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I cannot restore my bookmarks. What do I do?

  • 15 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 5 views
  • Last reply by FredMcD

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I opened up Firefox today and almost all my bookmarks are missing. I tried restoring, but all the backups are also missing the bookmarks. I tried exporting the bookmarks to HTML. That is not working. There is only one Firefox profile. Running in safe mode did not help.

There is a crash report from April 30, 2018. Version 60.0.1(20180516032328) was installed on May 19, 2018.

I opened up Firefox today and almost all my bookmarks are missing. I tried restoring, but all the backups are also missing the bookmarks. I tried exporting the bookmarks to HTML. That is not working. There is only one Firefox profile. Running in safe mode did not help. There is a crash report from April 30, 2018. Version 60.0.1(20180516032328) was installed on May 19, 2018.

All Replies (15)

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In the address bar, type about:crashes<enter>. Note: If any reports do not have BP- in front of the numbers/letters, click it to submit them.

The crash report is several pages of data. We need the report numbers to see the whole report.

Using your mouse, mark the most recent 7 - 10 crash reports, and copy them. Now go to the reply box and paste them in.

aboutcrashesFx57

For more help on crash reports, see; https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-crashes-asking-support

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The most recent 2 or 3 unsubmitted crash reports disappeared when I tried to submit them. Firefox said they were not found. I submitted the next 5 most recent reports:

bp-42340bf1-302d-4cd8-a1b8-763810180530 5/30/2018 6:26 AM bp-7bbac102-2108-4b90-9245-2004d0180530 5/30/2018 6:26 AM bp-ae284d8e-6a7f-4b15-9790-3402d0180530 5/30/2018 6:25 AM bp-c2948e83-e86c-4372-838e-df4f10180530 5/30/2018 6:25 AM bp-f173e411-56b8-491d-a135-2e1910180530 5/30/2018 6:25 AM bp-9b1186d8-fad1-4e7a-979c-332102150520 5/19/2015 7:48 PM bp-613a1a22-4685-45fe-aaba-de75a2140719 7/19/2014 9:28 AM

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There is an Old Firefox Data file. It contains a profile dated 11/16/2015.

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Note: I suspect some of these are old reports. Not current


Product Firefox Release Channel release Version 50.1.0 Build ID 20161208153507 OS Windows 10 OS Version 10.0.10586

bp-42340bf1-302d-4cd8-a1b8-763810180530 Signature: CoreSC::Wait

deploy.dll = Java(TM) 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0

npjp2.dll = Java(TM) Plug-in ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Product Firefox Release Channel release Version 52.0 Build ID 20170302120751 OS Windows 10 OS Version 10.0.10586

bp-7bbac102-2108-4b90-9245-2004d0180530 Signature: IPCError-browser | ShutDownKill

Nvwgf2um.dll = NVIDIA Compatible D3D10 Driver = NVIDIA Corporation

Attention Sumo's there are 25 related bug reports +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Product Firefox Release Channel release Version 58.0.2 Note: I suspect some of these are old reepors, not current

Build ID 20180206200532 OS Windows 10 OS Version 10.0.16299

bp-ae284d8e-6a7f-4b15-9790-3402d0180530 Signature: IPCError-browser | ShutDownKill

Nvwgf2um.dll = NVIDIA Compatible D3D10 Driver = NVIDIA Corporation

Attention Sumo's there are 30 related bug reports ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Product Firefox Release Channel release Version 57.0 Build ID 20171112125346 OS Windows 10 OS Version 10.0.15063

bp-c2948e83-e86c-4372-838e-df4f10180530 Signature: IPCError-browser | ShutDownKill

nvwgf2umx.dll = Dwm.exe = Microsoft Desktop Window Manager

Attention Sumo's there are 35 related bug reports ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Product Firefox Release Channel release Version 59.0.2 Build ID 20180323154952 OS Windows 10 OS Version 10.0.16299

bp-f173e411-56b8-491d-a135-2e1910180530 Signature: IPCError-browser | ShutDownKill

nvwgf2umx.dll = Dwm.exe = Microsoft Desktop Window Manager

Attention Sumo's there are 30 related bug reports

Modified by FredMcD

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I called for more help.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/update-firefox-latest-version?cache=no Did you update Firefox to the latest version 60.0.1


Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} by holding down the <Shift> (Mac=Options) key, and then starting Firefox.

A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Safe Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?

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Firefox updated to 60.0.1 (Build ID 20180516032328) on May 19th.

There were newer unsubmitted crash reports listed on the crash reports page, but when I tried to submit them, I got a message that said the reports could not be found. Those reports are no longer listed on the crash report page.

Safe mode does not solve the problem.

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JimD999 said

I opened up Firefox today and almost all my bookmarks are missing. I tried restoring, but all the backups are also missing the bookmarks.

Do you have multiple bookmark backups going back for several days? It's odd that none of them would contain the expected bookmarks. Perhaps the problem is that they are not restoring correctly.

