Firefox 29 is no longer automatically creating bookmarks backups.
I hate to be posting another question having finally (I believe) finding a work around for the "Firefox 29 fails to exit properly and remains running in task manager" problem.
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/997670
However, in Firefox 28 FF would automatically create a new bookmarks backup upon first opening of each day and the number of bookmark backups could be set in about:config setting:
browser.bookmarks.max_backups
Since installing Firefox 29 this functionality does not appear to be working. Is this by design or another "issue"? Has anyone else noticed this issue?
Please don't ask me to "reset to default state", "run in safe mode", etc. I just went through all that with the above "Failing to exit properly" thread. I know I can manually backup bookmarks. I would like to know whether this is by design, if other people have noticed this, or I am the only one experiencing this.
Here is my troubleshooting information (excluding the thousand references to my printer):
Application Basics ------------------ Name: Firefox Version: 29.0 User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:29.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/29.0 Crash Reports for the Last 3 Days --------------------------------- All Crash Reports Extensions ---------- Name: Firebug Version: 1.12.8 Enabled: true ID: firebug@software.joehewitt.com Important Modified Preferences ------------------------------ accessibility.typeaheadfind.flashBar: 0 browser.cache.disk.capacity: 51200 browser.cache.disk.smart_size_cached_value: 358400 browser.cache.disk.smart_size.enabled: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.first_run: false browser.cache.disk.smart_size.use_old_max: false browser.places.smartBookmarksVersion: 6 browser.search.suggest.enabled: false browser.search.useDBForOrder: true browser.sessionstore.upgradeBackup.latestBuildID: 20140421221237 browser.startup.homepage: http://www.wcwcw.com/ browser.startup.homepage_override.buildID: 20140421221237 browser.startup.homepage_override.mstone: 29.0 browser.tabs.loadInBackground: false browser.urlbar.autocomplete.enabled: false dom.mozApps.used: true dom.w3c_touch_events.expose: false extensions.lastAppVersion: 29.0 font.internaluseonly.changed: true general.autoScroll: false gfx.direct3d.last_used_feature_level_idx: 1 keyword.URL: https://www.google.com/search?q= network.cookie.cookieBehavior: 2 network.cookie.lifetimePolicy: 1 network.cookie.prefsMigrated: true places.database.lastMaintenance: 1399218213 places.history.expiration.transient_current_max_pages: 80511 plugin.disable_full_page_plugin_for_types: application/vnd.fdf,application/vnd.adobe.xdp+xml,application/vnd.adobe.xfdf plugin.importedState: true plugin.state.npdeployjava: 0 plugin.state.npgoogleupdate: 0 print.printer_HP_DeskJet_710C_(Copy_1).print_bgcolor: false privacy.clearOnShutdown.cache: false privacy.clearOnShutdown.cookies: false privacy.clearOnShutdown.formdata: false privacy.clearOnShutdown.offlineApps: true privacy.clearOnShutdown.sessions: false privacy.cpd.cache: false privacy.cpd.cookies: false privacy.cpd.offlineApps: true privacy.cpd.sessions: false privacy.popups.showBrowserMessage: false privacy.sanitize.migrateFx3Prefs: true privacy.sanitize.timeSpan: 0 security.disable_button.openCertManager: false security.disable_button.openDeviceManager: false security.warn_viewing_mixed: false storage.vacuum.last.index: 1 storage.vacuum.last.places.sqlite: 1396579220 Graphics -------- Adapter Description: NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT Adapter Drivers: nvd3dum nvwgf2um,nvwgf2um Adapter RAM: 1024 ClearType Parameters: Gamma: 2200 Pixel Structure: B ClearType Level: 50 Enhanced Contrast: 300 Device ID: 0x0641 Direct2D Enabled: true DirectWrite Enabled: true (6.2.9200.16571) Driver Date: 12-19-2013 Driver Version: 9.18.13.3221 GPU #2 Active: false GPU Accelerated Windows: 1/1 Direct3D 10 Vendor ID: 0x10de WebGL Renderer: Google Inc. -- ANGLE (NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT Direct3D9Ex vs_3_0 ps_3_0) windowLayerManagerRemote: false AzureCanvasBackend: direct2d AzureContentBackend: direct2d AzureFallbackCanvasBackend: cairo AzureSkiaAccelerated: 0 JavaScript ---------- Incremental GC: true Accessibility ------------- Activated: false Prevent Accessibility: 0 Library Versions ---------------- NSPR Expected minimum version: 4.10.3 Version in use: 4.10.3 NSS Expected minimum version: 3.16 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.16 Basic ECC NSSSMIME Expected minimum version: 3.16 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.16 Basic ECC NSSSSL Expected minimum version: 3.16 Basic ECC Version in use: 3.16 Basic ECC NSSUTIL Expected minimum version: 3.16 Version in use: 3.16
Kind Regards,
Axis
Modified by cor-el
All Replies (8)
Problems with bookmarks and history not working properly can be caused by a corrupted places.sqlite database file.
You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database file in the Firefox profile folder.
