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The restore function say it can not import my AUTO created backups

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  • Last reply by cor-el

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After SPEEDING up Firefox, all my bookmarks disappeared. After trying the restore function, I get the error msg "unable to process the backup file"

This is NOT a good way to speed up the program. No mention was made about backing up a file.

After SPEEDING up Firefox, all my bookmarks disappeared. After trying the restore function, I get the error msg "unable to process the backup file" This is NOT a good way to speed up the program. No mention was made about backing up a file.

Chosen solution

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database (bookmarks, history) in the Firefox profile folder.

See also:

If the Places Maintenance extension can't repair the places.sqlite database then remove all places.sqlite file(s) including places.sqlite-shm and places.sqlite-wal in the Firefox profile folder to make Firefox rebuild the places.sqlite database from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

You can use this button to go to the current Firefox profile folder:

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Could you check your desktop for the Old Firefox Data folder? When you use the Refresh feature, your entire old settings folder is moved there. Please retain this folder until this issue is resolved.

The Old Firefox Data folder should contain your previous automatic backups in a folder named bookmarkbackups -- or is that what you already tried?

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I tried that. I also tried to do a copy and paste to import the data. No go. Is there a way to go back to a previous version?

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I started Chrome and it imported my bookmarks with no problems encountered.

I then tried to export the bookmark file in order to import to Firefox. After doing this, I opened Firefox to try and import the file, a miracle occurred and I had my bookmarks back! Why!?!? I don't have a foggy clue.

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Not sure if it is my imagination, but we seem to have had quite a few posts recently about uses losing data after being prompted to do a Firefox Refresh. Sorry. I know it will not help you, but Firefox is not supposed to lose bookmarks when a Refresh is done.

Revering to an older version of Firefox is not recommended and it is very unlikely to help at all with this sort of problem.

You have found the bookmarks backup folder, on your Desktop. Did you look at its content and note the file names. They should be of a format bookmarks_yyyy_mm-dd_###_... That indicates the date of the backup and the number of bookmarks.

If you pasted those individual files into your current profile's bookmarks backup folder then when you open Firefox and open the bookmarks library those bookmarks should become available. (You may need to rename some of the current files to make room, or just create a sub folder and move the newest unwanted ones into that).

Alternatively and probably simpler From the Bookmarks Library

Import & Backup -> Restore -> {scroll down} Choose File

and navigate to the profile folder and bookmarks backups on the Desktop.

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Chosen Solution

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database (bookmarks, history) in the Firefox profile folder.

See also:

If the Places Maintenance extension can't repair the places.sqlite database then remove all places.sqlite file(s) including places.sqlite-shm and places.sqlite-wal in the Firefox profile folder to make Firefox rebuild the places.sqlite database from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

You can use this button to go to the current Firefox profile folder: