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Quite regularly my list of Bookmarks is expanded or even copied twice or more automatically. Can't identify a reason for this action but it's a nuisance.

  • 13 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 11 views
  • Last reply by FredMcD

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Can't find out what is really causing this but I have the feeling that opening FireFox on another machine causes the duplication/expanding of my list of Bookmarks.

Can't find out what is really causing this but I have the feeling that opening FireFox on another machine causes the duplication/expanding of my list of Bookmarks.

Chosen solution

@Edmeister I'm using both Sync for Firefox (to synchronize bookmarks between 2 window machines) and iCloud (to synchronize Firefox bookmarks with Safari on ios devices; via add-on 'icloud bookmarks'). I'm not importing bookmarks into Firefox from Safari. Single way sync: Firefox -> Safari via add-on. I've put the add-on 'icloud bookmarks' (temporarily) on hold.

@Fred Unfortunately I don't have any backup with a significant difference in number of bookmarks. Luckily I have old json backups from more than a year ago which (as far as I can recall) didn't have this duplication issue. I will delete the recent backups from the /bookmarksbackup/ directory and install old json file.

After this I will activate 'icloud bookmarks' again and cross my fingers ;-)

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All Replies (13)

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Are you using sync?

If you have sync, and there is a problem anywhere, Shut Down Sync Immediately On All Devices to prevent the problem from spreading. Once the problem is fixed, perform the same repair on all computers/profiles before using sync again.

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[v57+] Places Maintenance is built into Firefox.

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

You will find Places Database near the bottom. Press the Verify Integrity button.

When done, copy and post the results here.

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> Task: checkIntegrity + The places.sqlite database is sane + The favicons.sqlite database is sane > Task: invalidateCaches + The caches have been invalidated > Task: checkCoherence + The database is coherent > Task: expire - The task queue was cleared by an error in another task. > Task: originFrecencyStats - The task queue was cleared by an error in another task. > Task: vacuum - The task queue was cleared by an error in another task. > Task: stats - The task queue was cleared by an error in another task. > Task: _refreshUI - The task queue was cleared by an error in another task.

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erik.de.rijk said

. . . . The task queue was cleared by an error in another task.

This means there is a problem with the file.

The places.sqlite file contains your History and Bookmarks. And it looks like it is corrupted.

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 its right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.

Locate the above file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.

The browser should then create a new place.sqlite and recover your bookmarks from the backup files. Note: Your history is not backed up and will be lost.

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You didn't answer Fred when he asked if you are using Sync.

"Quite regularly my list of Bookmarks is expanded or even copied twice or more automatically. Can't identify a reason for this action but it's a nuisance."

If you are using Sync that sounds like a fault with Sync and inclusion of a Firefox for either Android or iOS in the Sync connected devices process. In the past 3-plus years I have found dozens of support threads where Firefox for mobile devices was the common element with that type of corruption. I have seen support threads where there were over 100 copies of a users bookmarks involved, where the user was very slow to spot that there was a problem. Each one of those involved "mobile" Firefox and Sync, when only the Desktop / Laptop Firefox installations suffered from duplicated bookmarks.


The process to solve that problem is quite time consuming, both explaining the "fix" and carrying it out; too long to explain when "we" don't know if Sync is involved or not.

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Dear Edmeister, Thank you for your swift response. Indeed I'm using Sync functionality for ios. I use Safari on 2 devices (so no 'mobile' Firefox) and Firefox on 2 windows machines. Bookmarks are mostly defined on 1 of latter. If problem of duplicated bookmarks occurs it's on all devices!

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Dear Fred, Unfortunately removal of the places.sqlite file (on both windows machines) didn't solve the problem. Still having multiple duplicated bookmarks on all devices.

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FredMcD said

If you have sync, and there is a problem anywhere,
Shut Down Sync Immediately On All Devices

Does the problem continue?

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erik.de.rijk said

Dear Edmeister, Thank you for your swift response. Indeed I'm using Sync functionality for ios. I use Safari on 2 devices (so no 'mobile' Firefox) and Firefox on 2 windows machines. Bookmarks are mostly defined on 1 of latter. If problem of duplicated bookmarks occurs it's on all devices!

Firefox Sync is not compatible with non-Mozilla based web browsers. You're not using iCloud for bookmarks sync with Firefox, are you? How about an add-on for Firefox that interfaces with Safari sync? Unless you have some sort of add-on installed for Firefox or an external application that "connects" Firefox bookmarks with something outside the Mozilla realm I can't see how "ALL" bookmarks would be affected. Another thing comes to mind; you're not importing bookmarks into Firefox from Safari - are you? That will append any bookmarks that already exist in Firefox. Can't be used as a "sync".

erik.de.rijk said

Dear Fred, Unfortunately removal of the places.sqlite file (on both windows machines) didn't solve the problem. Still having multiple duplicated bookmarks on all devices.

So, if you're dealing with just 2 desktop / laptop Firefox installations, your problem is probably that the bookmarksbackup is most likely corrupted. When the places.sqlite file is removed, the most recent bookmarksbackup JSON (or JSONLZ4 file) file will be used to populate the new places.sqlite file when Firefox is launched. In that case you need an older backup that hasn't suffered duplicates yet.

By default Firefox automatically saves 15 bookmarksbackup files. Basically one backup file for each day that Firefox has been opened.

This is the name format for the bookmarksbackup files that Firefox saves. bookmarks-2019-09-04_49_VVMGpcQs8dOF6v5tiFbSyQ==.jsonlz4 2019-09-04 is the date of the file and _49 is the number of bookmarks in that file.

I have never had the problem of duplicated bookmarks, but I wonder if the "count" of the backup bookmarks is duplicated, too? I think it is worth checking your /bookmarksbackup/ folder in your Profile folder to see if you have any bookmarksbackup files that are half of what the most current backup files show. But then again if this problem has been going on for awhile you could have 2 weeks worth of duplicated bookmarks.

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Chosen Solution

@Edmeister I'm using both Sync for Firefox (to synchronize bookmarks between 2 window machines) and iCloud (to synchronize Firefox bookmarks with Safari on ios devices; via add-on 'icloud bookmarks'). I'm not importing bookmarks into Firefox from Safari. Single way sync: Firefox -> Safari via add-on. I've put the add-on 'icloud bookmarks' (temporarily) on hold.

@Fred Unfortunately I don't have any backup with a significant difference in number of bookmarks. Luckily I have old json backups from more than a year ago which (as far as I can recall) didn't have this duplication issue. I will delete the recent backups from the /bookmarksbackup/ directory and install old json file.

After this I will activate 'icloud bookmarks' again and cross my fingers ;-)

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Keep the original file safe, and Copy it to the profile folder.

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Dear both, Thank you for suggestions, assistance and help

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Glad to help. Safe Surfing.