Years of Stored Info "Lost" in FF3 Bookmarks

I simply do not understand why I can not figure-out FF3 Bookmarks since the change(s) from FF 2. I Bookmark A GREAT DEAL, A LOT & OFTEN, which means I now cannot access or utilize years worth of information stored in this PC, because I simply cannot find it.

Of course, the update from FF2 to FF3 has brought back the things I had stored once before when I tried-out FF3, but everything from FF 2 is "GONE".

When I go to bookmark something, I can do it, but it just gets added to the bottom of the ever-increasing LONG list. I cannot seem to make specific folders within bookmarks for things to go into.

When I select "Bookmarks" from the top of the browser (menu bar?), I get a drop-down list, just as in FF2, but when I go to "Organize Bookmarks" (or the "Library" as that's now named) in that (Library) list, it all (the view) changes, and looks different, with only three things in a right-side pane (1. Bookmarks Toolbar, 2. Bookmarks Menu, and 3. Unsorted Bookmarks), and a list of folders on the left which never present themselves except when I "try" to "organize". When I attempt to store a webpage in a specific folder now, from my browser tab or window (ANY specific folder), I can not get it done, because there is NOTHING available (VISIBLE) to save it to (?!?).

Is this making any sense - to anyone?

 

Yes, I had a recently similar issue that came out of nowhere, having run FF3 successfully for several months. This is what I did to resolve the issue:

1. Firstly and most importantly, back up your Bookmarks by exporting them as follows:

Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks -> Import and Backup -> Export HTML..." (This will save a bookmarks file in HTML format, which can then be imported if needed)

2. Now close Firefox.

3. Check in Task Manager that the firefox.exe process has closed. If it does not, manually end the process.

4. In Windows Explorer, locate the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\defaults\profile folder.

5. Delete all files named "places.sqlite", including "places.sqlite-journal" and any "places.sqlite.corrupt" files, if found.

6. Now restart Firefox and it will automatically rebuild the necessary files.

 

Just right click in Bookmarks Menu and select new folder. Type in the name of the new folder and click add. That's what works for me. I don't understand the latter part of your post.

 

Thanks Lev. I have to ask though, might this process destroy (delete) my old Bookmarks, that I just had a few days ago (in FF2), before I updated to FF3?

Thanks again, and in advance ...

 

Should not do so, but that's why you do step 1 before anything else. I did not lose any bookmarks running this entire process, and I did not have to restore from the export file I created.

 

places.sqlite is where the bookmarks of FF3 are. By running Firefox after all Lev's instructions, these will automatically be regenerated.
bookmarks.html folder is where the bookmarks of FF2 are located. Export this folder as per Lev's instructions. If exported, you will not loose them. They can always be imported later if needed.

EDIT: Oops, sorry Lev, didn't realize see you already posted a reply.

 

Ok oma thanks. I did this, and it worked (to create a new folder), but I see no way to find that new folder, other than to view it in the Bookmarks drop down list located in the menu bar at the top of the browser.

When I select "Bookmark This Page" from the top of that drop-down list, I get a separate box (entitiled:"Page Bookmarked" with "Name:" Folder:" and "Tags:" choices) that pops-up (just as in FF2), however I cannot find that newly created Folder from there (?).

And then how am I to move existing Bookmarks INTO the new folder?

Sorry, but it's very, very confusing to me. Also, I thought I would like the new feature of simply selecting the Star in the upper right hand corner, at the end of the web address - but again, when I select it, and it goes from clear (or white), to Yellow (or Gold), how is one to know where that page has been saved, in Bookmarks?

 

I always feel soooo incredibly stupid asking this, especially since I think that you just recently explained this to me (and I think I actually "KNEW" years ago), but where is "Explorer" ... how do I get to it?

I just never go into it ... I never go in there (knowingly).

OH, is that in the "My Computer" icon?

 

Ok, I see "defaults" in there (from October of last year) but also "defaults (2)", from July of last year.

The only other thing I see such as you mentioned is further down - "sqlite3.dll". Is that to be deleted?

 

Just drag and drop the weblinks in the folder of your choosing.

You have a choice as into what folder you want to save the weblink. See in the second pic by clicking on the square box with a dot in it, you can choose where to put the weblinks in as it will show all your existing folders.

 

Ok, well I got part of it. Sort of ...

I was able to move one of my existing Bookmarks into the newly created folder by dragging and dropping it (from one line or area of the main drop-down list, into another - into the Newly created folder).

But I am still lost (and have to admit, EXTREMELY frustrated, to just about the point of being brain-dead on this for tonight) on the second part of your instructs, and I think part of it is a misunderstanding on my part in the terminology.

"Weblinks" = ?

I tried to drag/drop from the tabs (from the tab-bar) and from the address bar, but got nowhere fast. The pop-up box (that you displayed in the screenshots) simply disappeared when I tried, as things often (usually) will when you try to do something else with the mouse.

 

Not Lev, but I'm pretty sure by "weblinks" is meant the URLs that you are bookmarking.

 

Thank you. I thought so, but my experience is that NOTHING can be assumed or taken for granted when it comes to this sort of lunacy.

This is perhaps THE SINGLE BIGGEST #1 PROBLEM with computer technology (I.M.-EXTREMELY-H.O.): THERE SEEM TO BE AT LEAST 3 OR 4 "NAMES" (and methods of accomplishing the exact same tasks) FOR EVERYTHING ... HENCE - MASS CONFUSION

He says "weblinks", I'm thinking "web-addresses", and as you so kindly point-out, "IT" (the exact same thing) is AKA: "URL".

I am certain that there are other "names" for this one item - just as there are at least three or four methods of copy/paste, etc., etc., etcetera .... Next month some other GENIUS will come with yet another "name" for the exact ... same ... "THING".

I understand that some of this is "inherent" within the design/build of it all, but if the "collective GENIUS" were really smart, no ... check that - if they were really DECENT (meaning: really HUMANE ... MEANING NOT SO ... ) ..................................................

Never mind. I need to bring this rant to an end, before I start a little design/building of mine own, and then start building - LITERALLY - on the idea of hunting-down some of the aforementioned collective genius of this all, a la, Unibomber-style.

 

I think that I didn't explain myself clear enough.
You can create a folder in the existing bookmarks menu by means of right clicking in an empty space in the sidebar of the bookmarks menu. (see 1st pic) Then you can add already existing bookmarks (URL's) into that new folder by dragging and dropping the existing URL's into it.

I never use the drop down menu (see 2nd pic) to add new folders, just new URL's, by clicking on the square with a dot in it which opens all folders so that you can choose in which folder to put the new URL in. Highlight the folder you want by clicking on it and the new URL will be added into that selected folder.

Hope this is a bit clearer than my previous post.

Just take one step at the time and follow Lev's instructions first and then proceed to take other steps.

 

Ok, thank you again, and I will try to learn more from this post of yours, but I am still stuck at my post #9:

Now, in reference to the help that you have offered me, I did find a way (with a combination of your instructions and what I already knew how to do) to do some of what I wanted to do, by:

1. bookmarking a page to the bottom of the list, then

2. right-clicking on the drop-down from Bookmarks, selecting "New Folder" (at the line or point BELOW where I would like the new folder to be created/placed), creating that new folder, and then

3. dragging/dropping from the bottom of the list to the new folder

- but that seems like an awfully long way to go around as opposed to FF2.