Allowed "Refresh" upon installing new browser update and can't get back bookmarks and other data
I recently installed the Firefox 88 browser update to fix the problem that Windows would not recognize my Firefox browser in order to make it my default. Upon researching the issue, it stated that I needed to uninstall my old version of Firefox and reinstall the latest version. At the end of the installation before it completed the installation, it asked if I wanted to "Refresh" my browser. I read how it would streamline and speed up my browsing experience and it seemed like a "good" idea. I agreed to the "Refresh" and the browser finished its installation. I checked into setting Firefox as my default browser and Windows recognized it. Great, the re-installation worked.
I then proceeded to open Firefox only to realize that any custom setting, including my 15+ years of bookmarks were gone. I began to panic! I noticed that there was an "Old Firefox Data" file now on my desktop. I looked inside and realized that it contained my old data, including bookmarks, etc. I began searching online for how to get it back into my browser. I have read 7-8 tutorials and 3-4 Youtubes that supposedly fix the problem, but to no avail. Please help as I do not want to lose all my bookmarks and while not computer illiterate, cannot seem to figure out how to get them to reinstall into the new Firefox browser update.
Thank you for your help!
All Replies (2)
hello elliott,
normally, a refresh "does not" erradict the bookmarks and pw's. Sometimes however, the GUI is set back to its default state.
have you tried logging into the FF account used for Sync-ing?
give this a try and see if your sync'd data can be downloaded to the current installation of FF.
another place where bookmarks and pw's may be acquired from is the Edge Browser. It is sneaky and may have aggregated all your data from FF.
So sign out of your FF browser. Close FF browser. Then take a look into your Edge bookmarks and pw's.
Keep us apprised with your findings.
You can copy certain files with Firefox closed to the current profile folder to transfer or recover personal data. Note that best is to avoid copying a full profile folder.
You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.
- Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>
- bookmarks and history: places.sqlite
- favicons: favicons.sqlite
- bookmark backups: compressed .jsonlz4 JSON backups in the bookmarkbackups folder
- cookies.sqlite for the Cookies
- formhistory.sqlite for saved autocomplete Form Data
- logins.json (encrypted logins;32+) and key4.db (decryption key;58+) for Passwords saved in the Password Manager
key3.db support ended in 73+; to use key3.db in 58-72, make sure to remove key4.db - cert9.db (58+) for (intermediate) certificates stored in the Certificate Manager
- persdict.dat for words added to the spell checker dictionary
- permissions.sqlite for Permissions and possibly content-prefs.sqlite for other website specific data (Site Preferences)
- sessionstore.jsonlz4 for open tabs and pinned tabs (see also the sessionstore-backups folder)