If you type about:profiles in the Firefox address bar, you see more than one profile listed? If so, try opening the other one and see if your bookmarks are in that profile. If they are, set that profile as the default.

There is a glitch in the Firefox update that's causing it to create a second blank profile for people. This is likely the profile that Firefox is loading into, which is why you see none of your Firefox data.

Hope this helps.

THANK YOU! It worked, I have all my stuff back...so appreciated!

I only see one profile there in two parts. I don't know what to do with it.

Obviously a lot of people are having trouble with this. Why don't they fix it?

Hi colleendick!

If the above information does not resolve your issue, please consider creating a new thread containing the specific details of your issue.

Doing so will allow the Mozilla volunteers to give you solutions that are more helpful to you. This may help them to solve your problem faster and more efficiently.

Please, feel free to post the link to your thread on this thread for volunteers interested in assisting you.

Thank you.

I've looked at the About profiles list and the old data is there but doesn't show up on the browser. I'm not a programmer and it is too complicated to figure this out. When I follow the items, the instructions go away. I just want it to work. Why are they making it so hard.

Hi colleendick, to start a new question, open the following page and scroll down to the form:

https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new/desktop/bookmarks

On each following page, scroll down past suggestions to continue with the form or, if you see an interesting suggestion, to avoid losing your place in the new question flow, open that article/thread in a new tab.

I just want it to work. I'm seriously considering abandoning Firefox, it seems only to be for programmers. I've accumulated bookmark data for 6 years and the Firefox people don't seem to think it is important enough to provide an upgrade that preserves my work. It you can fix the problem, please tell me.

Hi colleendick, why are you not starting your own question as requested? This thread is marked as SOLVED.

If you are not willing to start a new thread, at least explain in detail the circumstances leading up to the problem. For example:

• computer crashed, after restarting, bookmarks were gone
• used Firefox's Refresh/Reset feature after being informed it would speed up the browser, bookmarks were gone
• did an automatic update to version [list current version], after starting back up, got a message about a new profile
• something else

I have entered the same information in about 20 different places, including the place that you asked me to. The system is too complicated and can't be used by regular people. It is a problem that should not have happened in the first place. Once again, my Firefox was not working well and I refreshed it. Now I can't get to my bookmarks. I can't seem to talk to anyone, and everyone who has responded, hasn't been helpful. I'm about to conclude that Mozilla doesn't want my participation. Prove me wrong.

If you used the Refresh Firefox feature, then your old data will be in a folder called "Old Firefox Data" on your desktop.

To recover data from that Old Firefox Data folder, you need to copy and paste the contents of that folder into your current Firefox profile folder.

The only files from the old folder that you really need to copy over to the new profile folder are the places.sqlite and favicons.sqlite files (both responsible for saving bookmarks and history), along with the key4.db and logins.json files (both responsible for saving logins and password data).

Hope this helps.

i appreciate your desire to help, but I really don't know what you are talking about here. When I went to the base account, it is the same as what I have in my old firefox data. I don't know why it can't access it.

The file structure will be the same, yes. But the actually data stored in the files is different. If you copy the files from the old folder into your new folder, that should restore your previous data because the new files will be replaced with the old files that have your data saved in them.

Thank you but I don't know how to do that. I'm not finding any of those file names in the Old Firefox Data. Not sure how to paste it if I did.

colleendick said

Once again, my Firefox was not working well and I refreshed it. Now I can't get to my bookmarks.

Before doing anything drastic, could you check the Library window? Either:

• Windows: Ctrl+Shift+b
• Mac: Command+Shift+b

By default, Firefox will show the contents of "Other Bookmarks". Does this show any of your missing bookmarks?

In the left column, click Bookmarks Toolbar. This would show the contents of the optional horizontal toolbar that appears below the main toolbar. Does this show any of your missing bookmarks?

In the left column, click Bookmarks Menu. Does this show any of your missing bookmarks?

If your bookmarks are listed in the Library window:

You may need to restore easy access to them back in the regular window.

(A) Bookmarks Toolbar

This article has the steps to turn this optional toolbar back on: Bookmarks Toolbar - Display your favorite websites at the top of the Firefox window

(B) Bookmarks Menu button -

To add that button to the main toolbar, either:

(A) Use the Customize panel (Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars) to drag the icon to the desired spot on the toolbar

(B) Use the method from Bookmarks in Firefox - section entitled: How do I add the Bookmarks Menu button to the toolbar?

• Click the "Library" button:
• Click "Bookmarks"
• Click "Bookmarking Tools"
• Click "Add Bookmarks Menu to Toolbar"

There is nothing under Other Bookmarks. There is a Bookmarks Tool Bar. It just takes you to Mozilla support. There is no Bookmarking Tools under Bookmarks only help and support, which aren't helpful. Is there someone who could share the computer with me and get this done?

Hi colleendick, I'm sorry to hear the bookmarks didn't get restored automatically during the Refresh.

I assume you already checked whether you have backups available to restore on the Restore menu described here:

Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer

If you don't have any old enough on that list:

On your desktop, in Old Firefox Data\[profile], look for the bookmarkbackups folder. Each file should have the creation date coded into the file name. For example:

bookmarks-2019-11-20_1550_gibberish==.jsonlz4

(In that example, 1550 is the number of bookmarks and folders in the file.)

If you find a file you want to restore: back in the Library window, on the Restore menu, use the "Choose File..." option to point Firefox to the file (Desktop > Old Firefox Data, etc.).

There is no "Restore" on the menu. I do have a bookmarkbackups folder with an appropriate date. I don't know what to do with it. I have read the other material and it doesn't make sense to me. Is it possible to share my screens and computer with you?

colleendick said

There is no "Restore" on the menu.

When you open the Library window (Ctrl+Shift+b, or on Mac, Command+Shift+b) the menu should look like the attached.

I can copy the files from my old firefox backup, but it won't let me paste them.