This could indicate that the places.sqlite database which Firefox uses to store history and bookmarks has become corrupted in some way. It's probably a good time to make a backup of the file. You can copy it out of the profile folder to a safe location, or back up the entire profile folder.

• Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data
• Back up and restore information in Firefox profiles

There is an extension which you can use to run some routine maintenance tasks on the places.sqlite database in case they have not be running normally. This often helps, but doesn't handle heavy duty problems.

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/

After installation, To call up the extension's dialog, you use its Options button on the Add-ons page. Either

• Ctrl+Shift+a
• "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Extensions. Then find Places Maintenance on the right side to use its Options button.

Thanks for your reply. I tried this but unfortunately it did not work. I also tried deleting the places.sqlite file and generating a new one, but this had no effect either. I'm completely baffled!

Uhh, did you back up the file before deleting it?!

Normally, when it starts up after you deleted places.sqlite Firefox will need to import one of the automatic backups to restore bookmarks. (These are stored in your profile folder in the bookmarkbackups folder.) Did that work?

I backed up the entire profile before I did it and simply put it back afterwards! Still no success - it refuses to generate a usable bookmarks backup.

Have you seen and read

• Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer
• Import Bookmarks from an HTML file

Take care. Please remember the restores overwrite your current bookmarks. The import/export html behave differently they append and add to the bookmarks.

Can you confirm

That you still have a safe backup copy of the full profile. (Just trying to make sure you did not simply move it out, and then move it back in).

Did you run places maintenance with the problematic places.sqlite in position. (Ether the original or a copy ) ? Are your problem bookmarks (or your newly recreated ones) actually showing up alright when you look at them in the bookmarks library. Is it only the exported ones that look garbled.

How are you looking at the files ? You re not just trying to open them with Firefox are you.

If you regenerate places.sqlite then as mentioned before that uses your auto backup. So that would indicates the backup files do in fact work

edit - typo

Hi John.

Thanks for replying. I didn't realise that you can run a backup from the files in the bookmarkbackups folder. That should solve the problem.

I still have a copy of the profile. I copied the profile folder before doing anything just in case anything went wrong. I ran maintenance (and deleted the places.sqlite file) with the original profile in place.

I'm using Sublime Text to view the files. There are 15 backup files saved in the bookmarkbackups folder since mid February - is that normal?!

All of my bookmarks appear fine in Firefox (they're all on the toolbar in folders). That said, FF can be sluggish opening the folders sometimes - that's why I wanted to export them in the first place, so that I could reset everything and then import them back in.

Others probably know the full details better. 15 is the standard number off bookmarks backups, it may be possible to change that number. A while back the bookmarks backup system was improved and it is now more intelligent than it was. If your bookmarks do not change for a few days or weeks the system no longer just blindly creates daily duplicate backups. It also exposes the date and number of bookmarks in the backup. Note places maintenance has a log option that will report details of the database properties.

The places.sqlite database holds history and Bookmarks and gives precedence to bookmarks. IIRC the maximum size is set by some algorithm that takes into account your PCs resources. Deleting the places.sqlite and recreating it clears your History.

Is sublime text what was the excel text editor. Not sure why you need that unless you have a project to edit html bookmarks for use in an alternative browser. Note Firefox should open an HTML file for viewing. Firefox's bookmarks library will sort the bookmarks display, edit, add tags and arrange by drag and drop. You may customise the columns displayed. The native working database is not HTML

• Bookmark Tags - Categorize bookmarks to make them easy to find
• Use bookmark folders to organize your bookmarks

Oh and note bookmarks may be found easily from the Address bar

• Address bar autocomplete suggestions in Firefox_changing-results-on-the-fly

I personally can not answer your question about Bookmarks being sluggish. It may be better to ask a separate question about that, as this question is solved and a separate subject. If you do ask another question please mention it in this thread so the questions can be cross linked.

It is often handy to backup the profile occasionally, especially if you are intending to make change that affect it.

The name of the JSON backup (bookmarks-YYYY-MM-DD_<item count>_<hash>.jsonlz4) includes the total number of bookmark items in the file and a hash to check if it is necessary to save a new backup, so only if the hash is different because bookmarks have been modified then a new backup is created.