Where'd the bookmarks go!?
Hi ~
The bookmarks are gone and need help getting them back.
Let me try to explain. My pc crashed when the motherboard went out. The computer maintenance people built me a new pc and transferred my files & pics over to it. They started the new pc in Chrome so of course I switched to Firefox - but my bookmarks didn't.
Also, during this time I had a new notebook that constantly gave me problems - so I never used the 'sync' option. After the maker's repair department thought they repaired it I couldn't try syncing because my pc was dead. I did, however, add a few bookmarks on it.
So, where are the bookmarks? I didn't sync with the notebook and all my info was transferred. I thought bookmarks were 'saved' through Firefox and I could get them back after signing in. Obviously that didn't work.
Would someone please help me find them? Many thanks & happy Thanksgiving!
All Replies (20)
It's possible a new Firefox profile was created.
Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox? If not, open the folder that contains the Firefox profiles. Check the dates.
Windows: %AppData%\Mozilla\ C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\ http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Windows Linux: ~/.mozilla/ http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Linux Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/ http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Mac
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles
Ipadupad2 said
The computer maintenance people built me a new pc and transferred my files & pics over to it.
I suggest telling them that you are looking for your Firefox profile data, and ask where they put it. (If they need help knowing where it was before, please see the links in Fred's reply.)
Alternately, you could try a global search of your computer. You'll probably need to turn off the hiding of hidden and system files and folders in order to be able to check everything. Microsoft has an article on that:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/show-hidden-files#show-hidden-files=windows-7
Then search for a folder named bookmarkbackups across your entire system. Obviously you'll have at least one -- the new one -- but hopefully they copied the older one somewhere.
Hi guys ~
I 'unhid' the files and ready to search for bookmarkbackups -- but I don't know how to do a global search!
Helpless,
Windows: Open the file browser to your user profile. In the search box, upper right of the window, enter key3
That should display all the user profiles. Right click on one and select Open In New Window
I would start searching from C:\ since we really have no idea where the recovery service would have put your files.
Guys, I am sorry for being so 'lame' but I don't understand!!
I went to C: and in the top wrote bookmarkbackups. I opened mine but was then told Windows didn't know what program to use. I let it find it itself but it couldn't. Then I tried and I didn't know what file either - Firefox isn't listed but IE and other things are.
As for opening file brower to user profile - HaHa! Don't have a clue with that either.
I'm sorry. I do appreciate your help.
The Firefox profile folder is normally located here:
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
"AppData" (XP: Application Data; Mac: ~/Library; Linux: ~/.mozilla) is a hidden folder.
So if you search for the bookmarkbackups folder then make sure to include hidden files and folders.
You can't open the bookmark backup files the way you can open documents. They are compressed in a way that only Firefox can process them. The main thing is, what did you find? Usually bookmark backup files have a date in the file name. Did any of them seem to be from the right time frame?
Happy Springtime!
I still have not solved the problem of being unable to recover my bookmarks -- ugg! I'm sorry for being so dense about it.
I did find the backup bookmarks file under profile. But a popup says it cannot find the program to open it up.
WHAT do I use and how do I find it?
Many thanks & blessings
jscher2000 said
You can't open the bookmark backup files the way you can open documents. They are compressed in a way that only Firefox can process them.
To open the Bookmarks Manager, press the Alt or F10 key bring up the tool bar, and select Bookmarks. Hot key is <Control>(Mac=<Command>) <Shift> B.
Once the window is open, at the top of the page, press the button labeled Import and Backup. Select Restore. From the list, pick the file you want and click it.
Okulungisiwe ngu FredMcD
Thanks Fred -- But where do I find the bookmark manager?!
Hi Ipadupad2, Fred gave two methods for calling up the Library dialog/Bookmarks manager:
(1) Menu Bar (Bookmarks menu > Show All Bookmarks) (2) Keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+b)
Okay --- I tried that with no luck.
The problem is I am on a new pc which only goes back a couple months. I thought the bookmarks were a part of Firefox not my pc. No?
What should I try next?
Let's start again.
(1) You already set Windows to show hidden files and folders (2) You open the C:\ drive in a Windows Explorer window
In the upper right corner is a search box where you can type or paste bookmarkbackups and let Windows grind away searching the whole disk.
How many different folders does it uncover? If it only finds the one you're currently using, then whoever copied over your data did not bring your Firefox profile folder to your new PC.
You mentioned Chrome. Does Chrome have the missing bookmarks? If so, see this article: Import bookmarks and other data from Google Chrome.
Ipadupad2 said
The problem is I am on a new pc which only goes back a couple months
Did you move the Firefox profiles from the old system to the new?
Do you have any JSON backups that you could use to restore bookmarks?
The name of a JSON bookmarks backup file includes a total item count (folders and separators included) and an hash value to prevent saving the same backup more than once.
- bookmarks-YYYY-MM-DD_<item count>_<hash>.jsonlz4.
The bookmark backup found only 4 items and only 1 before the change over. I tried opening it but am still getting the message that it can't find what to open it with. Now what!?
Ipadupad2 said
The bookmark backup found only 4 items and only 1 before the change over.
Okay, we're making progress. Do you have any bookmarks in Firefox right now that you want to save or are you ready to roll back? If there are any you want to save, please make an Export file (not a Backup, an Export), using the steps in this article: Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file to back up or transfer bookmarks.
Next: open the older bookmarkbackups folder and look for the most recent or biggest file fitting this naming pattern:
bookmarks-2016-...jsonlz4
Right-click the file and Copy
Then go to the Windows desktop and right-click > Paste the file there
Then go back to the Library dialog, Restore menu, and click the last item, "Choose File..."
This should launch a file browser window, go to the Windows desktop, and double-click the file you just pasted there. Then you can restore it.
Success?
Is there a backup that show an item count in its name that looks promising?
Restore menu?