Is someone there to help, please?

Hi,

The people who answer questions here, for the most part, are other Firefox users volunteering their time (like me), not Mozilla employees or Firefox developers.

If you want to leave feedback for Firefox developers, you can go to the Firefox Help menu and select Submit Feedback... or use this link. Your feedback gets collected at http://input.mozilla.org/, where a team of people read it and gather data about the most common issues.

First, lets work on getting the browser working.

Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link} While you are in safe mode;

Type about:preferences#advanced<Enter> in the address bar.

Under Advanced, Select General. Look for and turn off Use Hardware Acceleration.

Poke around safe web sites. Are there any problems?

THank you for your reply FredMD, but my problem does not concern browser, but importing bookmarks. Or have I misunderstood you?

You were saying the browser was freezing up on you. I wanted to check that out first.

Bookmark / History Backups

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

Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Enter the bookmarkbackups folder. This is where Firefox makes backups of your bookmarks. Look for the jsonlz4 file you want to restore (check the time / date / size). Right click on that file and select Copy. Now go back to the profile folder where you started. Rename the file places.sqlite by adding .old to it. Now right click in the folder and select Paste. The file you just pasted here, rename it to places.sqlite. After you are done, restart Firefox.

I did that. When I restarted Firefox there were no bookmarks at all. I looked for places.sqlite in the profile. It was there, but exactly twice the size of places.sqlite.old, and now there was a new file: places.sqlite.corrupt. I tried to import the bookmarks .jsonlz4 file, but Firefox crashed. after closing it plugin-container crashed, too. I tried to put the files back, but places.sqlite aluays turned to places.sqlite.corrupt and now there is not a single bokmark on the browser :( .

Open the profile folder. Remove all places.sqlite files. Now follow the instructions in my last post.

If one of the backup files does not seem to work, try another.

I removed the files and Firefox created a new places.sqlite at startup with the same size as before (10,240 KB). I imported several JSONLZ4 files (one each time I restarted) but still crashes every time, both Firefox and plugin.container right after. I tried to import an Html file, but it crashes exactly the same way. I wonder what can do this. There are still no bookmarks in the browser since my previous post.

Create a new profile. DO NOT change anything in the new profile for now. Try to place the JSONLZ4 file in this profile as instructed above. Is there still a problem with Firefox?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles Windows: 32-bit C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe -p 64-bit C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe -p Mac: Navigate to /Applications/Utilities. Open the Terminal application. In the Terminal application, enter the following: /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox-bin -p Linux: In Terminal run: firefox –P For users who have one or more builds from mozilla.org this will not work. It would be best to have the full path so if you had placed the untared contents in a folder in /home it would be /home/<username>/foldername/firefox/firefox –P An easy way would be not to do it in a terminal but in say a launcher since you have to point it to the firefox script in Firefox folder you can then add –P on end. You can also have the exact "profilename" after the -P so Firefox will start with that Profile.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

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

Some general tips. They may be appropriate to some readers of this thread.

The following are wise precautions backup

• Your bookmarks databasefile places.sqlite occasionally, remember it is the only source of your History.
  • In my opinion it is vital to backup placesqlite if Firefox Sync is in use and used to Sync bookmarks
• Your bookmark backup files; or the whole profile; if you think you are having issues with bookmark restores. Remember the restores result in places.sqlite being modified and overwritten.

Note all these files and folders are within the Firefox profiles. The easiest method of finding them is from the troubleshooting information page whilst Firefox is running. See

• Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data_how-do-i-find-my-profile
  • This explains how to back up the whole profile Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles Only some of the files may be required.

At first thought it seems totally unnecessary to use sync and resort to backup bookmarks manually, after all the syncing effectively backs up bookmarks to multiple devices. The reasons for this counter intuitive suggestion are that Sync

• Now has only one option, merge. It will not do uni-directional syncs. It will attempt to make all bookmarks libraries identical.
• Sync is not totally reliable. Problems especially occur if there are slow internet connections and particularly if there many changes to bookmarks.
• Failure results in duplication &/or other corruption of the bookmarks libraries of the devices being synced. The task of sorting out the bookmarks after corruption is probably not feasible. All you can do is resort to whatever backups you have.

You may not be using Firefox sync, but I suspect that is probably the commonest cause of bookmarks corruption and duplication.

With a new virgin profile it does exactly the same. This is really disgusting, the issue is probably somewhere else. I have been using Firefox since its name was simply Mozilla. I have had issues and came here before, but none like this one. I have been using the same profile on computer for ages through OS changes because I have set it on another drive. Thanks for your help.

