_etc_decode GL_ANGLE_memory_size GL_ANGLE_multi_draw GL_ANGLE_multiview_multisample GL_ANGLE_pack_reverse_row_order GL_ANGLE_program_cache_control GL_ANGLE_provoking_vertex GL_ANGLE_request_extension GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt3 GL_ANGLE_texture_compression_dxt5 GL_ANGLE_texture_usage GL_ANGLE_translated_shader_source GL_CHROMIUM_bind_generates_resource GL_CHROMIUM_bind_uniform_location GL_CHROMIUM_color_buffer_float_rgb GL_CHROMIUM_color_buffer_float_rgba GL_CHROMIUM_copy_compressed_texture GL_CHROMIUM_copy_texture GL_CHROMIUM_lose_context GL_CHROMIUM_sync_query GL_EXT_EGL_image_external_wrap_modes GL_EXT_blend_func_extended GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_color_buffer_half_float GL_EXT_debug_marker GL_EXT_discard_framebuffer GL_EXT_disjoint_timer_query GL_EXT_draw_buffers GL_EXT_draw_elements_base_vertex GL_EXT_float_blend GL_EXT_frag_depth GL_EXT_instanced_arrays GL_EXT_map_buffer_range GL_EXT_multisampled_render_to_texture GL_EXT_occlusion_query_boolean GL_EXT_read_format_bgra GL_EXT_robustness GL_EXT_sRGB GL_EXT_shader_texture_lod GL_EXT_texture_compression_bptc GL_EXT_texture_compression_dxt1 GL_EXT_texture_compression_rgtc GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc_srgb GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_format_BGRA8888 GL_EXT_texture_rg GL_EXT_texture_storage GL_EXT_unpack_subimage GL_KHR_debug GL_KHR_no_error GL_KHR_parallel_shader_compile GL_KHR_robust_buffer_access_behavior GL_NV_EGL_stream_consumer_external GL_NV_fence GL_NV_pack_subimage GL_NV_pixel_buffer_object GL_OES_EGL_image GL_OES_EGL_image_external GL_OES_compressed_EAC_R11_signed_texture GL_OES_compressed_EAC_R11_unsigned_texture GL_OES_compressed_EAC_RG11_signed_texture GL_OES_compressed_EAC_RG11_unsigned_texture GL_OES_compressed_ETC2_RGB8_texture GL_OES_compressed_ETC2_RGBA8_texture GL_OES_compressed_ETC2_punchthroughA_RGBA8_texture GL_OES_compressed_ETC2_punchthroughA_sRGB8_alpha_texture GL_OES_compressed_ETC2_sRGB8_alpha8_texture GL_OES_compressed_ETC2_sRGB8_texture GL_OES_depth24 GL_OES_depth32 GL_OES_draw_elements_base_vertex GL_OES_element_index_uint GL_OES_fbo_render_mipmap GL_OES_get_program_binary GL_OES_mapbuffer GL_OES_packed_depth_stencil GL_OES_rgb8_rgba8 GL_OES_standard_derivatives GL_OES_surfaceless_context GL_OES_texture_border_clamp GL_OES_texture_float GL_OES_texture_float_linear GL_OES_texture_half_float GL_OES_texture_half_float_linear GL_OES_texture_npot GL_OES_texture_stencil8 GL_OES_vertex_array_object GL_WEBGL_video_texture WebGL 1 Extensions ANGLE_instanced_arrays EXT_blend_minmax EXT_color_buffer_half_float EXT_float_blend EXT_frag_depth EXT_shader_texture_lod EXT_sRGB EXT_texture_compression_bptc EXT_texture_compression_rgtc EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic MOZ_debug OES_element_index_uint OES_fbo_render_mipmap OES_standard_derivatives OES_texture_float OES_texture_float_linear OES_texture_half_float OES_texture_half_float_linear OES_vertex_array_object WEBGL_color_buffer_float WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc WEBGL_compressed_texture_s3tc_srgb WEBGL_debug_renderer_info WEBGL_debug_shaders WEBGL_depth_texture WEBGL_draw_buffers WEBGL_lose_context WebGL 2 Driver WSI Info - WebGL 2 Driver Renderer WebGL creation failed:

• AllowWebgl2:false restricts context creation on this system. ()

WebGL 2 Driver Version - WebGL 2 Driver Extensions - WebGL 2 Extensions - Direct2D Blocked for your graphics card because of unresolved driver issues. Target Frame Rate 64 DirectWrite true (10.0.18362.1082) GPU #1 Active Yes Description Microsoft Basic Display Driver Vendor ID 0x00ba Device ID 0x00ba Driver Version 10.0.18362.329 Driver Date 6-21-2006 Drivers Unknown Subsys ID 000000ba RAM 0 GPU #2 Active No RAM 0 Diagnostics AzureCanvasBackend skia AzureCanvasBackend (UI Process) skia AzureContentBackend skia AzureContentBackend (UI Process) skia AzureFallbackCanvasBackend (UI Process) skia CMSOutputProfile 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

Soft reset is when you do not wipe anything from the laptop. The files are still here, may be browsing history has gone, together with the bookmarks.

Hmm, why would Windows wipe your Firefox bookmarks and history?

Windows does have a Refresh feature that can move all your data to a C:\Windows.old folder. If you see such a folder, let me know for more suggestions.

The exercise didn;t work, in fact "integrity" bit completely disappeared from that list.

So you started with this:

But after you click it, instead of getting a report like the following after 15 seconds or so, that whole section disappeared?

There was a file called OldFirefoxData, so my boyfriend managed to restore bookmarks somehow!! Thanks for advice.