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FireFox 30 sync stopped working with Windows 8.1 refresh?
I just had to refresh Windows 8.1 and somehow I got my old expired bookmarks from Internet Explorer put into Firefox and I lost all my current FireFox bookmarks and cannot get them back by syncing as syncing does not work. I need to get back all the bookmarks I saved in Firefox the last couple of years. I tried resetting Firefox and starting in safe mode and sync will still not work. Will I get an email or how do I find if someone answers?
Solution choisie
You can restore a JSON backup here:
- Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Restore > Choose File
- Tap the Alt key or press F10 to show the Menu bar.
There is a star like button next to the search bar on the Navigation Toolbar to bookmark the current web page and a "Show your bookmarks" button next to it to open the Bookmarks in a drop down menu. You can find "Show All Bookmarks" to open the Bookmarks Manager (Library) at the bottom of this drop-down list
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Do you ave a C:\Windows.old folder that might have your old Firefox profile folder?
I found the profile folder and made a copy on a DVD, but isn't this the same profile with all the expired passwords that I am trying to update? I have no idea how to update the profile. Why doesn't FireFox have a copy of my old passwords that I can sync? Why is the sync function not working? Shall I just reset FireFox again and then copy and paste files from the dvd? This old man is lost. I need detailed instructions if I am going to get it fixed.
To get the passwords back you need to copy the signons.sqlite and key3.db files from the profile in the windows.old folder to the current Firefox profile folder.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:
- Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
See also:
I am sorry as I mistakenly said passwords when I meant bookmarks. It is the bookmarks I am trying to recover as I save passwords in Roboform Everywhere and their sync still works. Please tell me what files to copy to recover my bookmarks and place them into FireFox. I am hoping to just add my previous bookmarks to the ones I have, and I will cull the ones that don't work. I also made a file Recimg Snapshots using the Microsoft recimg software before I did the refresh and Windows 8.1 used this file to recover my programs so I did not lose any programs, but they lost all my settings in the programs. I think I found several Firefox files in File Manager and there looks like there may be FireFox files in my Windows.old files. How can I tell which Firefox file to use? By the date?
For the bookmarks you would need the places.sqlite file that stores the bookmarks and the history or restore the bookmarks from a JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.
I copied places.sqlite dated 6/22/2014 to my Firefox profile places.sqlite file dated 6/23/2014 with Firefox shut off, and I got a file named places(2).sqlite. When I looked at bookmarks, I did not see any changes. Is there a way to tell Firefox to use the new file? I used File Explorer to find the file and I am not sure it was in the JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder. I will try to find this folder and file to see if an older version of the places.sqlite file is there.
You will have to replace the current places.sqlite with the copy that you want to use or move/rename the file for backup.
I do not have bookmarkbackups folder on my computer. How can I replace the places.sqlite with places(2).sqlite in FireFox? If I open the profiles folder, shut off FireFox, then delete places.sqlite, will Firefox use places(2).sqlite, or will I have to remove the (2) in the title? Sorry to be so dense, and thank you for your help.
You will have to rename the places(2).sqlite to places.sqlite after have moved or renamed the current places.sqlite file.
See also:
I found the right bookmarks backup JSON file in the bookmarksbackup file in Firefox dated the day before the refresh 06/21/2014, so this is the one I need. How do I restore it in Firefox?
I went back to the instructions you gave earlier and restored the bookmarks file from 06/21/2014. I think that backup was also affected by the windows 8.1 refresh when I agreed to merge the Internet Explorer bookmarks. I give up for now. I'll just add the bookmarks I am missing as I need. Thanks for the help.
Solution choisie
You can restore a JSON backup here:
- Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Restore > Choose File
- Tap the Alt key or press F10 to show the Menu bar.
There is a star like button next to the search bar on the Navigation Toolbar to bookmark the current web page and a "Show your bookmarks" button next to it to open the Bookmarks in a drop down menu. You can find "Show All Bookmarks" to open the Bookmarks Manager (Library) at the bottom of this drop-down list
I cannot find a backups file prior to 06/21/2014 which was the date I did the refresh Windows 8.1, so I guess I am stuck with what I have. I have spent the last couple days rebuilding my daily, weekly and monthly contests bookmarks, so at least I am back in business with my job/hobby. Thanks for the help.