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Bookmark recover keeps vanishing

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  • Last reply by gavins101

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Hi can anyone help? I've recently updated my Firefox having backed up bookmarks. I have recovered the bookmarks by following the advice and all is fine but then each time I close Firefox on my computer they vanish again and I have to go through the whole process of recovery again each time I re-open it. After recovering the backed up file in Show All Bookmarks is there something I can do to make this part of the permanent bookmark profile and not revert to blank each time it closes? I'm stuck!

Hi can anyone help? I've recently updated my Firefox having backed up bookmarks. I have recovered the bookmarks by following the advice and all is fine but then each time I close Firefox on my computer they vanish again and I have to go through the whole process of recovery again each time I re-open it. After recovering the backed up file in Show All Bookmarks is there something I can do to make this part of the permanent bookmark profile and not revert to blank each time it closes? I'm stuck!

Chosen solution

If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync temporarily during troubleshooting.

This can be caused by a problem with the places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite databases in the Firefox profile folder.

  • use "Verify Integrity" button on the "Help -> 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 a 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

See also:

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

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Chosen Solution

If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync temporarily during troubleshooting.

This can be caused by a problem with the places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite databases in the Firefox profile folder.

  • use "Verify Integrity" button on the "Help -> 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 a 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

See also:

You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.

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Thanks for your reply also thanks to all who contribute to many helpful tips on Moxilla. I found a solution by using Finder to open profiles, then opening an older profile with 'Open in New Browser' button, finding one which had a full bookmarks back up folder and selecting this one as 'Set as Default' profile. It did take a couple of goes as I hadn't realised I was then reopening via clicking on the original browser icon in the dock which of course wasn't using the updated default. Once I removed that browser icon from the doc leaving the one with the new default profile the problem was resolved. Thanks to all who help us through with such great tips to try.