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Bookmarks defaulting to last bookmark location for no reason again after recent Firefox update

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So, I just noticed today that my bookmarks section is having the same issue again that it had a few updates back.


I tried looking into repeating what I did last time, but it doesn't seem that this is the issue this time as the settings have not changed from when I went into to edit them the last time. Meaning this might be a whole new issue. I *did* however notice that there is a new and odd section listing in about:config under the following:


browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation SxQPPk-c1zth


Does anyone know if this is the issue, and if so, where this is supposed to really go?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

So, I just noticed today that my bookmarks section is having the same issue again that it had [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1320657 a few updates back]. I tried looking into repeating what I did last time, but it doesn't seem that this is the issue this time as the settings have not changed from when I went into to edit them the last time. Meaning this might be a whole new issue. I *did* however notice that there is a new and odd section listing in about:config under the following: browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation SxQPPk-c1zth Does anyone know if this is the issue, and if so, where this is supposed to really go? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

All Replies (10)

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Ok, so update. I found out it apparently IS browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation that's the problem. I've tried resetting it to default three times and it keeps changing away from the Bookmarks toolbar, which is the default setting, for reasons I can't begin to fathom. Can someone explain what the hell is going on?


Edit: Also, what does the following mean, and could it be part of the problem?


browser.bookmarks.editDialog.confirmationHintShowCount 3

Novain'i Marc7 t@

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Hi, first of all Firefox should store the last used folder in that preference. Every time you change the folder, it should store a different one. For example, the last bookmark I saved to the Bookmarks Toolbar, and now my about:config shows the internal ID for that folder:

browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation => toolbar_____

I'm not sure exactly which situation you have:

  • Yours is working as designed and you don't like it
  • Yours is not working as designed -- something is changing the default folder to a folder other than the one you last used

If you prefer to always default to a specific folder, I am not aware of any built-in way to do that. However, you could consider the following add-on. Note: make sure to disable it when performing import/restore operations, otherwise, it will move all the imported/restored bookmarks to your specified default folder.

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/default-bookmark-folder/

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jscher2000 said

Hi, first of all Firefox should store the last used folder in that preference. Every time you change the folder, it should store a different one. For example, the last bookmark I saved to the Bookmarks Toolbar, and now my about:config shows the internal ID for that folder: browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation => toolbar_____ I'm not sure exactly which situation you have:
  • Yours is working as designed and you don't like it
  • Yours is not working as designed -- something is changing the default folder to a folder other than the one you last used

If you prefer to always default to a specific folder, I am not aware of any built-in way to do that. However, you could consider the following add-on. Note: make sure to disable it when performing import/restore operations, otherwise, it will move all the imported/restored bookmarks to your specified default folder.

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/default-bookmark-folder/

Ok, so basically, I think we're having a miscommunication here.

What I'm saying is that when I'm making a new bookmark, the pulldown button should say Bookmarks Toolbar and then when I click it it would show several options for folders to save a bookmark in, or at least say 'choose' before I would again click it and show the options for where to bookmark a page. But what's happening is that the bookmark editor is immediately defaulting to the last folder I bookmarked something into, even though this is a new bookmark, and should not be showing a previous folder. That's how it used to work back in the day. This originally turned out to be an issue with browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020 needing to be set to false. But now even with that set properly, it's still going to the last folder I bookmarked, instead of asking me to choose which folder I want to put the bookmark in. More weirdly, it will do a variation of this when I have shut down and restarted the browser, at which point it will randomly pick previous bookmark folders when I try to make a new bookmark rather than just the last folder I bookmarked something into.

Also, when I hit reset, the value of browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation just says "Toolbar", not "toolbar_____" I should also note that I wasn't having this issue until I updated to version 95.0 today from 94.0.2, so I know that this wasn't an issue in the previous version.

I'm also wondering, as I said, what browser.bookmarks.editDialog.confirmationHintShowCount 3 means. Any idea?

Novain'i Marc7 t@

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Marc7 said

What I'm saying is that when I'm making a new bookmark, the pulldown button should say Bookmarks Toolbar and then when I click it it would show several options for folders to save a bookmark in, or at least say 'choose' before I would again click it and show the options for where to bookmark a page. But what's happening is that the bookmark editor is immediately defaulting to the last folder I bookmarked something into, even though this is a new bookmark, and should not be showing a previous folder.

The editor always shows a default folder. Before it changed to "last folder used" it was always "Other Bookmarks".

This originally turned out to be an issue with browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020 needing to be set to false.

That was a temporary preference until this change was locked in. Using the last folder is the intended behavior.

But now even with that set properly, it's still going to the last folder I bookmarked, instead of asking me to choose which folder I want to put the bookmark in.

But the editor does open and let you choose, or do you need to click the blue star after the bookmark auto-saves? To get the editor back, click the blue star and then check the box near the bottom labeled "Show editor when saving".

More weirdly, it will do a variation of this when I have shut down and restarted the browser, at which point it will randomly pick previous bookmark folders when I try to make a new bookmark rather than just the last folder I bookmarked something into.

