FireFox Cannot Restore Bookmarks
After an earlier problem with restoring bookmarks, I had been carefully backing them up in both json and HTML files.
(I had run a Verify which showed no problems before initiating the new round of backups .)
When FF again randomly deleted a bookmark folder and all sub-folders, I tried to restore from both the json and HTML files.
The json files show 7000+ items. The HTML files are c. 25MB.
When I try to use either to Import bookmarks, nothing happens (no bookmarks are restored) except a message appears at the bottom: 'No Items'.
Yes, I should have stopped using FF after the earlier problem - my bad.
But I like FF more than the alternatives, and had, before the earlier problem, had always been able to recover by a restore.
The bookmarks that were wiped out in the latest random delete were my entire history of everything that I had saved from the Web on government and international relations - hundreds of Web pages, dating back to the 2016 presidential election. There is no way I can recreate that, unlike the earlier random deletion that was quite small and easily recreated.
I will now stop using FF and shift to Chrome, even though it is a PITA to use and gives Google everything I do on the Web.
All Replies (2)
If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync temporarily during troubleshooting.
You can check for issues with the places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite databases in the Firefox profile folder.
- use the "Places Database" -> "Verify Integrity" button on the "Help -> More Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page
If errors are reported with "Verify Integrity", close and restart Firefox or reboot and retry.
If "Verify Integrity" cannot repair places.sqlite, rename/remove all places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite files in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed. Firefox will rebuild places.sqlite and restore the bookmarks from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.
- keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created
- you lose the history when a new places.sqlite is created
You may have to restore an older bookmarks backup in the bookmarkbackups folder via the Bookmarks Manager (Library).
- Bookmarks -> Show All Bookmarks -> Import & Backup -> Restore
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/restore-bookmarks-from-backup-or-move-them
See also:
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/fix-bookmarks-and-history-will-not-be-functional
- https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/cant-add-change-or-save-bookmarks
You can use the button on the "Help -> More Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.
- Help -> More Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
I ran Verify again, with the same result: No problems. (Cf. the attached screen shot capture.)
FWIW, I imported the bookmarks (AKA 'Favorites') into Edge w.o. problems, using yesterday's HTML file. Very thankfully, the bookmark folder and subfolders that FF had deleted on its own today were there, at least as I've been able to determine so far.
So the problem is not with FF saving the bookmarks but with the restore code in FF.
A reply to the earlier restore problem mentioned that FF could have problems with restore simply because of the size of the places file.
I do have many bookmarks, so that seems the most likely cause, which means that FF just isn't going to work for me.
Now I'll see if Edge/Chrome has problems with that many bookmarks.
P.S. I should also mention that I opened FF in safe mode, to see if any of the extensions were causing the problem. Didn't make any difference.
