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'''DRAFT ARTICLE TO REPLACE Lost Bookmarks'''

INTERESTING DELETED STUFF.  FINDING BOOKMARKS WITH BROWSER SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF VIEWING THEM.  Used Alice's version instead

Restoring bookmarks from backup
The bookmarks file may become corrupted if your computer crashes, especially on Windows systems.[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=289615]  If no other measures have solved your bookmarks problem, you can restore your bookmarks from a backup.

You can use any bookmarks file that you may have saved as a backup, or in Firefox 1.5 and above, five daily bookmark backup files are saved in the [[bookmarkbackups folder]], located in the Firefox [[profile folder]].  These files are named "bookmarks-(date).html".  Usually you will want to use the most recent file that has your backups.  You can also use the file size to help find the correct file.  To make sure you have the right file, you can open and view it with your browser.

To find a backup file with your browser:
# From a browser window, select File -> Open.  Then navigate to the "bookmarksbackup" folder in the [[profile folder]] and open a file.
#:Windows 2000 and XP users can navigate to the bookmarksbackup folder entering "%APPDATA%" for the file name, then go to the Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles folder, then ''xxxxxxxx''.default (where ''xxxxxxx'' is any sequence of numbers and characters), then the bookmarkbackups folder [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2394538#2394538].
# When you find the correct backup file, save it to the desktop or a location of your choice, for safekeeping.
# To import the file:
#* into Firefox: "Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks" or "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks".  From the Bookmarks Manager select "File -> Import... -> From File.
#* into Mozilla Suite: "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks... -> Tools -> Import...".
# Then navigate to the file you just chose and import it.  Advanced method:  You can instead rename the backup file "bookmarks.html", and use it to replace the incorrect file in your [[profile folder]].



<b>ARTICLE BEGINS HERE</b>


This article deals with lost or missing [[bookmarks]], recovery methods and preventing future losses. If changes you make to your bookmarks are not being saved or if you can't add new bookmarks, see the article [[Bookmarks not saved]].

==Start here -- step-by-step bookmark recovery==
Firefox automatically makes up to five daily backups, and you may have made other backups.  If your bookmarks file has been lost or damaged, you can recover bookmarks from a backup.  <b>To recover bookmarks from the daily backups, you must act before they are all overwritten.</b>

# Firefox and Mozilla Suite store user data in a separate place for each user account on your computer.  Make sure you are logged on to your computer with your usual logon name.
# Firefox and Mozilla Suite  allow you to have different settings and bookmarks, by storing these data in separate [[profile folder |profiles]].  To make sure you have not changed to a different profile, see [[#Multiple profiles and profile in use | Multiple profiles and profile in use]] (below).
# If bookmarks appear in the Bookmarks Manager but not in the main menu, and they can't be edited, see [[#Corrupted localstore.rdf | Corrupted localstore.rdf]] (below).
# If bookmarks are missing after installing Firefox 2 on Windows, see [[#Firefox 2 installer error | Firefox 2 installer error]] (below).
# If none of the above solved your problem, see [[#Finding your bookmarks | Finding your bookmarks]] and [[#Restoring bookmarks from backup | Restoring bookmarks from backup]] (below).  Note that you can view any bookmarks file with your browser.
# [[#Other methods of recovery | Other methods of recovery]]

===Preventing future problems===
* You can minimize the likelihood of future problems by following [[#Prevention | these steps]] (below).
* If bookmarks are always lost after restarting, it may be because Firefox or Mozilla Suite is not properly shutting down.  Read [[#Bookmarks always missing after restart | Bookmarks always missing after restart]] (below).

==Multiple profiles and profile in use==
Firefox and Mozilla Suite allow different users to have different settings and bookmarks. You may have inadvertently switched to another profile. Start the Firefox or Mozilla Suite [[Profile Manager]] and if multiple profiles are listed, select the other profile. If you receive a message that the profile is "in use" or if you are unable to start the original profile, read [[profile in use | this article]].

