How can I recover my bookmarks, history, profile?
This is very frustrating.
I abuse my Firefox, it's true. I run upwards of 30 tabs on a regular basis and save most pages to my bookmarks.
What recently happened, is that upon starting my computer, my Firefox had no profile, no bookmarks and no history or download history - like it was an new install or something. I have so much important information stored up over years, so it's important that I retrieve my old bookmarks.
I usually just restore old sessions, so the last time I had used it, I just closed normally with an open session of 20+ tabs. I think for the first time, I had also sent in a crash log on that day. I had also installed a week prior to this screw up, an add on which allowed me to duplicate tabs. Of course, it isn't attached to the browser anymore.
Please help.
All Replies (17)
Not only that, but other things seem to be wiping from my computer.
- Ventrilo Ports and Usernames - Itunes music (although the mp3 file stays in the folder) shortcuts from my desktop not appearing despite being in the folder when I look in C drive. -
I'm not very good, can you talk to me a bit more than just linking me.
I can't make head or tail of this, or find any profile at all.
I've found some larger files in my apps/roaming/filrefox/profiles stuff... but have no idea how to bring them back.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
Then you can go one level up and see if there are more profiles present.
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
The "AppData" folder in Windows Vista and later Window 7+ versions and the "Application Data" folder in XP/Win2K are hidden folders.
You can also check if there is an "Old Firefox Data" folder on the desktop that gets created when you reset Firefox.
The first method returns an error.
The second method: there only seems to be one profile in appdata, and this is with everything unhidden. I can see some larger files, with a date and time which I last used when my browser/computer were in working order. One of these is an places.sqlite, size is around 82,000KB, a webappsstore.sqlite which is around 35,000KB. I opened the first one with wordpad and even though it's mostly nonsense, some of the text does make itself out to be sites I would have previously visited. Which corresponds to which and how do I import them? Also, if this is an new profile, why do I have old information in it?
For the third, I'm pretty sure there is nothing of the kind. Part of the problem, however, is that when I switched on my computer and the browser was wiped, many of the shortcuts were missing, despite being assigned to desktop if I went looking for their location.
Additional information:
For some reason, I think my Mozilla is running a profile from Users/Temp/Appdata but - that my old information is still in Users/Richard/Adddata.
In addition to that, I downloaded MalwareBytes and the setup went into the TEMP folder.
It sounds that Windows had difficulties with your Windows account and has created a temporary account.
Ok, I managed to find my profile and copy and paste the information in. So I was given the option to restore my lost session and it appears that all of my bookmarks are there.
Thing is, it appears they are all there but I'm not totally convinced. I pasted User/Appdata/Roaming/Mozilla/Firefox and the 3 files in there - Crash reports, Profiles and Profiles Ini. Should I have pasted other files from elsewhere as well, or should everything have been in Appdata/Roaming?
Thanks
hello?
As long as you get back bookmarks, history, passwords,, the rest can come later, like settings, options.
These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.
These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox
FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) {web link} FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backup of files that you choose.
OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences
I'm asking this -
Thing is, it appears they are all there but I'm not totally convinced. I pasted User/Appdata/Roaming/Mozilla/Firefox and the 3 files in there - Crash reports, Profiles and Profiles Ini. Should I have pasted other files from elsewhere as well, '''''or should everything have been in Appdata/Roaming? ''
You are fine.
So, so long as that is pasted over to a new mozilla, everything should be there?
You keep asking the same question. The answer is still the same.
Also, sometimes if I search for a particular bookmark by name, it will be there, but when I visit the site, the blue star isn't filled in (blue star lets you know it is bookmarked). If I bookmark it again, it clones the bookmark and I have 2 of the same.
Just finding it odd how it is technically bookmarked in the search but not visibly from the browser star icon.
It could be the old bookmark is re-directed to a new web page. Compare them to each other.
Go to the Mozilla Add-ons Web Page {web link} (There’s a lot of good stuff here) and search for what you want. There are several add-ons that can check your bookmarks for you, and even check for duplicates.