Restore Bookmark Backups

To open the Bookmarks Manager, press the Alt or F10 key bring up the tool bar, and select Bookmarks. Hot key is <Control>(Mac=<Command>) <Shift> B.

Once the window is open, at the top of the page, press the button labeled Import and Backup. Select Restore. From the list, pick the file you want and click it.

Sorry to hear that your bookmark backups files are "broken" and cannot be restored.

One option would be to copy the places.sqlite database file -- the normal form of storage for bookmarks and history -- from your old, pre-Refresh profile folder, to your new one. The old folder should now be on your desktop, inside a folder named Old Firefox Data.

Can you find Old Firefox Data, and inside it, a semi-randomly-named folder with freshly updated files inside?

If you want to try making the swap, here's how:

Open Your Current Profile folder in Windows Explorer

Open the Troubleshooting Information page using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
• Help menu > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table, click the "Show Folder" button. Firefox will launch your brand new profile folder in Windows Explorer.

Leaving that folder open, switch back to Firefox, and Exit using either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
• (menu bar) File > Exit

When Firefox closes, the profile folder should be front and center, or you can activate it using the Task bar. Allow 30 seconds to ensure Firefox is fully unloaded and done updating files.

Copy Old Database in Place of New

In your current profile folder that you just popped open -- NOT the one on your desktop -- refresh the display (F5) and then scroll down and find these files:

• places.sqlite - right-click > Rename to places.old "just in case"
• places.sqlite-shm - delete
• places.sqlite-wal - delete

Leaving that window open, open or switch over to your Old Firefox Data folder. Drill down into your old profile folder. Scroll down and find this file:

• places.sqlite - right-click > Copy

Switch back to your current profile folder, right-click a blank area, then Paste. This may take a moment since this file can be large.

Start Firefox

Firefox should start up with your old bookmarks and history. Success?

Next steps

You might want to do some database "maintenance" to reduce the potential for further corrupted backups. There is an add-on for that, although I'm not very familiar with its operation: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/

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 backups of files that you choose.

OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences

I also encountered this problem and I was able to fix it with https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/

After installing the add-on I clicked the Options button - the add-on said that the Places database was corrupt and would be replaced and the bookmarks restored from the latest backup, which was done successfully.

That was very good work. Well done. Please flag your last post as Solved Problem so others will know.

Only the thread creator can mark a reply as the solution and there is already a solution set.

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If the Places Maintenance extension can't repair the places.sqlite database then remove all places.sqlite file(s) in the Firefox profile folder to make Firefox rebuild the places.sqlite database from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

• keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Unable_to_process_the_backup_file_-_Firefox

See also:

• https://developer.mozilla.org/Mozilla/Tech/Places/places.sqlite_Database_Troubleshooting