==Corrupted localstore.rdf==
(Firefox) If your bookmarks appear in the Bookmarks Manager but not in the main menu and can't be edited, this can be caused by an corrupted [[localstore.rdf]] file [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=1456901#1456901].  You can fix this by either deleting the localstore.rdf file from the [[profile folder]]  or,  in Firefox 1.5 and later, by starting in Firefox [[Safe Mode]] and selecting the option to reset toolbars and controls, then clicking the "Make changes and restart" button, as explained in [[Toolbar customizations reset on startup | this article]].

==Firefox 2 installer error==
Bookmarks may appear to be missing after upgrading to Firefox 2.  This problem is caused by the installer not properly closing Firefox before doing the upgrade ([https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=357922 bug 357922], fixed in Firefox 2.0.0.1).  To restore the missing bookmarks and fix other problems that may be related to the upgrade, you should reinstall Firefox.
# If you don't have the installer already, [http://getfirefox.com download it].
# Uninstall Firefox (your other settings will be unaffected).
# Restart your machine (advanced users can instead kill firefox.exe processes using the Task Manager ).
# Run the installer.

== Finding your bookmarks ==
Firefox and Mozilla Suite store your [[bookmarks]] in the file "[[bookmarks.html]]" located in the [[profile folder]]. There is also a file called "bookmarks.html" in the [[installation directory |program folder]], ''but this one is a template, and does not hold your bookmarks.''  You can use your operating system&rsquo;s file and folder search feature to locate your stored bookmarks.  To find all bookmarks files anywhere on your computer, search for '''bookmarks*''' (be sure to include the asterisk, with no space).   <u>Windows 2000 and Windows XP users</u>: Read the information [[Profile_folder#For_Windows_2000_and_XP_users | here]], as the profile folder containing your stored bookmarks is hidden by default.  

You can open the [[bookmarks.html]] file or any bookmark backup file using "File -> Open File" from the Firefox or Mozilla Suite menu to review the contents (see [[Bookmarks#Opening_the_bookmarks_file |this article]] for details).

==Restoring bookmarks from backup==
In  cases where  the bookmarks file itself is damaged or its contents have been deleted,  your bookmarks must be recovered, usually by restoring a backup.  This may happen after an abnormal operating system shutdown after a system crash or power loss, especially on Windows systems [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=289615].  Some or all of the content of the bookmarks file may have been deleted for other reasons.  You may have accidentally deleted some of your bookmarks when you organized them in the Bookmarks Manager, or you may have inadvertently replaced your saved bookmarks with the default set by using the Firefox  "Reset bookmarks to Firefox defaults" [[Safe Mode]] option.  

If you have a recent bookmarks backup, you can replace a damaged bookmarks file or you can recover the missing content by [[import bookmarks |importing]]  the backup.   In Firefox 1.5 and above, five daily bookmark backup files are saved in the [[bookmarkbackups folder]], located in the Firefox [[profile folder]].  '''Important:'''  You must recover one of these five backups before they are overwritten by newer versions.  

You can replace the bookmarks.html file in the [[profile folder]],with a backup copy, for example, with one of the Firefox  "bookmarks-(date).html" backups renamed to "bookmarks.html". This will replace the current contents of the bookmarks file with the bookmarks contained in the backup file and is recommended for advanced users.   You can also use the [[import bookmarks]] feature of the Bookmarks Manager to add the contents of any bookmark backup to your current bookmarks, as follows:  

#* ''Firefox:'' "Bookmarks -> Organize (or Manage) Bookmarks... -> File -> Import... -> from File" 
#*''Mozilla Suite:'' "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks... -> Tools -> Import..."
# When the file picker appears, navigate to the folder that contains the bookmarks file you wish to use and select that file. Windows 2000 and XP users can navigate to the bookmarks backup folder typing "%APPDATA%" in the file field and pressing Enter, going into Mozilla  then Firefox, then Profiles, then ''xxxxxxxx''.default (where ''xxxxxxx'' is any sequence of numbers and characters), then the bookmarkbackups folder [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2394538#2394538].

The bookmarks contained in the backup should now be available.

