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The bookmarks menu in Firefox stopped scrolling

  • 24 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by Autotech1

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After the 90.0.2 update, the bookmarks menu no longer scrolls with the center wheel of my mouse. The center wheel scrolls properly in my emails, on webpages, everywhere else but the in the bookmarks. I have to use the up or down arrows to scroll through them, and it's a royal pain because I have so many bookmarks.

After the 90.0.2 update, the bookmarks menu no longer scrolls with the center wheel of my mouse. The center wheel scrolls properly in my emails, on webpages, everywhere else but the in the bookmarks. I have to use the up or down arrows to scroll through them, and it's a royal pain because I have so many bookmarks.

All Replies (20)

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Start Firefox using Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode {web link}

A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?

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FredMcD said

Start Firefox using Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode {web link} A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Troubleshoot(Safe) Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?

It's very erratic, (it jumps around a lot), but it does scroll, (if you can call what it's doing srolling), a little.

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That could mean the problem is with the mouse.

Make sure all software is up to date.

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FredMcD said

That could mean the problem is with the mouse. Make sure all software is up to date.

The Logitech unifying software is set to update and install automatically, but just to make sure, I unpaired both the mouse and keyboard, then re-paired them as well as checking for updates. There were no available updates. Excuse my ignorance, but if scrolling works everywhere else, why would outdated software keep it from working in the bookmarks menu?

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Make sure that all mouse buttons and the mouse wheel is set to the default action in the mouse driver software.

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cor-el said

Make sure that all mouse buttons and the mouse wheel is set to the default action in the mouse driver software.

I use my mouse left-handed, so I have the left and right buttons switched. Other than that, all other settings are set to the default action.

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Until I get this issue resolved, I have found a workaround. After clicking on the bookmarks tab, I select "show all bookmarks", and from there I select "bookmarks menu", where I can then scroll through all of my bookmarks. It's not ideal, but it beats using the up and down arrows to scroll very slowly through all of my bookmarks. Since scrolling through the bookmarks menu was never completely smooth, this method has the added benefit of scrolling smoothly without any hiccups. However, without having the up and down arrows, I don't have the ability to click on either of the arrows while simultaneously rolling the scroll wheel to allow for super fast scrolling like I used to be able to do. I still would like to find a solution though.

Modified by Autotech1

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Note that you should also be able to use the bookmarks sidebar (Ctrl+B) to inspect the bookmarks and have a vertical scroll bar.

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cor-el said

Note that you should also be able to use the bookmarks sidebar (Ctrl+B) to inspect the bookmarks and have a vertical scroll bar.

Thanks, that makes it a bit easier as I it takes two less steps to get to the folder and open the bookmark I want to open.

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The problem with using Ctrl + B is that it always starts at the top of my bookmarks. Since I don't close Firefox, when I clicked on the bookmarks tab, it was always where I left off the last time. I prefer that over starting from the top every time when I use Ctrl + B, but I was hoping that the update to 92.0 would have resolved this issue, but it didn't. I have tried a total of three different mice, all with the same results. I'm at the point where I'm considering removing Firefox and then reinstalling it, and if that doesn't work, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm not going to be happy having to start at the beginning of my bookmarks all of the time. Maybe I will just go back to using the bookmarks menu and using the arrows to scroll through them, at least that way, unless I close Firefox the bookmarks will always be where they were when I last used them. I wish there was a way to talk directly to a developer.

Modified by Autotech1

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Have you thought of using the search box?

Also, you can group bookmarks into folders of your choice. Including the Bookmarks Toolbar.

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Most of my bookmarks are grouped into folders which are in the menu bar. I have way too many folders to have them on the Bookmarks Toolbar though. I'm just so used to being able to scroll through the bookmarks that it's bugging me now that I can't. I did delete and then reinstall Firefox, but it either didn't delete everything, or it just didn't fix the issue. When I reinstalled Firefox, in the window that popped up there was a statement that Firefox had been previously installed, and gave me a choice of installing it without the add-ons. I chose to install it without them and added them back later, but only one of my issues was fixed, and it wasn't the scrolling through the bookmarks issue. I appreciate the suggestion FredMcD.

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Try this then; Open the Bookmarks Manager; Press the Alt or F10 key to bring up the toolbar, and select Bookmarks. Hot key is <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> B. Firefox 84+ <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> O.


You can right-click and select Open New Tab/Window.

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FredMcD said

Try this then; Open the Bookmarks Manager; Press the Alt or F10 key to bring up the toolbar, and select Bookmarks. Hot key is <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> B. Firefox 84+ <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> O. You can right-click and select Open New Tab/Window.

I don't know if those instructions are for a Mac, but I'm using a Windows PC. Pressing alt and F10 together did nothing, as did copying ad pasting "<Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> B" into the any search bar. That resulted in giving me keyboard shortcuts for Mac computers. I thought I had mentioned I was on a Windows PC in my original post, but I had not, and I apologize for that.

Modified by Autotech1

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You did not read my instructions properly.

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FredMcD said

You did not read my instructions properly.

I read your instructions properly, but I apologize for not understanding them. I figured it out and did what you suggested, but all that pressing the Alt or F10 key did was highlight or remove it for "organize" on the menu bar. I can't have done that incorrectly. At this point, I'm just going to live with it and hope that it fixes itself, otherwise I'll just continue to use the arrows to scroll through the folders/bookmarks.

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Do you want to file a bug report for this? It definitely is supposed to work, but there may be some condition that causes the wheel action to be directed to some element other than the menu (or folder on the menu) that we aren't guessing.