If you look at the Recent Bookmarks list at either --

  • menu button > Bookmarks
  • "Library" toolbar button > Bookmarks

-- are there any mystery bookmarks at the top of the list that might be in that mystery folder?

The last folder is saved in the prefs.js file in your profile. If you discover other settings also do not save properly, check this article: How to fix preferences that won't save.

Also, when I hit reset, the value of browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation just says "Toolbar", not "toolbar_____"

I didn't test that.

I'm also wondering, as I said, what browser.bookmarks.editDialog.confirmationHintShowCount 3 means. Any idea?

I don't know. "Hint" sometimes refers to a little tooltip or something. Mine says 422 so I guess I've seen it a lot?

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jscher2000 said

Marc7 said

What I'm saying is that when I'm making a new bookmark, the pulldown button should say Bookmarks Toolbar and then when I click it it would show several options for folders to save a bookmark in, or at least say 'choose' before I would again click it and show the options for where to bookmark a page. But what's happening is that the bookmark editor is immediately defaulting to the last folder I bookmarked something into, even though this is a new bookmark, and should not be showing a previous folder.

The editor always shows a default folder. Before it changed to "last folder used" it was always "Other Bookmarks".

Is there a way to get it to default back to that or at least to the toolbar? It keeps messing with my head when I go to make a new bookmark and it brings up a folder I didn't intend to save it in. Makes me think I ended up bookmarking something even though I know I hadn't done so yet.

This originally turned out to be an issue with browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020 needing to be set to false.
That was a temporary preference until this change was locked in. Using the last folder is the intended behavior.

Wait, that's how it's supposed to work now? Why this sudden change, and why only in this version? Like I said, never had this issue in 94.0.2, and I had that until Saturday morning when I updated.


But now even with that set properly, it's still going to the last folder I bookmarked, instead of asking me to choose which folder I want to put the bookmark in.
But the editor does open and let you choose, or do you need to click the blue star after the bookmark auto-saves? To get the editor back, click the blue star and then check the box near the bottom labeled "Show editor when saving".

The editor does open and let me choose. It's just, like I said, the fact that it defaults to the last folder used keeps throwing me off since it wasn't doing that till version 95.0, and I kinda want it to not do that. I prefer the old setup.


More weirdly, it will do a variation of this when I have shut down and restarted the browser, at which point it will randomly pick previous bookmark folders when I try to make a new bookmark rather than just the last folder I bookmarked something into.
If you look at the Recent Bookmarks list at either --
  • menu button > Bookmarks
  • "Library" toolbar button > Bookmarks
-- are there any mystery bookmarks at the top of the list that might be in that mystery folder?

Not that I can tell.

The last folder is saved in the prefs.js file in your profile. If you discover other settings also do not save properly, check this article: How to fix preferences that won't save.

I'll peek in on that and see. I have no idea how to mess with .js files as I'm not exactly technically inclined.


Also, when I hit reset, the value of browser.bookmarks.defaultLocation just says "Toolbar", not "toolbar_____"

I didn't test that.

I'm also wondering, as I said, what browser.bookmarks.editDialog.confirmationHintShowCount 3 means. Any idea?
I don't know. "Hint" sometimes refers to a little tooltip or something. Mine says 422 so I guess I've seen it a lot?

Huh. Neat.

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After some further research:

The browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020 preference was just removed from the code in Firefox 95 [1672486]. You are now seeing the default behavior of Firefox 85+ that you were suppressing with that preference.

Some users might have a lingering old customized row in about:config for this preference, but it has no effect. Most likely the icon at the right has changed from a reset arrow to a garbage can.

Novain'i jscher2000 - Support Volunteer t@

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jscher2000 said

After some further research: The browser.toolbars.bookmarks.2h2020 preference was just removed from the code in Firefox 95 [1672486]. You are now seeing the default behavior of Firefox 85+ that you were suppressing with that preference. Some users might have a lingering old customized row in about:config for this preference, but it has no effect. Most likely the icon at the right has changed from a reset arrow to a garbage can.

Yeah, I checked. I'm seeing a trash can there. So is there some way to alter the default behavior I'm seeing now to what I was seeing before, or no?

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The way it was before was that Other Bookmarks was always the default location for new bookmarks. There is no built-in option for that, but you can try the extension I mentioned earlier:

jscher2000 said

If you prefer to always default to a specific folder, I am not aware of any built-in way to do that. However, you could consider the following add-on. Note: make sure to disable it when performing import/restore operations, otherwise, it will move all the imported/restored bookmarks to your specified default folder. https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/default-bookmark-folder/
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jscher2000 said

The way it was before was that Other Bookmarks was always the default location for new bookmarks. There is no built-in option for that, but you can try the extension I mentioned earlier:

jscher2000 said

If you prefer to always default to a specific folder, I am not aware of any built-in way to do that. However, you could consider the following add-on. Note: make sure to disable it when performing import/restore operations, otherwise, it will move all the imported/restored bookmarks to your specified default folder. https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/default-bookmark-folder/

So this will set a default folder to bring up when you bring up the Bookmarks editor, and then you can choose where it goes once the editor is up, correct?

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The drop-down will open with the last folder you used and the extension will very quickly switch it to the default folder you selected on its Options screen.