== Other methods of recovery ==
* Check the Recycle Bin/Trash for a file called "bookmarks.html".
* (''Windows'') Run the error-checking tool [http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315265 Chkdsk] (Windows 2000, XP) or [http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=186365 ScanDisk] (Windows 95, 98, ME) to see if you can recover any file fragments that contain your lost bookmarks. Look for files with names like FILE0001.chk  or FILE0002.chk on the root directory (the files may be inside folders named FOUND.000 or similar).  Open each  file  in Wordpad or Notepad and, if it contains bookmark data, rename it with an .html extension (for example, rename FILE0001.chk to bookmarks1.html).  Finally, [[Import bookmarks | import the file]] using the Mozilla Suite or Firefox Bookmarks Manager [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=1360593#1360593].    
* Look for a file called "bookmarks.bak".
* Use a file undelete utility to see if you can recover the file [http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm] [http://www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/]

==Bookmarks always missing after restart==
This may occur on Windows systems because Firefox (or Mozilla Suite) is not properly shut down before you power down or restart the computer.  This can be caused by a faulty or misconfigured plugin or extension, or even malware, causing Firefox to remain in memory.  To see if this is your problem, perform the following steps: 
#Use Firefox to browse the web for a while, then open the Windows Task Manager, select the Processes tab and find firefox.exe in the list.
#Use "File -> Exit" from the Firefox menu to close Firefox, then wait for firefox.exe to disappear from the Task Manager Processes list (this may take a few seconds if many tabs were open, or Firefox was using a lot of memory).  If the firefox.exe process disappears and doesn't come back, this is normal, so  if your bookmarks are always missing whenever you restart the computer, it could be related to [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=333907 bug 333907] which may cause .rdf file corruption.  To avoid it, exit Firefox before shutting down your PC. 
#If firefox.exe remains in the Processes list, end the firefox.exe process by selecting it in the Windows Task Manager and clicking "End Process". 
#* If the process disappears and doesn't come back, you may have an extension or plugin issue causing Firefox to persist in memory (for example, firefox.exe may remain active after running a [[Java]] applet).  You should seek support for it (they can usually be fixed by making sure everything is up to date).  
#*If the process disappears but comes back, you probably have a virus, or some other malware.  Anti-virus software may not be able to detect it.  If yours doesn't, seek support. See also [[Firefox.exe always open]].

==Prevention==
* You can increase the number of saved backups by modifying the value of the [[browser.bookmarks.max_backups]] preference to the desired number.
*Periodically save your bookmarks to the backup location of your choice:
** ''Firefox 1.5 and earlier:''  "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks... -> File -> Export..."
** ''Firefox 2:''  "Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks... -> File -> Export..."
** ''Mozilla Suite'':  "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks... -> Tools -> Export..."
* Do not power down your computer with Firefox/Mozilla Suite running.
* Some "computer clean-up" programs like System Wiper may delete your bookmarks. Make sure you do [[profile backup|profile backups]] before using such programs.
* [[profile backup|Back up your profile]] on a regular basis or at least back up your bookmarks.  See [http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=487841  Guide: Bookmark Back Up Extensions/Utilities and More].
* You can use the "Export" feature of the Bookmarks Manager to periodically save your bookmarks to the backup location of your choice:
** ''Firefox 1.5 and earlier:''  "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks... -> File -> Export..."
** ''Firefox 2:''  "Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks... -> File -> Export..."
** ''Mozilla Suite'':  "Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks... -> Tools -> Export..."

==Related bug reports==
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=193749 Bug 193749 - bookmarks and personal preferences are lost after system crash due to power failure]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=249150 Bug 249150 - Bookmarks file is overwritten (deleted) randomly in Firefox versions without places]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=260553 Bug 260553 - Bookmarks disappear after power outage and/or crashes]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=284099 Bug 284099 - bookmarks lost when upgrading Firefox]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=289615 Bug 289615 - bookmark dataloss in abnormal windows shutdown, especially FAT32 systems]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=305004 Bug 305004 - Create a dated bookmark backup file periodically]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=319196 Bug 319196 - customized toolbar always reset to default on restart, bookmarks and search engines lost, unable to add search engines (localstore.rdf corruption on upgrade or crash)]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=307558 Bug 307558 - customized toolbars are reset to default because of corrupt localstore.rdf after search plugin update check]
*[https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=357922 Bug 357922 - Bookmarks missing, tabs broken etc. after installing Firefox 2]

Category:Bookmarks
Category:Issues (Firefox)
Category:Issues (Mozilla Suite)