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Bookmarks are not restored after copying the files from the old profile folder to the new one.

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by Passie

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Before installing a new OS, I saved the firefox profile folder. After, I installed the latest firefox and a new profile was created. So, I moved the files from the folder saved to the folder created. However, nothing has been restored. The bookmarkbackups folder is empty. I have tried to get the bookmarks from the places.sqlite using some soft however it has not worked. I have not managed to convert it to a readable by firefox format. I have tried to play with different firefox versions installing old ones and putting my files to the folders created. It also has not worked. I also have tried to play with the profile manager. It seems like the profile folder is used, but none of my data is there. Nevertheless, the folder saved weights 400 MB, so I still have a hope. But... I am out of ideas.

Before installing a new OS, I saved the firefox profile folder. After, I installed the latest firefox and a new profile was created. So, I moved the files from the folder saved to the folder created. However, nothing has been restored. The bookmarkbackups folder is empty. I have tried to get the bookmarks from the places.sqlite using some soft however it has not worked. I have not managed to convert it to a readable by firefox format. I have tried to play with different firefox versions installing old ones and putting my files to the folders created. It also has not worked. I also have tried to play with the profile manager. It seems like the profile folder is used, but none of my data is there. Nevertheless, the folder saved weights 400 MB, so I still have a hope. But... I am out of ideas.

All Replies (6)

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Hi, in hindsight it would perhaps have been better to export them to an external drive: Open bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Backup.

However, the profile should have worked, so make sure you did it correctly. Note that Firefox must be closed.

If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you!

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Scribe said

Hi, in hindsight it would perhaps have been better to export them to an external drive: Open bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Backup. However, the profile should have worked, so make sure you did it correctly. Note that Firefox must be closed. If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you!

I have tried it many times and I have read the pages.

I confirm that the folder used is one in which there are all the files from the old PC. However, it does not work!

Interesting thing is that places.sqlite is not created in a new profile folder even if I create new bookmarks. So, it is not replaced in the new folder, but just added.

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OK, since bookmarks aren't working, try the Refresh feature (called "Reset" in older Firefox versions) which will create a new profile, and can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your bookmarks, history, passwords, cookies, and other essential information.

Note: When you use this feature, you will lose any extensions, toolbar customizations, and some preferences. See the Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings article for more information.

To Refresh Firefox:

  1. Open the Troubleshooting Information page using one of these methods:
    • Click the menu button New Fx Menu, click help Help-29 and select Troubleshooting Information. A new tab containing your troubleshooting information should open.
    • If you're unable to access the Help menu, type about:support in your address bar to bring up the Troubleshooting Information page.
  2. At the top right corner of the page, you should see a button that says "Refresh Firefox" ("Reset Firefox" in older Firefox versions). Click on it.
  3. Firefox will close. After the refresh process is completed, Firefox will show a window with the information that is imported.
  4. Click Finish and Firefox will reopen.

If Refresh didn't work, try performing a Clean reinstall in case there is file corruption elsewhere. This means you remove your Firefox program files and then reinstall Firefox. This process does not remove your Firefox profile data (such as bookmarks and passwords), since that information is stored in a different location.

To do a clean reinstall of Firefox, please follow these steps: Note: You might want to print these steps or view them in another browser.

  1. Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from mozilla.org (or choose the download for your operating system and language from this page) and save the setup file to your computer.
  2. After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (or open the Firefox menu New Fx Menu and click the close button Close 29).
  3. Delete the Firefox installation folder, which is located in one of these locations, by default:
    • Windows:
      • C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
    • Mac: Delete Firefox from the Applications folder.
    • Linux: If you installed Firefox with the distro-based package manager, you should use the same way to uninstall it - see Install Firefox on Linux. If you downloaded and installed the binary package from the Firefox download page, simply remove the folder firefox in your home directory.
  4. Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
    1. Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
    2. Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.

More information about reinstalling Firefox can be found here.

WARNING: Do not use a third party uninstaller as part of this process. Doing so could permanently delete your Firefox profile data, including but not limited to, extensions, cache, cookies, bookmarks, personal settings and saved passwords. These cannot be easily recovered unless they have been backed up to an external device! See Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles.


Also see for ref: Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles

Please report back to say if this helped you.

Thank you!

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Hi Scribe,

I have reinstalled Firefox. Before I cleaned the PC from it, including the keys in regedit. It has not worked for me.