One thing to consider before filing a bug is to create a new profile that doesn't have any customizations other than importing your bookmarks. That would give the cleanest testbed for the developers.

(A) Export bookmarks to an HTML file. See: Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file to back up or transfer bookmarks

(B) Create a new profile (details below)

(C) Import the HTML file to populate your bookmarks menu in the new profile. See: Import Bookmarks from an HTML file

New Profile Test

This takes about 3 minutes, plus the time to test your bookmark menu.

Inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it.

Take a quick glance at the page and make a mental note of which Profile has this notation: This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted. That is your current default profile.

Click the "Create a New Profile" button, then click Next. Assign a name like Sept2021, ignore the option to relocate the profile folder, and click the Finish button.

Firefox will switch your default profile to the new one, so click the Set as Default Profile button for your regular one to avoid an unwanted surprise at your next startup.

Scroll down to Sept2021 and click its Launch profile in new browser button.

Firefox should open a new window that looks like a brand new, uncustomized installation. (Your existing Firefox window(s) should not be affected.) Please ignore any tabs enticing you to connect to a Sync account or to activate extensions found on your system to get a clean test.

Import your bookmarks file and test the scrolling.

When you are done with the experiment, you can close the extra window without affecting your regular Firefox profile. (Sept2021 will remain available for future testing.)

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jscher2000 said

Do you want to file a bug report for this? It definitely is supposed to work, but there may be some condition that causes the wheel action to be directed to some element other than the menu (or folder on the menu) that we aren't guessing. One thing to consider before filing a bug is to create a new profile that doesn't have any customizations other than importing your bookmarks. That would give the cleanest testbed for the developers. (A) Export bookmarks to an HTML file. See: Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file to back up or transfer bookmarks (B) Create a new profile (details below) (C) Import the HTML file to populate your bookmarks menu in the new profile. See: Import Bookmarks from an HTML file New Profile Test This takes about 3 minutes, plus the time to test your bookmark menu. Inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it. Take a quick glance at the page and make a mental note of which Profile has this notation: This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted. That is your current default profile. Click the "Create a New Profile" button, then click Next. Assign a name like Sept2021, ignore the option to relocate the profile folder, and click the Finish button. Firefox will switch your default profile to the new one, so click the Set as Default Profile button for your regular one to avoid an unwanted surprise at your next startup. Scroll down to Sept2021 and click its Launch profile in new browser button. Firefox should open a new window that looks like a brand new, uncustomized installation. (Your existing Firefox window(s) should not be affected.) Please ignore any tabs enticing you to connect to a Sync account or to activate extensions found on your system to get a clean test. Import your bookmarks file and test the scrolling. When you are done with the experiment, you can close the extra window without affecting your regular Firefox profile. (Sept2021 will remain available for future testing.)

Thank you for the in-depth instructions, they were easy to understand and follow. Once I had opened the new profile and imported the bookmarks, I had to remember to activate the bookmarks menu. When I did that, I was able to test the folder/bookmarks. Unfortunately the issue is still present; I can only scroll through the folders with the arrows. I have a second computer that I use in the garage, so I'm going to fire it up, see whether I can scroll through the bookmarks, as long as Firefox doesn't update automatically when I open it, and see what happens. Maybe it's just this computer, but I will let you know the results once I am finished.

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jscher2000 said

Do you want to file a bug report for this? It definitely is supposed to work, but there may be some condition that causes the wheel action to be directed to some element other than the menu (or folder on the menu) that we aren't guessing. One thing to consider before filing a bug is to create a new profile that doesn't have any customizations other than importing your bookmarks. That would give the cleanest testbed for the developers. (A) Export bookmarks to an HTML file. See: Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file to back up or transfer bookmarks (B) Create a new profile (details below) (C) Import the HTML file to populate your bookmarks menu in the new profile. See: Import Bookmarks from an HTML file New Profile Test This takes about 3 minutes, plus the time to test your bookmark menu. Inside Firefox, type or paste about:profiles in the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it. Take a quick glance at the page and make a mental note of which Profile has this notation: This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted. That is your current default profile. Click the "Create a New Profile" button, then click Next. Assign a name like Sept2021, ignore the option to relocate the profile folder, and click the Finish button. Firefox will switch your default profile to the new one, so click the Set as Default Profile button for your regular one to avoid an unwanted surprise at your next startup. Scroll down to Sept2021 and click its Launch profile in new browser button. Firefox should open a new window that looks like a brand new, uncustomized installation. (Your existing Firefox window(s) should not be affected.) Please ignore any tabs enticing you to connect to a Sync account or to activate extensions found on your system to get a clean test. Import your bookmarks file and test the scrolling. When you are done with the experiment, you can close the extra window without affecting your regular Firefox profile. (Sept2021 will remain available for future testing.)

I fired up the other computer and opened Firefox and checked what version was installed; it was 87.0. I then clicked on bookmarks and tested whether I could scroll through them, and I could. I updated Firefox to version 92.0 and tested the bookmarks again, and I was able to scroll through them. The mouse I am using is a Logitech M510, just like what I am using on my daily computer, and it was one of the mice I tested on same computer earlier. I then switched the mouse from my personal computer to the garage computer, then tested the bookmarks again and was still able to scroll through them. At this point I'm thinking it has to do with my daily use computer, but my automotive electronics diagnostic gut is asking "how can that be possible?".

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Make sure all software, including the mouse, is up to date.

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