ErictheGreen said

I can't recover my book marks through the usual ways suggested.

What have you tried so far?

To more easily explore your external disk's backup of hidden folders, please make sure to enable viewing of hidden files and folders: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/show-hidden-files

The usual ways of accessing files to restore. I tried the import and backup link, which is now not visible either. But when it was, I "chose" and all the files ended up with nothing available.

Now I am trying to import all my back up files into the google chrome browser-- which by the way restores all my bookmarks without any of this endless hassle I get trying to use firefox.

Do you have your entire old profile folder still available? In particular, at the main level (above the bookmarkbackups folder), do you have the places.sqlite file? That's your old bookmarks + history database and we could try copying that over and replacing your current bookmarks + history database with that file. If you want to try that:

(1) Rename the places.sqlite in your current profile folder

Open the Troubleshooting Information page using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
• Help menu > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table, click the "Show Folder" button. Firefox will launch your current profile folder in Windows Explorer.

Leaving that folder open, switch back to Firefox, and Exit using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
• (menu bar) File > Exit

When Firefox closes, the profile folder should be front and center, or you can activate it using the Task bar.

Allow a little time for Firefox to clean up the database, then rename places.sqlite to place.old or places-old.sqlite just in case it is needed later.

(2) Copy Over Your Old Database

Leaving the current profile window open, open or switch over to your old profile folder in a different window.

Right-click places.sqlite and choose Copy.

Switch back to your current profile folder in other window and right-click > Paste.

Windows should not prompt you about replacing anything when you do that, since you already renamed the file that was there. If Windows asks if you want to replace something, you may be pasting into the wrong folder.

(3) Start Firefox

Firefox should start up with your old history and bookmarks. Success?

windows can't open my back up file. That's really strange since windows told me to make it, huh! I'm waiting for many minutes to see if google will open it. Firefox went into it, I know that. I found this suggestion on a support page somewhere. Any other tips on how to open this file?

ErictheGreen said

Now I am trying to impo all my back up files into the google chrome browser-- which by the way restores all my bookmarks without any of this endless hassle I get trying to use firefox.

Yes, cloud storage is very convenient, and Google makes it harder to avoid than Firefox. Did you ever set up a Sync account to copy your bookmarks to Mozilla's servers?

ErictheGreen said

windows can't open my back up file. That's really strange since windows told me to make it, huh! I'm waiting for many minutes to see if google will open it.

What kind of file is it?

If you used the Windows backup program, it may have created some kind of compressed archive (zip format?). I would check a Vista site or Microsoft's site for how to extract your desired files from it.

jscher2000 said

ErictheGreen said

Now I am trying to impo all my back up files into the google chrome browser-- which by the way restores all my bookmarks without any of this endless hassle I get trying to use firefox.

Yes, cloud storage is very convenient, and Google makes it harder to avoid than Firefox. Did you ever set up a Sync account to copy your bookmarks to Mozilla's servers?

I don't know anything about sync accounts. before google restored my bookmarks after any problem; firefox does not. Nothing is easy with firefox, evidently.

jscher2000 said

ErictheGreen said

windows can't open my back up file. That's really strange since windows told me to make it, huh! I'm waiting for many minutes to see if google will open it.

What kind of file is it?

If you used the Windows backup program, it may have created some kind of compressed archive (zip format?). I would check a Vista site or Microsoft's site for how to extract your desired files from it.

I don't think there are any such sites. I keep looking..... It's not a zip format; it's just a folder that says backup that I can't open, that I put on my external hard drive according to the vista systems restore instructions

ErictheGreen said

It's not a zip format; it's just a folder that says backup that I can't open, that I put on my external hard drive according to the vista systems restore instructions

If you right-click the folder and choose Properties, does that give any additional information? Usually that displays the General tab of the Properties dialog. Normal file folders say:

Type: File folder

Does yours have that or some other type?

When you look at the Contains line, are there hundreds of files/folders inside?

it says fbw filed. there is no "contains" line.

It says "opens with windows shell commo.... (can't see the rest of this)

Looks like it was created by an HP tool, so maybe this will help:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/Recover-data-from-fbw-file-Windows-Vista-Home-Premium/td-p/821803

Also:

https://www.google.com/search?q=windows+vista+restore+fbw+file

google link found 0 items. No luck with the other link so far

ErictheGreen said

google link found 0 items. No luck with the other link so far

I don't understand. Google link should give you numerous articles about the HP backup/restore software for .fbw files. ???