As you may know, toolbar controls and buttons can be moved around using the Customize feature. When you view the Bookmarks Toolbar in Customize mode, you should see a large item called "Bookmarks Toolbar Items" on the Bookmarks Toolbar -- by default, it is at the left end of the bar.

Could you check to make sure it's still there? If not, can you find it -- for example, among the unused buttons/controls on the Customize tab -- and move it back into position? Or if you can't find it anywhere, please click the Restore Defaults button at the bottom of the Customize tab to see whether that fixes the bar. This article should get you to the starting line:

Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars

Oops, I just noticed you use the Roomy Bookmarks Toolbar extension -- thank you for sharing your extensions list.

You might double-check whether this add-on is causing the problem by disabling it on the Add-ons page. Either:

• Ctrl+Shift+a (Mac: Command+Shift+a)
• "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions. Then find the extension on the right side and click its Disable button.

Often a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

Any improvement?

And you mentioned you already tried that, so "Never Mind!"

Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, the Bookmarks toolbar shows. I've attached two screenshots, one with add-ons disabled, and the other with them enabled. In each case the toolbar shows, but is otherwise blank. In the addons-enabled case it says "Bookmarks"; in addition I've opened the menu to show that there purportedly are two URLs bookmarked.

I'm curious why the word "Bookmarks" appears on your Bookmarks Toolbar in the first screen shot. What does that do, if anything?

Could you try the steps in my first reply using Customize: https://support.mozilla.org/questions/1142304#answer-924869

To make that clearer, I'm attaching a screenshot of the item that need to be there in order to actually see bookmarks on the Bookmarks Toolbar.

Thanks again.

LONG STORY: When I started Firefox in Safe Mode and under Customize reset everything to default as you suggested, the Bookmarks toolbar *did* show the two bookmarks I put there. I restarted Firefox in normal mode but now the bookmarks were gone. I disabled *all* add-ons, restarted in Safe Mode, reset to defaults, verified that the bookmarks showed, then restarted in normal mode. Even though I had all add-ons disabled, the bookmarks were once again missing! After at least one more repetition of this cycle, I got Firefox running in normal mode with the bookmarks showing. I re-enabled the add-ons one by one, and everything is now fine. I note that in Roomy Bookmarks there is an option to "Hide bookmarks names", which when checked, reproduces the problem. It's possible that it was inadvertently checked, though it was unchecked when I looked at it and I never manually unchecked it; and even then I don't see how it could have affected things when the add-on was disabled!

SHORT STORY: Everything seems to be working fine now - thanks!

coffent said

I note that in Roomy Bookmarks there is an option to "Hide bookmarks names", which when checked, reproduces the problem.

Thanks, I was thinking -- when I saw your first screenshot and read some reviews of Roomy -- that possibly this combination of settings might cause the problem:

(1) Add-on #1 hides bookmark names so you only see the icons [Roomy] (2) Add-on #2 hides toolbar button icons and shows their text labels

If Add-on #2 applies to the Bookmarks Toolbar and fails to override Add-on #1, then both icons and labels would be invisible on that bar.

If Add-on #2 is CTR, does it have a way to only hide icons on other bars, and not on the Bookmarks Toolbar? Well, anyway, if you like seeing the names, no reason to look into that further.

Thanks for the further info. As you suggest, I'm happy seeing the names so I'm considering the problem solved.