Edit 1 Reading again your last bulleted point I come to think that what you explain there could be possible because I use three synced Firefox browsers (computer, PortableApps USB flash, and smart phone). In fact I was almost two months without using one of them (computer), so there were a few differences between them, not many. Do you think that could be the origin of this issue?

Edit 2 I wanted to have a look at Firefox on the PortableApps flash. When it started there was some repeated bookmark folders and a couple of others ones only partly duplicated, but it was not so bad. When I started to transfer some from one place to another it froze. I restarted Firefox and then there were just two nearly empty bookmark folders! It seems the fault is really on the the syncing mechanism. I can uninstall and reinstall Firefox on the flash, It is just a simple installation where only bookmarks are synced , but if I do not get the bookmarks back it will be very bad. On the computer it is a more complete installation, and there are other things that I would hate to loose. I Will wait for your kind help, and meanwhile I am going to make a clean reinstallation of Firefox on the flash without sync.

Sounds to me as if sync may be the problem. Firefox has been improving the internal bookmarks backups recently. Firefox now compares the backup files and instead of blindly automatically creating new backups each day only creates backups if the bookmarks have changed. That helps because it increases the chance that you have good sets of backups.

If all the Firefox installs are up to date and the latest Release there is a good chance if necessary that book marks can be sorted out manually by transferring files from a good profile or one of the good backups.

I suggest you back up all your profiles, that way you preserve as much information as possible. I suggest you then you set up an additional test profile for one of the Firefox installs. Experiment with bookmark backups in the test profile. That way you can discover which backups are good and which are not. If you restore a bad bookmarks backup that is corrupt then just overwrite the now corrupt places.sqlite with another version, or do another restore or just remove it entirely and Firefox will recreate a file with no History, and the handful of default bookmarks.

You may use the profile manager, to creating a new profile.

• Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles_creating-a-profile
• Also see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder#Other_ways_to_move_your_profile
• Firefox portable is a third party build and not supported on this forum. It does not use profile manager or a profiles.ini but see http://portableapps.com/support/firefox_portable#local_profile

Thank you for replying.

Sounds to me as if sync may be the problem.

That is now my opinion too, as I mentioned on Edit 1 of my last post

If all the Firefox installs are up to date and the latest Release there is a good chance if necessary that book marks can be sorted out manually by transferring files from a good profile or one of the good backups.

Everything is up to date. New profiles behave as the old one. "book marks can be sorted out manually" – how?

I suggest you back up all your profiles, that way you preserve as much information as possible. I suggest you then you set up an additional test profile for one of the Firefox installs. Experiment with bookmark backups in the test profile.

I have done this, on the normal profile and on a new testing one, with the results on my tow last messages. The issue is ALSO on the other two Firefoxes: PortableApps flash and smart phone. I have reset Firefox on the mobile and have not setting Sync.

That way you can discover which backups are good and which are not. If you restore a bad bookmarks backup that is corrupt then just overwrite the now corrupt places.sqlite with another version, or do another restore or just remove it entirely and Firefox will recreate a file with no History, and the handful of default bookmarks.

I have lots of .json and .jsonlz4 bookmarks files because I save them automatically to the Web every week. The problem must be with Firefox because when I restore any of those files there is a notice saying that all bookmarks will be replaced by the imported ones, but it always freezes or crashes a few seconds after I click to proceed with the restore operation. Even with Firefox on the PortableApps flash drive. This never happened before the issue.

You may use the profile manager, to creating a new profile.

• Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles_creating-a-profile
• Also see http://kb.mozillazine.org/Moving_your_profile_folder#Other_ways_to_move_your_profile

I have done that as described above, and the results are what make me now believe the issue is on sync, affects bookmarks and history, and spreads to Firefox installations on other places that share the same bookmarks and history. If nobody provide me with an idea, I think I will have to uninstall Firefox completely with something like Revo and make a clean reinstall. Still, I wonder if it will work... I use only one profile and it is on another drive.

Any idea, please?

* Firefox portable is a third party build and not supported on this forum. It does not use profile manager or a profiles.ini but see http://portableapps.com/support/firefox_portable#local_profile

I have not asked for help with Firefox on the PortableApps, but Sync puts it on the same boat as the other two, it connects them and my mobile too. All three show the same issue that STARTED on computer (not the other two) after having been unused for some time as mentioned earlier and I added a few bookmarks to the mobile. It passed to the others only after having restarted using the computer. Anyway, my computer browser is what really matters for me.

