The formhistory.sqlite is the details of completed forms etc.

Show All History is the historic list of sites, similar to bookmarks, and they are stored together in the places.sqlite file. These are further backed up as .json files .

I suggest you immediatly copy all three sets of files, or even the complete profile (with its sub folders) somewhere safe. Next backup your current bookmarks from the bookmarks library. You are then in a position to restore from the backups as necessary. CARE note any backup overwrites existing files.

See backing up and restoring bookmarks

John99 My Bookmarks are good. My only problem is with the History. I don't really know what happened. But I'm sure I never clicked to Clear History or anything like that. The link you provided is for restoring Bookmarks. The question is related specifically to the History. If I can see the history data in that BAK file when I open it with Notepad, does that mean that it is not lost? I have copied and backed-up those files. But now what can I do to get the History to show in the Library?

You can't restore history that has been deleted or is otherwise gone missing. The history is also stored in places.sqlite just like the bookmarks.

The thing is that not only is the past history not accessible, it has not been collecting any current History since the problem occurred about three days ago. None of the browsing I have done since then is showing at all. What could be going on with that? I Select Remember history and click OK; but it always reverts to Use Custom Settings for History. Still, all of the boxes I checked there should remember the history. The whole problem occurred after I followed a suggestion for another problem. If it helps, that suggestion was Options> Advanced> Network tab> Offline Storage> click Clear now.

I assume that you checked that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing - Use Firefox without saving history mode.

This can be caused by a problem with the file places.sqlite that stores the bookmarks and the history.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox

cor-el, I had not checked Private Browsing until you mentioned it. So I checked it now and I was NOT running FF in Private Browsing. Thanks for the link you provided. There is a lot of information there which is going to take some time for me to sort through and digest. I will get back to you after I have time to figure out the most relevant of those suggestions.

After reviewing much of the information at the link provided, I was unable to decide the best approach. Most of it addressed Bookmarks, and seemed to say that History was unrecoverable. Being busy with other things, I took no action yet. When I would click on History, the Library showed nothing. Then about a week ago I happened to enter a site visited about 10 days earlier into the search field, not really expecting it to come up with anything. I was surprised to see it come up with results (even though nothing showed in the Library).

THEN, yesterday, I happened to click on Show all History yet again  and shockingly and mysteriously the Library now showed all of my History going back six months.  I have no more idea what caused it to suddenly reappear anymore than I do of what caused it to NOT appear for a long period of time.

A mystery but glad it was resolved.

Did you or some utility make copies of the places.sqlite, and and change the file name or file extension, or its location just wondering as you mention "(BAK file)"

I did copy the Bookmarks HTML and .JSON files, and the complete Firefox\Profiles\xxxxxxx.default folder (although it seems like any attempt to copy the folder just creates a shortcut to it) , all in anticipation of doing the renaming and deleting routines. But I never did get around to taking that action. From what I read, it sounded like making those copies AFTER the History was gone or corrupted was not going to help -- that it was too late.

Sorry not a Windows & user myself. I am sure Windows 7 must permit copying of files and folders, remember though that you will not be able to have files or folders in the same location with the same name; and you would want to make the copies in some other location, maybe in specially created folder within your documents folder.

Note the normal Firefox methods of backing up bookmarks was linked in my post above, however do remember they overwrite existing bookmarks, always backup first before considering trying any restores