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How do I save bookmarks to an USB drive?

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  • Last reply by Lawsen

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I am trying to discontinue using my old Dell Pentium 4 computer. It is running Windows XP with Firefox. I would like the Bookmarks to be saved onto an USB flash drive to be used on my future computer. How do I import the Bookmarked URLS to a flash drive to be used on another computer? I am trying to clean up the house and remove all the old computers and give them away.

I am trying to discontinue using my old Dell Pentium 4 computer. It is running Windows XP with Firefox. I would like the Bookmarks to be saved onto an USB flash drive to be used on my future computer. How do I import the Bookmarked URLS to a flash drive to be used on another computer? I am trying to clean up the house and remove all the old computers and give them away.

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Hi Lawsen, not to sound paranoid, but you may want to keep the old hard drive since they are so difficult to securely erase. You can put it in a $25 enclosure to use as an external hard drive for extra storage (or scrounging up old stuff you though you'd never need). For example: http://www.amazon.com/Hornettek-Viper.../B00D05DIEW. But I guess I'm interfering with the cleaning process...

Firefox has two bookmark file formats and I suggest creating both:

(1) Backup - this is the more complete format, but not easily human-readable and only restorable in Firefox. More info: Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer.

(2) Export - this creates the classic "bookmarks.htm" file that all browsers can read and if you open it in a Firefox tab you can quickly get a sense of whether it is complete. More info: Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file to back up or transfer bookmarks.

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Chosen Solution

Hi Lawsen, not to sound paranoid, but you may want to keep the old hard drive since they are so difficult to securely erase. You can put it in a $25 enclosure to use as an external hard drive for extra storage (or scrounging up old stuff you though you'd never need). For example: http://www.amazon.com/Hornettek-Viper.../B00D05DIEW. But I guess I'm interfering with the cleaning process...

Firefox has two bookmark file formats and I suggest creating both:

(1) Backup - this is the more complete format, but not easily human-readable and only restorable in Firefox. More info: Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer.

(2) Export - this creates the classic "bookmarks.htm" file that all browsers can read and if you open it in a Firefox tab you can quickly get a sense of whether it is complete. More info: Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file to back up or transfer bookmarks.

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Make sure to do a secure wipe of the hard drive. Simply deleting files isn't enough because files can easily be recovered (files are only marked with a delete flag, but all content still remains on the hard drive).


See:


You can backup files like these in the current Firefox profile folder if you want to save more data.

  • bookmarks and history: places.sqlite
  • bookmark backups: JSON backups in the bookmarkbackups folder
  • SQLite files like cookies.sqlite (cookies) and formhistory.sqlite (saved form data)
  • logins.json and key3.db (decryption key) for Passwords saved in the Password Manager
  • cert8.db and possibly cert_override.txt for (intermediate) certificates stored in the Certificate Manager
  • persdict.dat for words you added to the spelling checker dictionary
  • permissions.sqlite for Permissions and possibly content-prefs.sqlite for other Site Preferences
  • sessionstore.js for open tabs and pinned tabs and tab groups

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

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You just export them as backups from the bookmarks library.

However if you are moving over to another new computer it is probably better to copy all of the Firefox profile to the USB stick and then use some of those files to restore data to the new computer and new install of Firefox.

Besides bookmarks you may have logins and other information.

See


Not a subject for this forum but take care if you give away computers as working machines. Ensure that you delete all potentially sensitive or confidential information. It is worth remember it could be relatively simple to recover some deleted files. Probably not a problem if given to friends and family, but be more careful if donated to strangers / charity.

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It is a Dell Dimension 2400. The memory is limited to 1 GB by default of the BIOS chip on its motherboard. I plane to replace it with the newer HP Envy 34 inches (86 cm) non touch with Intel i5 5600 at 2.2 GHz wide screen. I need to save my book marks. I have surfed places like China's Jade Rabbit moon robot lander and do not want to lose the site's URL. I would like to decommission the use of my Dell 2400. I was not the original owner as it was given to me and I restored it about five years ago. I kept it and kept using it. It would still even lasts longer. I think it is time to retire it. Thanks Corel and Jscher 2000.