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.

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

Recovering bookmarks after reverting back to Windows 8.1 from Windows 10

  • 7 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

I had updated to Windows 10 but the other day I decided to restore back to Windows 8.1. When I installed Firefox, I logged into my sync account and my bookmarks haven't come back. Are they forever lost?

I had updated to Windows 10 but the other day I decided to restore back to Windows 8.1. When I installed Firefox, I logged into my sync account and my bookmarks haven't come back. Are they forever lost?

All Replies (7)

more options

Are you sure that you are staying connected to your Sync account? Sync has always required some massaging, but this latest version needs some serious hand-holding. For me, this latest version of Sync is almost always timing-out after 5 -10 seconds and yet everything appears as tho I'm still connected to Sync. This might be what you're experiencing as well.

Load the Sync options page and click on the Manage button and see if you get the session expired message. If you do, sign in again and don't do anything (stay on the manage page) and see if your bookmarks come back. Hopefully your bookmarks will restore and if they do, export them to an html file so you won't have to rely on Sync next time.

more options

I loaded up the sync options page and showed that I was logged in. I went ahead and disconnected and logged back in, staying on the manage page and nothing has happened.

more options

Hi, you can try this: Open bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Restore, and see if you have a backup there.

If not, please see -

If your question is resolved by this or another answer, please take a minute to let us know. Thank you.

more options

I think they're permanently lost. I had them when I upgraded to Windows 10 but somehow I lost them revering back to Windows 8.1. When I go into show all bookmarks and try to do the recovery option, there's only yesterday and today's date. I choose yesterday's date and nothing happens. I appreciate everyone's help though! I guess I learned my lesson.

more options

Ah ha! I was looking through different threads on the support page. The other day I did reset my password but did not receive any warning of the following:

I’ve forgotten my Firefox Account password — how do I reset it?

To get a new password follow these steps. Warning: Any data you have on the server will be erased when you reset your password. Your other devices will stop synchronizing unless you update them with the new password.

What's the point of resetting your password if everything on that account gets erased?

more options

trumpet89 said

What's the point of resetting your password if everything on that account gets erased?

I've always wondered this myself actually....??

more options

You may want to reset the password for the Firefox account when you have forgotten it, but this password is used to internally generate the Sync key that is used to encrypt data before uploading, so without the correct password it is no longer possible to decrypt your data stored on the Sync server and therefor this data is removed. You always have to make sure not to forget this password to avoid losing your data.