Did you back up the data on your computer before you re-installed? If you saved your Application Data Folder you can recover the data from there.

no as isaid i thought all i had to do was register

Do you mean register for Sync? Sync is not for backing up, but simply for syncing two or more devices with each other.

no i registered here with firefox i somehow got the impression that my profile when registered would be recoverable including bookmarks this is a total disaster

This is just a Support site, it doesn't do anything at all to recover your data.

Whenever you reinstall an operating system you need to make sure you take 150% precautions that your data is backed up, preferably in multiple locations. As I said Firefox Sync is not a backup service and was never meant to be one. For re-installing an operating system you should at least have a copy of all your files on an external hard drive, and perhaps a few other locations, such as a cloud backup service (carbonite, mozy, etc.). If you aren't sure how to do that you should have had a reputable local computer repair shop re-install Windows for you and asked them to save your data. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do since you didn't take these precautions to make sure your personal information was safe.

saved everything but my mozilla profile , including bookmarks simply because i thot it was automatic if i was registered . I got that idea from reading about people who had lost their firefox bookmarks on a help page like this . obviously i was misinformed i really only wish someone at mozilla actually cared

We do care, but caring won't get them back unfortunately. Believe me if you had saved the profile I'd be the first one helping you, but there is nothing we can do. This is just a support site, registering here isn't going to back anything up. Some people who have lost their bookmarks before come here and we help them find them, but that's because they have a backup on their computer.

Did you save the Application data folder in your user in windows? The Firefox folder lives there

turns out i did back up my bookmarks about a month before the crash . unfortunately i did it with firefox and now the file cannot be opened even with special programs designed to open those exact type file extensions (.json to be exact ) to to try chrome , much as i hate to i guess

Have you tried using Firefox to open the json? Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer

yes that was the first thing i tried

Well if you can't use Firefox to open it, it's most likely corrupted. json is a Firefox bookmark backup and Firefox should be able to open it if the file is intact.

How do you go about using Firefox to get to json ? What I'm looking for is the procedure to get to and open the file?

Hi SUBLETTEBA, do you want to restore a JSON-format bookmarks backup, or is your question about some other kind of JSON-format file?

In the following article, you'll notice at the bottom of the Restore menu is "Choose File". That lets you point Firefox to wherever on your computer the backup is located. If you don't know where it's located, can you provide more information about what happened?

Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer

Make sure that the backup file with the bookmarks has the correct file extension:

• .html for a HTML backup
• .json for a JSON backup

You can check the type via the right-click context menu of that file and open the Properties.
If you are not sure about the file type then you can open the file in Firefox via "File > Open File"
A JSON backup will show as one long text line without line breaks and a HTML backup as a web page with clickable links.

A JSON backup starts with: {"title":"","id":1,"dateAdded":
An HTML backup starts with: <!DOCTYPE NETSCAPE-Bookmark-file-1>

Add quotes ("") around the name to rename the file to the correct file extension if the current file extension is hidden or if it is otherwise not working.
Verify the file type in the Properties via the right-click context menu to make sure that the change has been successful.

I have backed up my information, before my computer crashed and I reinstalled windows. I am unable to find a JSON file in the backed Mozilla folder or any file with above name.

What are the file names that you do have backed up?

Hi kari69, after your reinstall, did Windows create a new folder named C:\Windows.old\ ? That might contain an additional copy of your application data if your backup turns out not to have what you need.

the-edmeister I have attached a screenshot of the files in the Mozilla folder.

jscher2000 It is the original folder, which was backed up.

Hi kari69, that looks like the Mozilla\Firefox program folder (under C:\Programs or C:\Programs (x86)). Unfortunately, that folder doesn't contain your personal settings (AKA your Firefox profile folder). Those are/were located with other application data. Did you make a backup of any other folders?

There is a Maintenance Services Folder, but nothing else related to Mozilla.