why wont firefox import bookmarks from internet explorer
I have tried every step you come up with to restore my bookmarks and none work. i cannot even add new bookmarks. it does not respond. every time i refesh firefox it does this, everytime i update firefox it does this. why cant YOU solve this. i am about ready to scrap firefox!
Chosen solution
Hi windowguy28, Sorry you are having problems with Firefox.
If I understand this correctly you have a few different related problems here
- Your bookmarks do not work,
- Unable to add new bookmarks
- Unable to import bookmarks from Internet Explorer (IE)
- Somewhere along the process you lost some existing Firefox bookmarks.
Do not try any further Firefox resets at the moment or delete the spare profile it will have created on the desktop. That spare profile may include some useful bookmark backups & files.
How important were the bookmarks, and how long ago were they lost. There is a possibility Windows may be able to recreate a version of the file, but it has probably been overwritten with repeated restores of no apparent value.
There are some steps with Firefox that need to be tried.
- Try Firefox in its safe mode by using
- Menu Button {Three bar icon) -> Help {(?) icon) -> Start with Add-ons Disabled
- See Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode
- Does that help can you now create bookmarks
- Check to see if there are other profiles See Recover lost or missing Bookmarks#w_determining-if-firefox-has-created-a-new-profile
Note this is separate from the spare profile on your desktop. - If not then; with Firefox closed; rename the file places.sqlite in your current profile.
- See Can't add, change or save bookmarks - How to fix_create-a-new-bookmarks-file BUT do not delete the file instead rename it to something else such as places.sqlite.old1
- After restarting (and restarting again in safe mode if necessary) are you able to add bookmarks again ?
P.S. Unrelated but I note you have two versions of FlashPlayer plugins installed. That should not be and could cause problems.
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Chosen Solution
Hi windowguy28, Sorry you are having problems with Firefox.
If I understand this correctly you have a few different related problems here
- Your bookmarks do not work,
- Unable to add new bookmarks
- Unable to import bookmarks from Internet Explorer (IE)
- Somewhere along the process you lost some existing Firefox bookmarks.
Do not try any further Firefox resets at the moment or delete the spare profile it will have created on the desktop. That spare profile may include some useful bookmark backups & files.
How important were the bookmarks, and how long ago were they lost. There is a possibility Windows may be able to recreate a version of the file, but it has probably been overwritten with repeated restores of no apparent value.
There are some steps with Firefox that need to be tried.
- Try Firefox in its safe mode by using
- Menu Button {Three bar icon) -> Help {(?) icon) -> Start with Add-ons Disabled
- See Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode
- Does that help can you now create bookmarks
- Check to see if there are other profiles See Recover lost or missing Bookmarks#w_determining-if-firefox-has-created-a-new-profile
Note this is separate from the spare profile on your desktop. - If not then; with Firefox closed; rename the file places.sqlite in your current profile.
- See Can't add, change or save bookmarks - How to fix_create-a-new-bookmarks-file BUT do not delete the file instead rename it to something else such as places.sqlite.old1
- After restarting (and restarting again in safe mode if necessary) are you able to add bookmarks again ?
P.S. Unrelated but I note you have two versions of FlashPlayer plugins installed. That should not be and could cause problems.
You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database file in the Firefox profile folder.
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Bookmarks+not+saved#w_fix-the-bookmarks-file
- Places Maintenance: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/
If there are problems with importing the IE Favorites in Firefox then export the favorites in IE to an HTML file and import that file in the Firefox Bookmarks Manager.
If you do not have the menu bar in IE then right-click the toolbar at the top to enable the Menu Bar.
- Export the favorites in IE to an HTML file (bookmarks.html):
File > Import and Export - Import the HTML file in Firefox:
Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Import Bookmarks from HTML
See "Import from another browser" and "Import from file":