Two questions:

(1) Do you recall the export process? For example:

• Export bookmarks to an HTML file
• Export saved logins to a CSV file
• Something else

The reason I ask is that I can't think of any other kinds of export built into Firefox, and neither of those should blow up your whole setup.

(2) When do you get the message that you do not have an account? Is that when connecting to your Firefox Account to set up Sync? Or at some other stage?

Restore Bookmark Backups

Firefox automatically makes backups of the bookmarks. These are stored in the bookmarkbackups folder.

Open the Bookmarks Manager; Press the Alt or F10 key to bring up the toolbar, and select Bookmarks. Hot key is <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> B. Firefox 84+ <Control> (Mac=<Command>) <Shift> O.

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.

The backups are stored in a jsonlz4 file named something like this; bookmarks-2016-06-29_1424_enD1GTH ya0JmicnYWg4V4g==.jsonlz4

In this example; 2016-06-29 = date created 1424 = number of entries.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/restore-bookmarks-from-backup-or-move-them

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recover-lost-or-missing-bookmarks

https://support.mozilla.org/kb/forum-response-recover-bookmarks-after-update

Hello, JScher, The process was "export to html" -- I think the IT guy was trying to use that to install my Firefox account onto the laptop, instead of just letting me go get it myself. I had Firefox open on the desktop computer, highlighted the path and exported it. He felt that was good, and went to where he was working. Then he asked me to close Firefox. I did, and when I tried to open it, I got a message in a small window from Firefox saying that it could not be installed. Likewise, same message on the laptop. I tried redownloading it using Edge, but the message was the same, that I couldn't download it.

Fred McD, I've used Firefox for years and years and would not have done what the IT guy told me to do, to get it onto the laptop. Now that it's gone, I can't use any of the directions for getting my bookmarks or anything.

I know I have an account -- it is still working here on my home computer -- but it will not download to either of my work computers.

If you were using the small "stub" installer that automatically detects your computer details and then downloads a full installer, that sometimes encounters problems. You can choose your own full installer using the steps in this article: Custom installation of Firefox on Windows. Hopefully that will at least get Firefox installed and running.

By the way, there is a conflict with the latest version of Webroot security software and 64-bit Firefox 97. If you run Webroot, there's a good chance Firefox won't start or will only work for a few minutes. Let us know if you need a workaround for that.

Jscher, I will try and go to the link you provided and email that to my work address and open it via Edge tomorrow. I wish I knew what the IT guy was doing/using so I could answer your question. At work we use Meraki(sp?) for security, and the Windows 11 upgrades break the VPN, as I understand it, so we have to make sure we do not allow the upgrade on our off-site computers. I'm only just this week getting a library laptop so I don't have to use my personal computer to do my job remotely I'll be very happy to have them uninstall my work program from this (home) computer, but in the wake of today's fiasco I think I'll just ask them to write out directions and do it myself.

I have loved working with Firefox/Mozilla. Excellent support and functionality. It began going haywire at the beginning of February, so I simply reinstalled and got it working properly again just last week with no troubles. That's why it's so mystifying i can't do that again.