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Can't open a bookmark backup, I can see 5 different backups that ware saved automaticly but when pressed nothing happens.

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All my tabs closed when I installed skype which changed my homepage and some firefox settings, I can excess the bookmark backups that ware done automatically by firefox every moth or so and it would satisfie me, but when I press it, it asks if I am ok with replacing current tabs with the backed up ones, I click yes, and nothing happens. Any help?

All my tabs closed when I installed skype which changed my homepage and some firefox settings, I can excess the bookmark backups that ware done automatically by firefox every moth or so and it would satisfie me, but when I press it, it asks if I am ok with replacing current tabs with the backed up ones, I click yes, and nothing happens. Any help?

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Type about:support<enter> in the address bar.

Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Enter the bookmarkbackups folder. This is where Firefox makes backups of your bookmarks. Look for the jsonlz4 file you want to restore (check the time / date / size). Right click on that file and select Copy. Now go back to the profile folder where you started. Rename the file places.sqlite by adding .old to it. Now right click in the folder and select Paste. The file you just pasted here, rename it to places.sqlite. After you are done, restart Firefox.

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FredMcD said

Type about:support<enter> in the address bar. Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox. Enter the bookmarkbackups folder. This is where Firefox makes backups of your bookmarks. Look for the jsonlz4 file you want to restore (check the time / date / size). Right click on that file and select Copy. Now go back to the profile folder where you started. Rename the file places.sqlite by adding .old to it. Now right click in the folder and select Paste. The file you just pasted here, rename it to places.sqlite. After you are done, restart Firefox.

I tried to do this a lot of times before asking this question, but it doesn't work. After I do all the steps and launch firefox nothing changes. In the folder I get places.sqlite.corrupt file, a new places.sqlite file, places.sqlite-shm and places.sqlite-wal, and yes I delete all these 4 files before putting the backed up file. Is it normal that my bookmarkbackups .jsonlz4 is the size of 2KB?

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cor-el said

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database file in the Firefox profile folder.

The second and third options didn't work, and I can't completely figure out the first option. I tried to restore firefox, but the backups still don't open. Maybe there is a way I can read those jsonlz4 files? so I can retype the pages manualy?

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TheMonte said

Is it normal that my bookmarkbackups .jsonlz4 is the size of 2KB?

That would be an empty file. Is there a larger jsonlz4 file in the folder?


These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.

These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox

FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) {web link} FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backup of files that you choose.

OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences

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I have 5 different files with different names and different date times created but they all are the size of 2KB. So you say they are all empty? no way of restoring them?

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I assume you would have many bookmarks, but those files sound empty.

Type about:config<Enter> in the address bar. If a warning screen comes up, press the Be Careful button. This is where Firefox finds information it needs to run. At the top of the screen is a search bar.

Type browser.bookmarks.max_backups What is the current value? Set it to 30 or better.


Unless you have backup files somewhere, or another profile, Your bookmarks will have to be rebuilt.


Open the History Manager <Control><Shift> H. Are these entries intact? Go thru the list. Right click anything you want or need and select Bookmark

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FredMcD said

I assume you would have many bookmarks, but those files sound empty. Type about:config<Enter> in the address bar. If a warning screen comes up, press the Be Careful button. This is where Firefox finds information it needs to run. At the top of the screen is a search bar. Type browser.bookmarks.max_backups What is the current value? Set it to 30 or better.

Unless you have backup files somewhere, or another profile, Your bookmarks will have to be rebuilt.


Open the History Manager <Control><Shift> H. Are these entries intact? Go thru the list. Right click anything you want or need and select Bookmark

The value was 15, so I changed it to 30 now. Unfortunately I restored firefox to it's primary state hoping it would fix my problems, but it didn't so I have no history now. The bookmark backups are still there, but it's strange that firefox shows the backups name - 2015 January 3 (1,6KB -17 objects) and that was the amount of tabs I had that day before they ware lost, so I hoped that the backups are fine because they show the right amount of tabs.

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I've called the big guys to help you. Good luck.

It might be the file is corroded, and the others may be able to help you recover them. For now, COPY the backups to a safe place so they don't get lost.

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Thank you for your question.

If you have the places.sqlite file backed up from before you can restore the history. However if the files are not changing, it is possible the backups you are selecting are similar and do not have any changes. (not entirely )

The bookmark backup files are different from the the backed up files that you have . The jsonlz4 files files are the backups and are the ones that show up when you go to Show all Bookmarks > Restore

Have you tried a new profile with the back up files? Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles Open the new profile folder when Firefox is closed and replace this files with your back ups: places.sqlite, places.sqlite-shm, and places.sqlite-wal. (Make sure it is in the new profile folder the add on will open it up too https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/open-profile-folder/)