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Bookmarks+not+saved#w_fix-the-bookmarks-file
- Places Maintenance: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/
You can still give a new profile a try to see if you can identify the cause of this issue.
Note that a reset tries to recover data from the previously used profile and this possibly can carry over issues with specific files.
If the new profile works then you can transfer files from a previously used profile to the new profile, but be cautious not to copy corrupted files to avoid carrying over the problem
Modified by cor-el
Hello cor-el--
Thank you for the reply. I ran the Places Maintenance add-on and nothing was reported that seemed out of sorts.
I will try a few other suggestions and let you know if anything works.
Kind Regards,
Axis
I would rather not do anything drastic to get this going again. Does anyone know just which file or .dll or component triggers the auto-create of bookmarks backup? Or is it buried deeply in FF.exe or something?
If so maybe I could make a bat file or something to just work around this.
Last night I deleted all my bookmarks backups to see if that might jump start it, but found the bookmarks backup folder empty again. I did find an add-on:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/backupfox/
But it looks old and I am not sure whether it would "import" back the JSON files correctly...maybe uses a different format?
Regards,
Axis
This is a bit of a "bump" with some new things I have tried. I have run the Places Maintenance add-on (again) and places.sqlite integrity seems absolutely fine.
Places Maintenance: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/
I have re-installed FF 29.
I am able to create manually, and restore, bookmark backups without a hitch.
I did delete places.sqlite and restarted FF 29. The only thing I lost was all my bookmark Icons. So I re-added the former places.sqlite. Of course, I would have to wait until tomorrow morning to know for sure, but since the Places Maintenance add-on indicated no problems, and since I can manually create them, I am quite sure it is not a corrupted places.sqlite file.
I tried what may be a dubious add-on, BackupFox, and it failed to create a new backup but left a temp file in the main profile folder.
Logic tells me that if I can manually create and restore bookmark backups, then something in the engine(?) may be responsible but I do not know enough to go further with that. Permissions must be O.K. or I wouldn't be able to make (manually) a backup.
I did not have this problem at all with FF 28. Rather, I was asking cor-el how to limit the number of backups, which he showed me. What makes this difficult to test is that I would have to wait until the first opening of FF each day to tell.
I can't tell if this problem is "only me" or affecting others, however, (no insult intended) I can paste into the support.mozilla.org page search box the exact title of this thread and not find it. I shows up number 1 on Google doing similar search. People who aren't checking their profile folder each day might not even be noticing this.
cor-el, or anybody, have you found auto backups have stopped in FF 29 for you? Anyone who reads this please let me know if your bookmark auto-backup is working. Just peak in your profile and see if you have a new one each day.
Does anyone know just what .dll or .exe or what actually is triggered how that causes the auto-backup to occur? Is it the maintenance service?
What I have not tried is creating another profile because this one seems just fine and I has always worked before 29, and still does work, as far as profiles go. I need to know what "triggers" auto bookmark backup and I doubt it is my profile.
Regards again,
Axis
Hello dear Mozilla,
I remarked that since FF29 and FF30 b1/b2 Firefox doesn't automatically backup its bookmarks any more (as normally shoudl be on a daily basis) in folder C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\yyyyyy.default\bookmarkbackups. Very strange, I tried everything up to even a drastic complete uninstall (incl. register) and reinstall of Firefox, but nothings helps : no automatic .JSON-files any more. I assume that it has something to do with Firefox dll-files not present anymore or not working properly anymore or defaults in the about:config , that may be accidentally changed in the programming or compilation of the exe-installation file of FF 29/30. All other things in FF 29/30 work properly though :-) Can you please fix this. Thanks, Rick
Thanks Rick for responding. I am beginning to think the Mozilla Support forums aren't working right.
Anyway, thank you for reporting this in this thread. I needed to know someone else has noticed this.
Please fix this Mozilla. I know your last update to FF 29 fixed security problems, so maybe it was rushed out without enough testing.
Regards,
Axis
O.K., anyone reading this thread, you can find more information about this issue/bug here:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/999068#answer-570033
Good Luck
Good Day, :)
Please Help.
I updated from Firefox ESR 24.6.0 to Firefox 30.0... ..and noticed that Firefox 30.0 is NOT doing Bookmarks' backups (to the bookmarkbackups profile folder)....
My setting for browser.bookmarks.max_backups is 5, & I have also verified that my places.sqlite is OK... I have also reinstalled Firefox with a new default profile (default settings), then added 10 new bookmarks to the "default" bookmarks, ....& it still does NOT create Bookmarks' backups....
The loss of the routine Bookmarks backups started coincidentally with the introduction of Australis (Firefox 29.0 in the Stable channel),
and hasn't been fixed yet.
I can't find a bug report for it, But I am not that "good" at searching the bug reports....
I am VERY Disappointed with the Firefox Stable Channel releases introducing more & more bugs (& missing features) in the last 18 months....,
...which seem to almost never get fixed in subsequent releases....
Can we Please get a comment from Mozilla, or a Mozilla developer re this?
Thank You Very Much,
Roberta