Sort order in the Library window using Views > Sort > A to Z is temporary and ends when the Library window is closed.

See this support article to learn how to sort bookmarks permanently. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/sort-bookmarks-quickly-find-ones-you-want

Thank you for your prompt reply. I had already looked at this article but did not find it answered the question. Maybe because I am used to other browsers maintaining a bookmark order after it has been set.

In this case maybe I misunderstood - is the answer that bookmarks can only retain their order if placed into a folder?

Correct the sort is only temporary. However one trick I use is to sort the bookmarks and then select and copy them to another folder. That order will then stay fixed, although other bookmarks added later will be out of order, but you may then just manually move the additional few bookmarks.

Also note the-edmeister found an addon that seems to do what you wish

• Why is alphabetical sorting so challenging for Firefox? Is it really that difficult? /questions/1125429#answer-887257
  • https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/simplesort-bookmarks/

Does that work ?

P.S. Also consider using tags and the advanced options from the addressbar. You may filter for only bookmarks &/or other multiple options

• Address bar autocomplete suggestions in Firefox_changing-results-on-the-fly
• Bookmark Tags - Categorize bookmarks to make them easy to find

Thanks John. I've downloaded the add on and activated it but nothing changed. I'm now wondering whether the bookmarks themselves are the problem. When I imported the bookmarks from IE they showed up with a greyed-out Firefox symbol alongside until I actually use on, when it then changes to it's normal website icon. As the majority are still greyed out, I wonder if that makes a difference? Although, as I mentioned, if I choose the sort by name or A-Z that works in terms of arranging them alphabetically, but does not hold that format when closed and re-opened.

I'll continue fiddling and have a look at the tags you mention above.

The website image for bookmarks isn't exported from IE; differing formats makes the IE images not compatible with how Firefox stores those images.

Those Favicon images need to be save anew in Firefox; bookmark by bookmark is how it happens. Favicon saved or not, that wouldn't affect how that extension works. Although I can be quite "anal" in the manner I do things, alpha-sorting my bookmarks isn't one of my "anal-qualities" - I have never used that extension.

But I did just install it to check it out. There is a "first-run" screen to get users started. resource://simple-sort-bookmarks-at-dominiofelice-dot-com/data/advancedOptions/advancedOptions.html 1. Backup Bookmarks - before you start 2. Blacklist folder - folders that you don't want sorted 3. a button to Sort all bookmarks

Then there are more options in about:addons > SimpleSort Bookmarks -with 5 options.

"is the answer that bookmarks can only retain their order if placed into a folder?"

They're all in "folders". There are 3 main folders to contain bookmarks.

1. Bookmarks Toolbar - for display of bookmarks that are used most often = below the Location Bar / Navigation Toolbar
2. Bookmarks Menu - basically where a user would place all their bookmarks
3. Unsorted Bookmarks - quick 'saves' before the user sorts them manually

Apologies for the delay. I opened the options, items were already selected within it. The only thing I changed was the "automatic updates" from "default" to "on". I went back to the bookmark list and there was still one bookmark out of place so I dragged it to its appropriate position in the list, Instead of "sort by title" I used "sort A-Z". I then closed down bookmarks and re-opened and found that everything seems now to be in the correct alphabetical order.

I have no idea which of the various actions has been successful but thank you (and others above) for your assistance with this.

You're welcome!