Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

I have MANY questions about Firefox, how do I ask them all?

more options

Can I import my IE 11 "favorites" folders to Firefox? Will these imported "favorites" be easily available in a folder somewhere, or will they be stored in an encrypted file, a la Maxthon? Will clicking on an entry in my Firefox "favorites" folder (if such a creature exists) open the website link in Firefox? Will clicking on an entry in my Firefox "favorites" folder (if such a creature exists) update the date and time that link was opened?

I ask because I have gotten very used to IE (but it is not working well on certain websites, lately)...it stores my "faves" in an easily accessible file in Windows Explorer, I can sort this folder's files in any way I choose (name, date created, date modified), double clicking a website link will open it in IE 11. I'm looking for the same type of "favorites" control and functionality. I realize that IE is integrated heavily into Windows but...I do not wish to lose that functionality with another browser.

Can I import my IE 11 "favorites" folders to Firefox? Will these imported "favorites" be easily available in a folder somewhere, or will they be stored in an encrypted file, a la Maxthon? Will clicking on an entry in my Firefox "favorites" folder (if such a creature exists) open the website link in Firefox? Will clicking on an entry in my Firefox "favorites" folder (if such a creature exists) update the date and time that link was opened? I ask because I have gotten very used to IE (but it is not working well on certain websites, lately)...it stores my "faves" in an easily accessible file in Windows Explorer, I can sort this folder's files in any way I choose (name, date created, date modified), double clicking a website link will open it in IE 11. I'm looking for the same type of "favorites" control and functionality. I realize that IE is integrated heavily into Windows but...I do not wish to lose that functionality with another browser.

All Replies (7)

more options

Can I import my IE 11 "favorites" folders to Firefox?

With Firefox, these are called bookmarks.

Import Bookmarks and personal data from another browser

Import Bookmarks from Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge

more options

Will clicking on an entry in my Firefox "favorites" folder (if such a creature exists) open the website link in Firefox?

Yes. Also, if you right-click the entry you will see other options.

Will clicking on an entry in my Firefox "favorites" folder (if such a creature exists) update the date and time that link was opened?

A record is kept of the last time you access the website or used a bookmark link.

more options

viciii3 said

... I ask because I have gotten very used to IE (but it is not working well on certain websites, lately)...it stores my "faves" in an easily accessible file in Windows Explorer, I can sort this folder's files in any way I choose (name, date created, date modified), double clicking a website link will open it in IE 11. I'm looking for the same type of "favorites" control and functionality. I realize that IE is integrated heavily into Windows but...I do not wish to lose that functionality with another browser.

Internet Explorer is the only browser that I have ever used that stores Favorites / Bookmarks in Windows Explorer folder files. Very hungry for disk space usage vs. every other browser I have ever used, plus other browsers use much faster internal to the browser databases for storing their Bookmarks. And the other browsers are typically cross- operating system compatible which precludes using a Windows Explorer type file system for bookmarks. Not sure how IE handled bookmarks for Mac OS's before before Apple came up with Safari and Microsoft stopped building IE for Mac; I never used a Mac.

Firefox uses a Sqlite database named places.sqlite which holds "Places" data - bookmarks, browsing history, and downloads history in one database.

Doing an "alpha sort" is possible, but there are tricks to do a complete sort which may need multiple steps when you get to individual folders alpha sorting; or possibly look for a suitable extension. Honestly, I haven't done a full sort for 12 or 13 years; drag the bookmarks into an order based upon most used / most accessed via the Bookmarks Sidebar. Using the Bookmarks Sidebar for accessing my bookmarks goes back to the days when I was using Internet Explorer, like before 2003; I found it easier for my transition over to Firefox in 2002 and never changed.

more options

Thank you all. I'm going to give Firefox a try.

more options

I have installed Firefox and I only have one "issue", so far. When I go to my "library" menu and "open all bookmarks" and then sort by the column "Most Recent Visit", each bookmark gets a time stamp as I visit the website. The problem is that the "most recent visit" info only seems to last until I close Firefox...not much use that way. Is there some setting that will retain "most recent visit" with actual date and time...forever?

more options

Quote: Is there some setting that will retain "most recent visit" with actual date and time...forever?

That would require that you keep the history, so it sounds that you remove the history when you close Firefox.

In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history.

  • do not clear the Browsing History
  • clearing "Site Preferences" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exception for password and other website specific data
  • clearing "Cookies" will remove all selected cookies including cookies with an "Allow" exception you may want to keep
more options

You might be interested in the optional bookmarks menu button that looks like this: . To add that button, either:

(A) Use the Customize panel (Customize Firefox controls, buttons and toolbars) to drag the icon to the desired spot on the toolbar

(B) Use the method from Bookmarks in Firefox - section entitled: How do I add the Bookmarks Menu button to the toolbar?

  • Click the "Library" button:
  • Click "Bookmarks"
  • Click "Bookmarking Tools"
  • Click "Add Bookmarks Menu to Toolbar"