Could you try converting a couple of the backups to HTML format and see whether they look more complete? I have a tool for that on my website.

To access the backup files, open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either

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

In the first table on the page, on the Profile Folder row, click the "Open Folder" button. This should launch a new window listing various files and folders in Windows Explorer.

Double-click into the bookmarkbackups folder. Then you can drag-and-drop a recent backup file onto the box on this page:

https://www.jeffersonscher.com/res/bookbackreader.html

You may want to check the add indenting box, then Export HTML. You can open the saved file in Firefox to check its contents. How does it look?

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I tried several different backup files. They are missing most of my bookmarks as well. I have the sinking feeling that they are gone forever. Oh well.

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I tried exporting the bookmarks that present to HTML. Nothing happens. I started browser console and tried again. I get:

aBookmarksTree.children is undefined BookmarkHTMLUtils.jsm:922 BookmarkExporter resource://gre/modules /BookmarkHTMLUtils.jsm:922:1 exportToFile resource://gre/modules/BookmarkHTMLUtils.jsm:195:20 next self-hosted:1211:9

Is this a clue?

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I think the error indicates there is a structural problem or corrupted data in your bookmarks (the Places database). There is a repair feature that helps in some cases:

Open the Troubleshooting Information page using either:

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

Scroll way down (or use Find) to the " Places Database" section and try the "Verify Integrity" button. After many seconds Firefox should display various things it is trying and their results.

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I get this:

> Task: checkIntegrity + The database is sane > Task: invalidateCaches + The caches have been invalidated > Task: checkCoherence + The database is coherent > Task: expire + Database cleaned up > Task: vacuum + Initial database size is 15360KiB + The database has been vacuumed + Final database size is 15360KiB > Task: stats + Places.sqlite size is 15360KiB + Favicons.sqlite size is 5504KiB + pragma_user_version is 43 + pragma_page_size is 4096 + pragma_cache_size is -2048 + pragma_journal_mode is wal + pragma_synchronous is 1 + History can store a maximum of 159220 unique pages + Table moz_bookmarks has 25 records + Table moz_keywords has 0 records + Table sqlite_sequence has 1 records + Table moz_annos has 168 records + Table moz_anno_attributes has 7 records + Table moz_items_annos has 11 records + Table moz_places has 25718 records + Table moz_historyvisits has 46718 records + Table moz_inputhistory has 24 records + Table sqlite_stat1 has 16 records + Table moz_hosts has 2356 records + Table moz_bookmarks_deleted has 1 records + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_keywords_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_anno_attributes_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_inputhistory_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_hosts_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_bookmarks_deleted_1 + Index moz_bookmarks_itemindex + Index moz_bookmarks_parentindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemlastmodifiedindex + Index moz_places_hostindex + Index moz_places_visitcount + Index moz_places_frecencyindex + Index moz_historyvisits_placedateindex + Index moz_historyvisits_fromindex + Index moz_historyvisits_dateindex + Index moz_places_lastvisitdateindex + Index moz_places_url_hashindex + Index moz_annos_placeattributeindex + Index moz_items_annos_itemattributeindex + Index moz_bookmarks_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_places_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_keywords_placepostdata_uniqueindex + Index moz_bookmarks_dateaddedindex > Task: _refreshUI

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This seems too small --

JimD999 said

+ Table moz_bookmarks has 25 records

-- but it is consistent with your original post.


Have you shut down and restarted Windows since this problem began?


Windows may have backed up your profile folder (or a different one) in a recent restore point. Do not use Windows System Restore!! But you can use a utility program to search inside shadow copies of your user data to try to locate an old file. Here are the steps:

(1) Set Windows to show hidden files and folders:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14201/windows-show-hidden-files

(2) Download and run one of these programs:

Within the most recent restore points shown in the program, you can explore along this path to see whether you can find a recent shadow copy of your profile:

\Users\your-user-name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\

(3) Export any useful-looking files from the bookmarkbackups folder to a convenient location such as your currently live desktop. Then you can try to use the Restore feature with one or more of those files (use the Choose File... option on the Restore menu and point Firefox to the exported file).

Success?

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I tired importing my bookmarks from Microsoft Edge. That did not work. Then I tried bookmarking a new page. That did not work. I exited Firefox, renamed places.sqlite, restarted Firefox. Then I tried importing from Edge again. It did not seem to work at first, but then the bookmarks came back.

I guess places.sqlite was corrupted, but "Verify Integrate" was not finding any problems.

I appreciate everyone's help in resolving the issue.

Thanks

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That was very good work. Well done. Please flag your last post as Solved Problem so others will know.


I use an add-on that makes backups of my user profile, Just In Case. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with the current Firefox.

Every now and then, open the profile folder and create a copy of the current profile as is to another location on your hard drive. This way you will have a backup.

If you do this each day, you will not lose much data. This should be done with Firefox Closed.

Note: In case you need to restore from these backups, you may need to overwrite old or corrupted files.