Scribe said

OK, since bookmarks aren't working, try the Refresh feature (called "Reset" in older Firefox versions) which will create a new profile, and can fix many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your bookmarks, history, passwords, cookies, and other essential information. Note: When you use this feature, you will lose any extensions, toolbar customizations, and some preferences. See the Refresh Firefox - reset add-ons and settings article for more information. To Refresh Firefox:
  1. Open the Troubleshooting Information page using one of these methods:
    • Click the menu button New Fx Menu, click help Help-29 and select Troubleshooting Information. A new tab containing your troubleshooting information should open.
    • If you're unable to access the Help menu, type about:support in your address bar to bring up the Troubleshooting Information page.
  2. At the top right corner of the page, you should see a button that says "Refresh Firefox" ("Reset Firefox" in older Firefox versions). Click on it.
  3. Firefox will close. After the refresh process is completed, Firefox will show a window with the information that is imported.
  4. Click Finish and Firefox will reopen.

If Refresh didn't work, try performing a Clean reinstall in case there is file corruption elsewhere. This means you remove your Firefox program files and then reinstall Firefox. This process does not remove your Firefox profile data (such as bookmarks and passwords), since that information is stored in a different location.

To do a clean reinstall of Firefox, please follow these steps: Note: You might want to print these steps or view them in another browser.

  1. Download the latest Desktop version of Firefox from mozilla.org (or choose the download for your operating system and language from this page) and save the setup file to your computer.
  2. After the download finishes, close all Firefox windows (or open the Firefox menu New Fx Menu and click the close button Close 29).
  3. Delete the Firefox installation folder, which is located in one of these locations, by default:
    • Windows:
      • C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
      • C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox
    • Mac: Delete Firefox from the Applications folder.
    • Linux: If you installed Firefox with the distro-based package manager, you should use the same way to uninstall it - see Install Firefox on Linux. If you downloaded and installed the binary package from the Firefox download page, simply remove the folder firefox in your home directory.
  4. Now, go ahead and reinstall Firefox:
    1. Double-click the downloaded installation file and go through the steps of the installation wizard.
    2. Once the wizard is finished, choose to directly open Firefox after clicking the Finish button.

More information about reinstalling Firefox can be found here.

WARNING: Do not use a third party uninstaller as part of this process. Doing so could permanently delete your Firefox profile data, including but not limited to, extensions, cache, cookies, bookmarks, personal settings and saved passwords. These cannot be easily recovered unless they have been backed up to an external device! See Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles.


Also see for ref: Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles

Please report back to say if this helped you.

Thank you!

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Make sure you copy the files to the correct location.

  • C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\

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


Firefox uses two locations for the Firefox profile folder. Location used for the main profile in "AppData\Roaming".

  • C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\

Location used for the disk cache and other temporary files in "AppData\Local".

  • C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
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You might have saved the wrong folder ! Your passwords and bookmarks are not in program files. If you save your firefox then save the morzilla that is inside the roaming folder.

On your Win10 go to your installed account profile here, Win 10; C:\Users\Your Account Name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\o65hyi78.default [You have different number]

The folder that has .default behind it is your saved logins and bookmarks. If an update failed to load your profile then you will see .old behind the default. I had this some days ago as well when installing a new version. Then i simply copied all that was in my .old folder in the new .default. Restarted firefox and all my bookmarks and logins were working on it again.

IF you saved the program files folder of firefox, then i don't know if it can be fixed. Program files is the part of firefox that gets uninstalled ones you upgrade. So i fear that folder has nothing in it to bring back your bookmarks. Hope that is not the case, if so hope you still have the old hard disk. Then you can simply get the .default folder from the old disk and put all that is in it in your new default folder replacing folders with same name.

Worst case: IF you did copy the program files folder and you had many bookmarks inside and passwords. And the other helpers don't know how you get your info from the program files folder. Then you can always try a recovery program. Even after format and installing a new OS on the disk, you can get many things back using eraseUS recovery tools or other tools like that. So not all hope is lost if that is the case. You might even be able to search on profile or AppData or Documents and settings if you had XP installed before updating OS on the recovery tool after it scanned your disk. And then you could be able to get back the profile folder from your old OS pretty quickly, if lucky. The last recovery i ran gave me 60 gb while i recovered a 32 gb usb-stick. And ones had over 100 gb from a 32 gb stick as well. So give that a try if worst case is reality ;)

Good Luck ;)

Modified by Passie