have exported bookmarks from FF20.x 32-bit environment, but cannot import back to FF20.2 W7 64-bit
just now, i have converted my PC from XP-SP3-32bit to W7-SP1-64bit. Used FF for a long time, all updated to 20.x. Before coverting to W7-64bit, I made an <export to html> of the existing bookmarks of FF - the file was properly exported, and could locate it in the respective folder on the HD. Then, when setting up the W7 64bit, I wanted the bookmarks back into FF20.x (same rev. as under 32bit), but an <import from html> failed, even though the file was seen by the system prior to the attempt to import. <import from another browser> failed as well, quite obviously...
any advice ??
Chosen solution
Hi AE60, that's a great workaround.
For future reference, it is safer to use the "Backup" feature (to create a JSON-format file) -- or bring over a copy of your bookmarkbackups folder -- instead of using the "Export" feature. In a release last year, the HTML bookmarks importer was changed and it is pickier about the format than the old version, which makes it somewhat more fragile. Maybe there were some characters the HTML importer can't handle that IE modified or discarded? If you have a text comparison tool such as WinMerge, maybe you could spot the change between the two files (or maybe the order changed too much for that to be useful).
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this is exactly what I did - pls see my initial post. This exercise failed.
to add an information : when doing this FF-internal <import from html>, and following the path you describe (and what I used before), FF gets unresponsive and I have to close it.
Are you getting any error message... could you tell me in detail
I'm afraid that there is NO error message, except you consider FF getting unresponive such a message ;-((
Also, I have tried re-naming the saved bm-file to <bookmarks.html> - I saved it before under a <<unique and different name>.html> to avoid confusion. Also, I made an <export to html> from the current FF under W7-64bit, and re-imported this file (even under a re-name) very nicely.
Does the file display properly if you open it in a Firefox tab (Firefox > New Tab > Open File)?
Are there any bookmarks that have a long name or URL or have nested bookmark very deeply in folders?
Did you ever import favorites from IE that may be causing problems?
1. when opening the exported bookmarks file, which is html, it displays as a link list in FF, similar to any other html stored on a storage device. It used to do so also, when still using the 32bit-system, so no difference. 2. the bookmarks are 'regular' ones, means created by FF upon clicking <bookmark this page> 3. I do not use IE at all, hence never imported anything from there.
I wonder whether the bug comes from FF saving the exported file in a (slightly) different way, when operating under 64bit instead of 32bit.
You can try this with Firefox closed:
- delete or move places.sqlite
- move away all present JSON backups in the bookmarkbackups folder
- put the bookmarks.html backup file in the main Firefox profile folder
This should make Firefox create a new places.sqlite and import the bookmarks from the backup file.
deleted all accessible (not all such files found where accessible) *.json and places.sqlite files
1. C:\Documents and Settings\<my name>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t8c8ve2x.default\bookmarkbackups is EMPTY
2. C:\Documents and Settings\<my name>\Local Settings is not accessible at all, as well is C:\Documents and Settings\<my name>\Application Data. I suspect some FF files in these folders, but...
I'm Admin and only user on this machine, so no restrictions bur maybe by W7 ?
And, f.y.i. I did not BACKUP the bookmarks file, but made an EXPORT - this should actually make a difference in the storage location and file format, shuldn't it ?
Modified by cor-el
FINALLY, I managed to find a way.
1. You go through IE (whether you like it or not) or probably another browser. 2. You IMPORT the old and exported FF bookmark file into this browser 3. You open FF, and import the <favorites> or whatever the name of the bookmark file is into FF.
It can take quite a time to perform step 2, but anyway, it worked.
Even though the hot issue is solved, please post a more decent solution once found.
Chosen Solution
Hi AE60, that's a great workaround.
For future reference, it is safer to use the "Backup" feature (to create a JSON-format file) -- or bring over a copy of your bookmarkbackups folder -- instead of using the "Export" feature. In a release last year, the HTML bookmarks importer was changed and it is pickier about the format than the old version, which makes it somewhat more fragile. Maybe there were some characters the HTML importer can't handle that IE modified or discarded? If you have a text comparison tool such as WinMerge, maybe you could spot the change between the two files (or maybe the order changed too much for that to be useful).