This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

After upgrading OS from Vista to Windows 7, lost bookmarks. Could they be someplace in "windows.old"?

  • 2 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by danofan

danofan
danofan
more options

Hello,

I upgraded my OS from Vista to Windows 7 and lost the bookmarks I had in Firefox. I backup up my documents files and they are OK. Regrettably I did not think to backup my Firefox bookmarks.html file.

However, I did do the upgrade of the OS from the disk and a "windows.old" folder was created which seems to have many of my old files, applications and such, but I can't find "bookmarks.html" in the firefox folder or in my user folder.

Is there some other location in windows.old where the bookmarks could be, or some other file name it may be under?

Please help, there are some important bookmarks that I have lost that were built up over several years.

Thanks!

Hello, I upgraded my OS from Vista to Windows 7 and lost the bookmarks I had in Firefox. I backup up my documents files and they are OK. Regrettably I did not think to backup my Firefox bookmarks.html file. However, I did do the upgrade of the OS from the disk and a "windows.old" folder was created which seems to have many of my old files, applications and such, but I can't find "bookmarks.html" in the firefox folder or in my user folder. Is there some other location in windows.old where the bookmarks could be, or some other file name it may be under? Please help, there are some important bookmarks that I have lost that were built up over several years. Thanks!

Chosen solution

Firefox hasn't used the bookmarks.html file for bookmark storage since the Firefox 2 version. You need a JSON bookmarks backup file or the places.sqlite file. See this:
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Recovering+important+data+from+an+old+profile

Your old Profile is located here in Vista & Win7:
drive:\Users\Windows login user name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\profile_name

You may need to un-hide "hidden files and folders" in Win7 to be able to access the Firefox Profile folders in both windows.old and the new OS installation.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (2)

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
  • Moderator
more options

Chosen Solution

Firefox hasn't used the bookmarks.html file for bookmark storage since the Firefox 2 version. You need a JSON bookmarks backup file or the places.sqlite file. See this:
http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Recovering+important+data+from+an+old+profile

Your old Profile is located here in Vista & Win7:
drive:\Users\Windows login user name\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\profile_name

You may need to un-hide "hidden files and folders" in Win7 to be able to access the Firefox Profile folders in both windows.old and the new OS installation.

danofan
danofan Question owner
more options

This was the answer. Thank you so much edmeister!