Firefox loses bookmarks, 'tiles', etc.
Once more into the breech:
Firefox 66.0.3 using only uBlock Origin loses bookmarks, 'tiles' (top sites), history. This is a fresh Windows 10 64b, tweaked some privacy settings, and that's the only detail I can think of mentioning. Other than wildvine and another codec there's nothing unusual. I do use Sandboxie but haven't seen any issue whatsoever in researching this problem, going on a year now, all versions of FF.
This was happening on my W7 pc and I can only believe the behavior is built into FF b/c it happens even w/a fresh install. I've read and posted numerous times and cannot fathom WTH is going on. Happens periodically, no trend, every 3-4 days or so.
Places.sqlite database is sane, as is favicons.sqlite db. Profiles shows Default profile: yes, and both root profile and local profile use the same file. My previous posted Q's lead me to believe you will now ask me to delve into something with the .json files.
I can uninstall, reboot and reinstall but the behavior will remain. How can this even be happening? As I understand it (from your answers) my browser.bookmarks.max_backups 15 info will save to a single file. The one that begins using the date and ending with .jsonlz4.
How can I get FF to not hose my info w/o manually copying my %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profile folder on a daily basis? Should I just use Backup manager>export as a stopgap for bookmarks? That's obviously the most iritating issue. Any add-on that will work w/current FF like FredMcD stated back in Jan?
Thanks,
Mac
All Replies (7)
First, make sure to make a Copy of your current profile As Is to a safe location on your hard drive outside of the normal area.
Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web link}
A small dialog should appear. Click Start In Safe Mode (not Refresh). Is the problem still there?
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox#Navigating_to_the_profile_folder
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles
Type about:profiles<enter> in the address bar.
How many profiles are listed?
How many should be there?
Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox? Look inside. Look for the folder with the latest creation date.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible
Make sure you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode (Always use Private Browsing mode; Never Remember History).
- Options/Preferences -> Privacy & Security
Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history" - remove checkmark: [ ] "Always use Private Browsing mode"
In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history.
- do not clear the Browsing History
- Options/Preferences -> Privacy & Security
Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history":
[X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" -> Settings - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-browsing-search-download-history-firefox
- 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
OK cor-el's 2 items: Nope and .. nope. So onto FredMcD & profiles. Again about:profiles show default profile yes and the same file for both root and local profile.
Copied my profile that has no favs to flashdrive. Restarted in SM and again I see the same profile info related above. How many profiles? I don't know. I presume one and that root and local are using the same one profile. I don't believe the browser.bookmarks.max_backups 15 relates to Profiles.
However, when I typed the APPDATA path Windows showed C:\Users\Dave \APPDATA\Roaming ... if that makes a difference. There is no Old or anything else folder on my desktop.
Appreciate the help. Hope I won't have to read 6 pages on .json database stuff. Gotta think we're narrowing it down. Can't figure why this would happen on an almost new W10 Pro and a fresh FF (it's been updated a few times this month).
Thanks again,
Mac
Hi Mac, does Firefox generate daily bookmark backups that then get flushed, or does it never generate backups?
There isn't a built-in feature to dump bookmarks. Tiles are stored in the prefs.js file along with other customized preferences. Those should be retained as long as you don't use the Refresh feature.
Do you set Sandboxie to let Firefox update files in the standard Firefox profile folder or only in a separate sandbox folder? That question is based on this article: https://www.sandboxie.com/FirefoxTips
Sorry for taking so long. Don't know if FF makes daily bookmark backups or how to check that. I searched for prefs.js but only found channel-prefs. I can search for it daily to see a date stamp but don't know how to tell what's saved in it.
I've now followed the steps in that link so I believe Sandboxie will save in the standard FF folder. Seems likely that was the problem. I'll have to monitor things a while. If so I'll mark as solution.
Thank you very much.
A new backup in the bookmarkbackups folder is only created when a change in hash value is detected. This hash value is part of the file name and is used to prevent creating the same backup over and over.
I think I may have discovered why my FF gets hosed of all settings. The Sandboxie appl periodically flags you to delete the sandbox. I did so recently and soon after I got the problematic 'blank state' FF.
So I reset everything, Synced and copied my Profiles folder and am hoping for the best. Re-read jscher2000's 4/24 post to this thread and I think that's it. I can test it now but I'd rather wait till I next delete the sandbox.
I'm not positive but it seems likely. Makes sense that those other non- .json databases are sane, etc.
I was actually checking out Opera so I'm major relieved if this is the solution.
Crossing my fingers but want to thank Cor-el and jscher2000 especially for their patience. Hope to God I have this licked.
Thanks again.