Try this add-on: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/new-tab-tools/

I get that you're trying to help, but I feel like you didn't read the question. I asked how to recover my links, you gave a link to an app to replace speed dial. Don't worry, I already found what I was looking for. However, if Mozilla has decided to stop supporting the most popular add-ons (Speeddial and Downthemall), I think that my nearly 2 decade preference is coming to an end. There are lots of browsers out there, these 2 apps were what stopped me from straying. If they are no longer supported as add-ons, I'm going to move on.

Mozilla hasn't stopped supporting anything. It is up to the developer of those add-ons you use to keep them updated across Firefox versions. This is in no way Mozilla's fault.

Downthemall will be available as a WebExtension "soon". Some drama between DTA dev and Mozilla went down a while ago which caused him to stop developing. Blame him for abruptly stopping his work.

https://www.downthemall.net/delays/

[...] DTA Lite will take another month at least. I hope I’ll get to a point where I can release a beta version for early adopters/testers in 2-3 weeks and then 1-2 weeks after that a stable full release.

I feel like that response is somewhat dishonest, given this: http://www.downthemall.net/re-downthemall-and-webextensions-or-why-why-i-am-done-with-mozilla/

Additionally, given that every source I see says Firefox has stopped supporting XUL add-ons, saying "Mozilla hasn't stopped supporting anything. " is as close to an outright lie as you can get.

One more thing..."t is up to the developer of those add-ons you use to keep them updated across Firefox versions." That's not really how APIs work. Reputable companies build APIs that are backwards compatible, meaning every release doesn't break past releases. You don't pay people to make add-ons so I get that you don't care about the issues this creates. However, you should care about user experience more than just "is Firefox finally as fast as every other browser?"

The work these devs do is what kept people using Firefox and ultimately what is making me leave.

It seems that everyday I must re-download my speed-dial. It isn't just me, it's my husband too! The huge reason I chose Mozilla is the Speed-dial and I am extremely frustrated that it keeps disappearing. When it does come back the screen shots are mostly blank.

Honestly, if this does not get fixed, we will probably move on to Internet Explorer. I have enjoyed Mozilla for some time and will be deeply disappointed if I have to change.

joysayler said

It seems that everyday I must re-download my speed-dial. It isn't just me, it's my husband too! The huge reason I chose Mozilla is the Speed-dial and I am extremely frustrated that it keeps disappearing. When it does come back the screen shots are mostly blank. Honestly, if this does not get fixed, we will probably move on to Internet Explorer. I have enjoyed Mozilla for some time and will be deeply disappointed if I have to change.

Seems like a common issue. Firefox checks add-ons every time it starts, and wipes out all the dials. I've been around and around with the developer, and they're bigger idiots than I am. The programs "backup' and 'sync" don't work at all, And "support" isn't very supportive. I'm with you, it's time to look into a different browser. And this forum isn't very helpful either.

Hi joysayler, it's not normal to lose extensions every day. Could you check a couple things:

(1) Is your Firefox performing a Refresh frequently? This would create an Old Firefox Data folder on your desktop with your last profile folder in it. Do you see anything like that?

(2) Do you use any utility programs like Advanced SystemCare or CCleaner that may remove or revert Firefox data files? You may need to set them not to touch Firefox folders.

joebanana said

Firefox checks add-ons every time it starts, and wipes out all the dials.

Could you describe what this looks like. For some extensions that are installed from outside of Firefox, you may get a screen indicating that an extension was added but Firefox needs your approval to enable it. Is that what you're seeing, or something else?

Which extension is it?

It's FVD Speed Dial, an Ever-Note (?) product. It used to be a good add-on, until until one day all 102 of my dials were just gone. And so were any, and all backups. The sync feature doesn't work either. Fire fox never used to check add-ons for compatibility unless it was just updated. Now it does it every time I open it. And I figured out that's what's wiping out my dials. After the first times spending lots of time rebuilding my dials manually, just to have them disappear the next time I open Fire Fox. I contacted support, and they gave me a process just short of rewriting the code, deleting files, moving files, finding the right place to insert files, just way too much programming skills required for me. I was thinking about just uninstalling it, but the "Favorites" feature still has a bunch of my old dials that I want to save. I can't sign on to my user account anymore, I get an error message, and "try again later". Thanks for your reply, and interest in my predicament.

Hi joebanana, I'm glad you got some suggestions from Evernote even if they are convoluted. It makes me think that your data isn't getting deleted, even if, for some reason, the extension cannot access it easily. Would it be easy to copy/paste the instructions to see whether we can spot a way to simplify them?

Thanks my friend, I really appreciate your help. Sorry it took so long to reply, but, I couldn't find the email from "Nimbus". I may have deleted it. The main issue seems to be Firefox though. I don't remember it "Checking add-ons for compatibility" every time I opened it. Just after an update. Now it's a random occurrence, but it doesn't do it until after I manually rebuild my dials. I'm just going to try a different "Speed dial" app. I wasn't real happy with that one anyway, it seemed buggy. Again, thanks for your assistance.