https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-to-fix-preferences-wont-save

Note: Some software, like Advanced SystemCare with Surfing Protection, can protect files in the Firefox profile folder against changes. If you have such software then check the settings or uninstall this software.

If the above does not help, [v57+] Places Maintenance is built into Firefox.

Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.

You will find Places Database near the bottom. Press the Verify Integrity button.

When done, copy and post the results here.

Background: I used to use Firefox a couple of years ago and am just now returning to it. I have updated to the current version (65).

When I was looking at my add-on extensions, I noticed that I have one called "iCloud Bookmarks" which is apparently supposed to keep the bookmarks on my Firefox for Windows bookmarks and my mobile Safari bookmarks in agreement.

This extension is apparently required by iCloud for Windows to make sure that the Firefox and the Mobile Safari bookmarks are the same.

But it doesn't seem to be doing that. The mobile Safari bookmarks and my Firefox bookmarks are completely different.

Places Database results:

Task: checkIntegrity

+ The places.sqlite database is sane + The favicons.sqlite database is sane > Task: invalidateCaches + The caches have been invalidated > Task: checkCoherence + The database is coherent > Task: expire + Database cleaned up > Task: originFrecencyStats + Recalculated origin frecency stats > Task: vacuum + Initial database size is 5120KiB + The database has been vacuumed + Final database size is 5120KiB > Task: stats + Places.sqlite size is 5120KiB + Favicons.sqlite size is 5120KiB + pragma_user_version is 52 + pragma_page_size is 32768 + pragma_cache_size is -2048 + pragma_journal_mode is wal + pragma_synchronous is 1 + History can store a maximum of 72953 unique pages + Table moz_places has 2209 records + Table moz_historyvisits has 2903 records + Table moz_inputhistory has 10 records + Table moz_hosts has 0 records + Table moz_bookmarks has 718 records + Table moz_keywords has 0 records + Table sqlite_sequence has 0 records + Table moz_anno_attributes has 3 records + Table moz_annos has 3 records + Table moz_items_annos has 0 records + Table sqlite_stat1 has 18 records + Table moz_bookmarks_deleted has 0 records + Table moz_meta has 5 records + Table moz_origins has 616 records + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_inputhistory_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_hosts_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_keywords_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_anno_attributes_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_bookmarks_deleted_1 + Index sqlite_autoindex_moz_origins_1 + Index moz_places_hostindex + Index moz_places_visitcount + Index moz_places_frecencyindex + Index moz_places_lastvisitdateindex + Index moz_places_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_historyvisits_placedateindex + Index moz_historyvisits_fromindex + Index moz_historyvisits_dateindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemindex + Index moz_bookmarks_parentindex + Index moz_bookmarks_itemlastmodifiedindex + Index moz_bookmarks_guid_uniqueindex + Index moz_keywords_placepostdata_uniqueindex + Index moz_annos_placeattributeindex + Index moz_items_annos_itemattributeindex + Index moz_places_url_hashindex + Index moz_bookmarks_dateaddedindex + Index moz_places_originidindex > Task: _refreshUI

As a test, disable iCloud Bookmarks. And make sure its software is up to date.

The Apple Software Update app says that all of my Apple software (including iCloud for Windows) is up to date. My iPad is up to date (12.1.3), I just had it check for updates.

Yesterday, I tried the following: 1. I disabled iCloud Bookmarks on my computer. 2. I repaired and sorted by name all of my bookmarks on my computer. 3. I backed up my bookmarks and also exported them to an html file. 4. I disabled my ipad from syncing with icloud. 5. I deleted ALL bookmarks on my iPad and then disabled syncing with iCloud. 6. I re-enabled syncing with iCloud ON MY Computer, forcing a new refresh with iCloud. 7. I closed Firefox and re-opened it. My bookmarks stayed the same. 8. I re-enabled syncing with iCloud on my iPad. 9. I opened Safari. My bookmarks were the same as on my desktop and in the correct sort order. 10. I shut down my computer overnight.

This morning, my Firefox bookmarks had additional bookmarks added underneath my various folders, including some duplicate folders. My Safari bookmarks were scrambled in order, with some of the folders totally empty and others with only part of the bookmarks that should be in them.

Currently, I have blocked iCloud for Windows from syncing bookmarks. But since I use my iPad about 30-50%, this leaves my with missing bookmarks and an apparently random sort order on my iPad.

I can find no way to automatically sort by name the bookmarks in mobile Safari. They are re-ordered for some reason.

Contact Apple support and ask about this.

To my surprise, after having my iPad check for updates this morning, when I plugged it into my computer with a USB cable and opened iTunes, I was told that there was a new version of iOS (12.4).

I am installing that and will see if 12.4 makes any difference.

(That should have been 12.1.4)

The iPad Favorites now agree with my desktop Firefox Favorites.

So I disabled the iCloud Bookmarks extension on my desktop Firefox, even though the desktop Firefox favorites are the only things that should be in the iCloud favorites.

We'll see what happens to my iCloud favorites over night when only my iPad is syncing with them.

> Task: checkIntegrity + The places.sqlite database is sane + The favicons.sqlite database is sane > Task: invalidateCaches + The caches have been invalidated > Task: checkCoherence + The database is coherent > Task: expire + Database cleaned up > Task: originFrecencyStats + Recalculated origin frecency stats > Task: vacuum + Initial database size is 35840KiB + The database has been vacuumed + Final database size is 35840KiB