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solved Firefox won't Export or Import Bookmarks

Firefox version: Firefox 3.0 Operating system: OSX 10.5.4
Author
Message
kyer
1 posts

I've downloaded Firefox 3.0 from the site two times and still it will only recognize my Safari browser as a source to import bookmarks from despite the fact that I also have installed Camino and two html files from my old firefox and camino on the desktop

As for exporting... that option is not even listed. Export should be right under Import from Organizing Bookmarks or from the Firefox toolbar, but nothing. Nowhere to be found.

I'm using a Mac OSX 10.5.4 system (and, yes, I did check before downloading both times that I was getting the correct version.) Problems started from beginning when I had 10.5.3 and still here with update.

Is anyone else having this problem?
Is Firefox working on another update? (This version has also frozen on me several times. I'm on the verge of switching Firefox from being my default browser---a first in over five years. Not something I wanna do!)

Extensions installed:

NoScript, AdblockPlus, UndoCloseTabsButton, Flashblock, DownThemAll!, FlagFox



Sun 06 of Jul, 2008 08:19 PST  


kyernotlogged
Firefox user

Found the solution at the Apple forum.... the Firefox Help pages are not terribly helpful. The Import under FILE tab is misleading since it does not work the same way in 3.0 as it did in 2.0.0.14. The actual import/export functions that I was looking for for days are really hiding under the Library page of Organize Bookmarks as a nondescript star icon near the top.

To think that I wasted days of downloading and reinstalling because Firefox Browser Help does not mention this when you type in 'Bookmarks'. Very annoyed right now.



Tue 08 of Jul, 2008 08:57 PST  
Doug B.
Firefox user

One day last week after some add-ons were updated my bookmarks went missing. I've spent days trying to get them back. I've followed the step by step instructions in the help pages here. Still no bookmarks. I've done System Restores - twice - still my old bookmarks are gone.

I have a fairly recent copy of my old bookmarks online at mybookmarks.com. I have exported those to my Desktop as marks.htm. I've renamed that file to bookmarks.html and copied it to folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\Douglas\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\joorf9s1.default\

... after renaming the existing (default) bookmarks.html to bookmarks.html.old.
Still no go.

Please, before I go nuts, tell me how to get Firefox 3 to recognize my bookmarks.html file! Please!

When this all started I was using Firefox 2. I've since installed Firefox 3.
Windows XP SP2. I've manually deleted my old Profiles (v2) folder, so I know I only have one Profile.

I've also saved what I think is my old bookmarks file - about 1.7 mb - to another drive. I think that file may be corrupt. When I try to import it to IE I get an 'invalid file format' message.

Help!

Many thanks....



Tue 08 of Jul, 2008 10:43 PST  
AliceWyman
1579 posts

Doug B.,

To verify that the bookmarks.html file you are trying to import actually contains your bookmarks, you can open it up within Firefox using "File -> Open file" and selecting the "bookmarks.html" file to open. This will display the file contents as clickable links inside a Firefox browser window.

You can import your bookmarks.html file into Firefox 3 via "Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks -> Import and Backup -> Import HTML... -> from an HTML File" as explained in these articles:

Importing Bookmarks from an HTML File

Import bookmarks (MozillaZine KB)

You can also remove places.sqlite from the profile folder and any JSON backups from the bookmarkbackups folder to force Firefox 3 to reimport the bookmarks.html file from the profile folder, which is outlined in these articles:

Firefox 3 upgrade switches bookmarks and other settings to older version

Lost bookmarks after Firefox 3 upgrade (MozillaZine KB)



Tue 08 of Jul, 2008 11:20 PST  
rtucker
Firefox user

FIREFOX WILL NOT EXPORT
===================
I have Firefox V 3.0.10. I am running XP Pro on an AMD X2/6000 system with 4 GB DDR2. All drives are relatively new.

Since I started using V3, I have not been able to save my bookmarks. I want to store them in a standard format so that if my system fails, I will have access to bookmarks which I can import into any web browser.

I go to Bookmarks -> Organize which opens up a new "Library" window. Then I go to Import and Backup -> Export HTML ... and a new "save" window opens. I have tried various destination directories but now do Desktop (quick to see results). I usually save in the format:
FF-bookmarks.YYYY-MM-DD-ver.html
or
bookmarks-FF.YYYY-MM-DD-ver.html
where ver is simply the current days iteration (A, B, C, ...).

Going back to XP Start -> My Recent Documents shows a reference to the file that should be on the desktop (or in some other directory). However, while the shortcut/reference exists, the actual file does not. I have searched the entire set of HDD's for the keyword
bookmark*htm
or even just
bookmark
and found a lot, but none of my desired recently exported files. The shortcuts to them are found, but the files themselves do not exist. Of course, clicking on their selection in the My Recent Documents produces an error message ("Windows is searching for ...").

Anyone have a cure? Or what about a pain-in-the-ass workaround?

Thanks in advance.

Arty


attachment 2009-05-15.Search.Files-named_bookmark--htm.DR-DEI.jpg (178.64 Kb)

Thu 14 of May, 2009 13:15 PST  
the-edmeister
the-edmeister
23557 posts

rtucker,

Your screenshot leads me to think that you are running Firefox Portable, not an official Firefox release. If that is the case you should use the Firefox Portable forums for support with your problem.
http://portableapps.com/forums/support/firefox_portable

That version of Firefox differs very greatly from an official release, and the fix for an official release may or may not be applicable to Firefox Portable.



Thu 14 of May, 2009 13:23 PST  
rtucker
Firefox user

Hi:

Thanks for the reply but the executable is:
"I:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"
and the Help -> About Mozilla Firefox doesn't indicate anything to do with portable apps. The version is 3.0.10 (Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729))

The portable apps reference in the screenshot was an attempt to add a portable version via PEBuilder, to an image (.iso) which I wanted to build for more convenient clean installations of windows. The E: drive prgm is not my executable. My Firefox runs from I: (as posted in the above paragraph).

However, if it were the case that this installed version were a portable version, then would installing an official (non portableapps) version simply install correctly on top of the old one? I don't want to uninstall the old one and lose my bookmarks.

Thanks again for your reply.



Fri 15 of May, 2009 04:33 PST  
rtucker
Firefox user

Hi again:

Took a chance and downloaded the "official" copy and installed it. Looks the same, has the same "Help -> About" output as the copy which it wrote over. Tried to save an html version of bookmarks. Got lucky in that I saw the Firefox desktop icon (presumably for the bookmarks html file) flash onto the screen, and then it disappeared just as abruptly as it had appeared.

Summary: Reinstall of Official Firefox version 3.0.10 *and* bookmarks.html is still not being saved.

RTucker



Fri 15 of May, 2009 04:50 PST  
AliceWyman
1579 posts

rtucker

A Firefox bug (fixed in Firefox 3.1/3.5) can cause the bookmarks HTML export problem. See this article for possible solutions:

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Unable_to_export_bookmarks_to_HTML_file_-_Firefox



Fri 15 of May, 2009 05:14 PST  
rtucker
Firefox user

Hi AliceWyman:

Thanks for pointing me at that article. Hot diggity dawg - IT WORKED!

SUCCESS! That solution worked. Weeks of frustration can now disapate.
(

-
)

Thanks. I'd give you my first-born but he refuses to burden anyone except me.

RTucker



Fri 15 of May, 2009 05:28 PST  
AliceWyman
1579 posts

You're welcome.

I'm assuming it was the first solution in the article, backing up, then restoring bookmarks, that did the trick?

Anyhow, I'm glad it worked. :-)



Fri 15 of May, 2009 11:58 PST  
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