Edit Now that I disconnected Firefox from Sync, it stopped freezing or crashing. Therefore, it seems the issue is really on Sync as I thought lately. However, I am afraid of reconnecting to Sync and falling on the same issue again. Can I delete the saved bookmarks on the saved Firefox database? If so, how, please?

I am decidedly wary about using sync myself because what it is useful for me is syncing bookmarks. However it also is capable of corrupting bookmarks and that makes it rather dangerous. I like my bookmarks.

I have not tried using one profile for multiple Firefox installs. Sounds like a recipe for disaster even before throwing Sync into the mix.

• For instance it must be rather confusing when a version update changes profile content, but an un-updated version may then try to use the updated profile.
  • If you use a single profile what is there to sync with ?
    (I suppose part of the answer is Firefox portable, but this forum does not support Portable, and it is a long while since I have last tried using it)
  • You also mention a smartphone, that will not be using the single profile. Remember syncing with the phone will fill the phone with all your desktop computer bookmarks.

I have at least one unique profile for each Firefox install. Usually more as one install may have multiple user accounts, each with its own profile. Then within my own accounts there may be multiple profiles, for some Firefox versions.

Straydog said

<snip> ... John99 said

If all the Firefox installs are up to date and the latest Release there is a good chance if necessary that book marks can be sorted out manually by transferring files from a good profile or one of the good backups.

Everything is up to date. New profiles behave as the old one. "book marks can be sorted out manually" – how?

• Are you trying this
  • On a Firefox that has its own profile.
    Not with a profile that you try to share with other Firefox installs.
    Not with a profile shared with other user account.
  • With sync not in use for that profile.
• More info see
  • http://kb.mozillazine.org/Backing_up_and_restoring_bookmarks_-_Firefox (You seem to be attempting that)
  • http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox#Rebuild_Places_database

<snip> ... I have lots of .json and .jsonlz4 bookmarks files because I save them automatically to the Web every week. The problem must be with Firefox because when I restore any of those files there is a notice saying that all bookmarks will be replaced by the imported ones, but it always freezes or crashes a few seconds after I click to proceed with the restore operation. Even with Firefox on the PortableApps flash drive. This never happened before the issue.

• Did you attempt that in Firefox with a clean profile.
  • Temporarily renaming profiles.ini generates a clean profile.
  • Alternativly at least try in a profile where you
    1. Have renamed all bookmarks related files and backup files.
    2. Then restart Firefox so it generates default files. You will have no history, no internal backups of bookmarks (other than the last restart) no bookmarks (other than the handful by default)
• If you use a clean profile and restore backups from an external file does it work ?
• What about the method for rebuilding places.sqlite does that work without freezing when tried on an otherwise clean profile.
• If you have a good places.sqlite does overwriting a clean profiles places.sqlite work.

<snip> ... think I will have to uninstall Firefox completely with something like Revo and make a clean reinstall. Still, I wonder if it will work... I use only one profile and it is on another drive. Any idea, please?

I could just say scrub the lot. Start from scratch with new installs and new profiles on all devices. But your information and bookmarks will be important to you so I am attempting to offer more difficult and complex solutions, that I hope preserve as much data as possible. Be very careful with third party uninstallers. Ensure you have profiles backed up safely. The standard Firefox clean install method is usually sufficient. There are also custom methods for installing multiple Firefox versions. They may be given their own install locations. Firefox portable effectively does that automatically.

• Recently Firefox Aurora from Mozilla was rebranded as Developer Edition. That now automatically installs in its own location with a fresh profile. (Previously we manually did custom installs and manually created new profiles)
  • Details: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Firefox/Developer_Edition
  • Download from: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/channel/#developer

Edit Now that I disconnected Firefox from Sync, it stopped freezing or crashing. Therefore, it seems the issue is really on Sync as I thought lately. However, I am afraid of reconnecting to Sync and falling on the same issue again. Can I delete the saved bookmarks on the saved Firefox database? If so, how, please?

The working bookmarks database of bookmarks is places.sqlite. It may be deleted. That destroys history and bookmarks. It is safer renaming it. Firefox will attempt to reconstruct the database, using the available internal backups from within the profile. The problem in your situation is trying to ensure Firefox has only suitable backups available and not corrupted ones full of duplicates.

Reading some of the help articles you may note there is a good add-on places maintenace written by a Mozilla engineer. That will attempt some repairs, and it will generate a short text log or report but it probably is not able to sort out duplications caused by Sync.

• https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/
  • I actually note a review of that complaining about Sync messing up bookmarks https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/reviews/675326/