What is the exact message that you get ?

Please paste the message or attach a screenshot. It seems unlikely the server will have been down for two weeks.

Note it should be ok at present see

• http://status.mozilla.com/
  • http://status.mozilla.com/11627/141907/services.mozilla.com
  • and current https://services.mozilla.com/status/
• Firefox Sync troubleshooting and tips

I have reset sync and the messages have stopped coming (I hope I have not messed things up). However, I still don't think sync is working (how do I confirm?).

I don't recall all of the exact words of the error message but it was similar to this: sync operation failed server maintenance is underway and will resume automatically. To check server status (click on something). Each time I clicked on the button provided, I was directed to a mozilla page which informed me that most people are able to use firefox sync and that additional capacity was on the way.

To confirm if rectification of the error had occurred, I tried getting sync on my other laptop to update and I got a similar error.

Yes this has been going on everyday for 2 weeks. I have been given a new laptop where I work and was given some time to transfer all my files. The deadline expires today and am to return the old one tomorrow.

Is there a way I can permanently reset sync to just take in my most recent history and passwords?

Thanks for responding

In case you can't get Sync working for you before you need to turn in that old laptop, you should back up your Firefox data to a USB drive or other media.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

When it comes to your Bookmarks on that old laptop, you should Export your Bookmarks to an HTML file so that you have a file which can be imported and merged with any new bookmarks which you might have saved on the new laptop.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/export-firefox-bookmarks-to-backup-or-transfer

Thanks "the-edmeritser". This should do the trick. I have been looking for such an alternative. I am a little concerned that if one of the backup files is corrupted, it will get transferred to the new computer. Should I be worried when I carry out the backup?

Thanks to John99 too.

This is a very responsive forum

Conversely if you have most bookmarks and history on the old laptop, and noting that History is used by the location bar in suggesting results.

Consider backing up new laptop's bookmarks as an HTML and backing up the old laptops bookmarks as a complete file with History and putting that on the new laptop AFTER backing up as HTML.

Then merge the new laptops HTML back in. Result is you keep all the History of the old laptop, and have minimal bookmarks to merge.

Note the sync service is not intended as a backup service, and that you should only rely on the copies as synced on to a second device. The second device is your backup. if you do not have a second device (as appears likely once you hand back the old laptop) you will need to rely on your own backups. (See the-edmeister's post above for linked articles)