Last year we provided a thorough guide on how you can recover lost bookmarks in Firefox, but as an anonymous reader pointed out some of the tips provided no longer work in Firefox 3. This is because Mozilla revamped the bookmarking system so that it performs better, and is also capable of more advanced functionality such as tagging. The good news is that recovering lost bookmarks in Firefox 3 is even easier than it was before!
What you need to do now is go to Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks -> Import and Backup -> Restore, and then select the date of one of the backups (the date is in year-month-day format). You’ll then receive a prompt asking if you’re sure you want to replace all of your existing bookmarks with those from the backup, and once you hit the OK button you’ll be all set.
Any site you’ve bookmarked since the last backup will be lost since this does replace your current bookmarks. For that reason you may want to consider performing a manual backup before proceeding with restoring your old bookmarks. This can be done using the Backup option located right above the Restore option. You’ll then be asked where you want to save the file, and restoring them is as simple as going to Restore -> Choose File.
Feel free to adjust the number of automatic bookmark backups kept by Firefox 3, which is still the same from our previous guide.
Good thought on how to use “backup” prior to complete replacement. It should be relatively easy to re-arrange the file in sequence of “date added,” then simply open those and re-bookmark. (Or perhaps they will copy directly into that file?)
That’s exactly what I’d do, well, assuming I understand what you’re saying. Here’s what I’m guessing you were getting at:
1) Backup the current bookmarks
2) Restore bookmarks to older version
3) Open the bookmarks you wanted to recover in new tabs
4) Restore the backup of your bookmarks from step 1
5) Re-bookmark the sites you opened in tabs in step 3
6) Do the happy dance!
I updated Firefox on August 8. At that time I lost all bookmarks. I have tried all sorts of “things” to get them back but no luck.
Yes, Ryan, your method is as the doctor ordered (Providing we haven’t lost too many bookmarks which would cause it to be a project — I presume this would normally be 1 or 2 days of bookmarking.)
I have done all the above but on new firefox I can never bookmark to my folders, its just shows up a couple of files.
Makes it hard to bookmark
I have tried your solution. I get an error message Unable to process backup folder. This issue is driving me up the wall! Please help.
Exactly the same as Shelley Saunders … error message every time.
Rather annoying
I also got the same error message. It really makes me upset. My sister plugged in her MP3 player while my other sister was on the computer, and everything got messed up. All her music is gone, and every bookmark I had on FF is gone. Yesterday was the day I was going to back them up again, but I never got a change. I lost so many important websites I’m near tears. Dorky, I know.
lost all my bookmarks can’t get em back wish I had never heard of f ing fire fox
well followed your instrutions and no old bookmarks just delete my new book marks from the last few days???????????/
same thing just deleted apparently my previous backups didn’t change a thing.
There is NO “restore” option available except from Safari- which I haven’t been using. In Safari there is no “restore” either.
I found the backup file- no help because I can’t get it to function. I have a mac.
Hey Thanks, your advice worked!