During Windows 10 upgrade and downgrade, Windows may ask you what you want to do with your data, for example, leave it in place, save it in a temporary location, or blow it away. Probably not in those terms.

If Firefox did not automatically find your data after the dust settled, here's the next step:

To explore, you'll first need to turn on viewing of hidden files and folders: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/show-hidden-files

Then check whether Windows created this folder:

C:\Windows.old

If so, look for

C:\Windows.old\Users\your-user-name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles

Assuming you find one or more folders there, one of them most likely will have your earlier Firefox data. If you check the file modification dates, do any of them look recent enough to be the right files?

We can describe how best to rescue data from that temporary location (Windows will delete it after 30 days so don't put it off).

If you do not have a Windows.old folder, then we can suggest other places to look.

Thank you for your very kind and thoughtful response. I am sure that what you are telling me is all correct. For various reasons, it is mostly useless, but that is not your fault at all, and I am saving your suggestions just in case this all takes yet another bizarre turn.

What I wrote above is only a small segment of what I've experienced over the last month (It actually began some time back when Win 10 and FF both came out with updates at the same time, but never mind that now. I am unable to stay upset for very long, so at this point I have decided to approach this entire saga as amusing in a Dante-esque sort of way.

The first thing I do when I need to poke around inside is turn on view hidden files, as I've learned that they are often the key to solving peculiar computer problems. I will spare you the details, except to say that Win10 again changed my settings, and apparently decided that since my computer was on all night, that constituted passive permission to download and install the recent update.

When I turned on the computer in the morning (it had restarted itself), there were folders but no data. My user config was missing. My password took me to someplace in Microsoft never-never land.

I know what happened and it is too strange to relate briefly. I had recently acquired a second computer with an unusual drive assignment, within days it underwent one of Win10s famed failed Win10 updates. A (unnamed) company tech with apparently psychological problems that resulted in the complete trashing of my MS user data and no browsers, leaving me abandoned with an essentially non-functional computer. (The company has abjectly apologized when the logs bore out my tale).

Another tech (thoughtful, attentive, and sane) helped repair what he could of the damage done, but the only thing was to return the computer. I did so,. The next day I turned on my old (but theoretically still functional computer), to find the situation I mentioned in my first post (thank you Windows). I ended up doing two rollbacks to be able to get to my data and programs (all of which were still present; I just had not had ability to access apparently because of a change in user id when I got the new computer).

Still no browser, and no way to download one-- but I wandered though a now rejuvenated list of ancient downloads, and found an Opera download stub.

By golly, it worked. Opera installed, updated, and functional, I used it to install Chrome, my handy back up browser that I had synced with FF. Happy dance, my starting tabs, links, bookmarks all intact. Got chrome set up, used it to download FF and restored said data from Chrome. Nice.

Then Firefox crashed. repeatedly. Just like old days. I don't exactly trust Google, but Chrome is stable, easy to use, and apparently willing to hang onto my bookmarks. I am going to miss FF, though. I really liked it. Until the repeated crashes and freezes. I do intensive online research, and all that crashing just gets on my nerves.

I hope they work it out. I'll come back if they do.

Okay, so to summarize the current problem: Firefox is crashing a lot. Is that right?

If you are getting the Mozilla Crash Reporter form, your Firefox may have logged some data that would help track down the cause of the problem. You can submit that data to Mozilla and share it with forum volunteers to see whether it points to the solution. Please check the support article "Firefox crashes - asking for support" for steps to get those crash report IDs from the about:crashes page, and then post some of the recent ones here.

If you do not get a crash dialog but instead get freezes (e.g., NOT RESPONDING), please see this article: Firefox hangs or is not responding - How to fix.

My original question is way back up there in original post. (Sorry, I am a storyteller and sometimes go off on tangents, especially when someone asks questions about something that is not my original point).

Yes, FF crashes. It didn't used to at all. Very stable. It crashes not only on this computer (the old one), but on both the new ones, from the very beginning.

I don't care. I pursued that issue without success a while back, and gave up.

My question was why it is no longer possible to retrieve bookmarks etc from a Firefox account after reinstall when one is in a situation where syncing with another computer. Such as one has only one computer, or one has two computers, one of which is no longer available for sync. Which is basically the situation I am in right now due to circumstances beyond my control.

I did a search of Moxilla support and forums to see if others had a similar issue. I found quite a few, in various circumstances, but all including loss of bookmarks, with no way to retreive them easily, as used to be the case. So I made a comment and a suggestion.

That's it. I have solved my problem (see above) (I hope, anyway). Oddly it was much simpler than your suggestion, though I can see where what you suggest might be useful. (As I also mentioned above.)

I appreciate the time and energy you have taken to try to help. It's just not what I was talking about, and in fact, if Firefox were to return to allowing people to retrieve FF data from their accounts, it would be simpler all around. No more digging around in hidden files to restore them.

dastratton said

My question was why it is no longer possible to retrieve bookmarks etc from a Firefox account after reinstall when one is in a situation where syncing with another computer. Such as one has only one computer, or one has two computers, one of which is no longer available for sync. Which is basically the situation I am in right now due to circumstances beyond my control.

I don't use Sync myself, but my understanding is this: when you set up a new Firefox, and connect with an existing Firefox Account, and confirm that the new Firefox should be able to connect when you get an email link to click, then your new Firefox should be allowed to sync with the old data.

That was my understanding too, but all that happened was that when I logged into my account, I kept being referred to "pocket". Apprently to tuck my precious links in. (My take on pocket is "ewww".)

My research in Mozilla support indicated that this is happening to other people too. They don't seem very impressed, either.

Thus my suggestion to Firefox that they return to using accounts to make it possible to restore bookmarks.

Bye now.

dastratton said

Thus my suggestion to Firefox that they return to using accounts to make it possible to restore bookmarks.

Return to accounts?? That is the current system. I don't know where you saw a reference the pocket service.

I have a Sync account that I set up as a test but do not really use. All it syncs is my bookmarks. I did a test using a new Firefox profile to see whether I could connect with my Sync account and documented how it worked. Here are six screen shots showing the process I used to get my bookmarks into the new profile from Sync.

Hey dastratton, Just a couple of brief comments you may find interesting.

I hope you are not overlooking the fact that Firefox as a matter of course DOES make backup bookmarks for you and keeps them in your profile on your computer in case you ever need them. That system was improved a while back and is pretty reliable & effective.

• Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer

I do not think Sync is allways reliable, and it was never designed or intended as a backup service, it is just their for you to creates Similar setups of Firefox on additiona ldevices. and keep them in Sync. Your backups are whatever is on the other devices.

I said a couple of comments, I have a third. Pocket did initially back things up on to you Computer. The newer version removed that ability, and stores the stuff in the cloud. That may not be what I want but it appears it helped you to some extent.

• Sign up for Pocket with your Firefox Account
• Save web pages for later with Pocket for Firefox