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Some bookmarks not visible

  • 9 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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When I expand my bookmarks from the icon in the Awsome Bar some bookmarks are missing. However, if I open the Bookmarks Sidebar with CTRL + B the bookmarks are there. I'm on Windows 7 x64.

Just in case my description of the problem is inadequate I've attached a screenshot.

Can anyone explain what is causing this and how to solve the problem?

When I expand my bookmarks from the icon in the Awsome Bar some bookmarks are missing. However, if I open the Bookmarks Sidebar with CTRL + B the bookmarks are there. I'm on Windows 7 x64. Just in case my description of the problem is inadequate I've attached a screenshot. Can anyone explain what is causing this and how to solve the problem?
Attached screenshots

All Replies (9)

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Wow, that's bad. I hope your bookmarks database is not corrupted.

Are other folders affected?

I'm not sure whether it's a coincidence, but the next bookmark in that folder does not have an icon (dotted rectangle placeholder). Is that a pattern?

To rule out extensions as a possible culprit, could you check the menu in Firefox's Safe Mode? That's a standard diagnostic tool to deactivate extensions, some advanced features, and some custom settings. More info: Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode.

You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using either

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Restart with Add-ons Disabled
  • (menu bar) Help menu > Restart with Add-ons Disabled

Note: Flash and other plugins still run

After Firefox closes, a small dialog should appear: click "Start in Safe Mode" (not Reset)

Any difference?

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Thanks for the quick reply jscher2000.

You're right about the bookmark that has no icon. I did'n't think it was a related issue but I can't seem to get that bookmark to work. When I check its properties everything is blank. I can't edit its properties either or at least I can't choose the folder to save it in. Also, when I try to save the other information in its properties they appear to be saved but next time I access its properties it's blank again.

Based on your hunch that that bookmark is causing a problem, I dragged all the other bookmarks above it and now those above that problematic bookmark is accessible from the Awesome Bar!! This seems to prove that the problem is cause by this particular bookmark. I have tried to delete this bookmark (from the Bookmarks Sidebar off course) and it won't delete!!

Also, I started Firefox with all addons disabled and it didn't make a difference. And No, no other bookmarks are affected, or at least I haven't noticed any others like this.

Any other ideas? And please don't ask me to do a reset. I'm using a borrowed computer temporarily (mines is on the bum) and really don't want to go through all of that.

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Hi Joe, don't do a Reset -- Reset preserves your bookmarks.

Another volunteer may know how to excise the bad bookmark, but hopefully you can continue to work normally until that person comes along.

(If I had to do it, I'd probably create a backup file in JSON format and try to manually edit the file, but that's messy and could fail in dramatic fashion, so hopefully you'll get a better suggestion.)

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Hello jscher2000, can you tell me where I can find the JSON file, how to edit it, and what program to use? I ask because I have a feeling no one else is going to chime in and if there is a way to fix it I want to give it a try.

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Hi Joe_, use Firefox's bookmark backup feature to create a JSON file for this. (the ones that are created automatically are compressed and will be even more incomprehensible as a result). This article describes how to make the backup file: Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer.

When you open the file in a text editor, it may be one continuous line. You'll need to use Find to get near to where you want to make the edit. I'm not sure of how to do it safely; I haven't experimented myself.

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jscher2000, I made a manual backup like you said. When I opened it in Notepad I was able to do a search for with a keyword but that's as far as I got. Trying to understand and make sense of the code was beyond me.

I even found an editor called JSONedit and opened the backup in it but it was no easier to understand.

Honestly, it's just not worth the headache trying to sort out this single bookmark that's causing all this. I think I'll have to live with it because no one else has chimed in.

All the same, I appreciate your trying to help. Thanks once again.

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Chosen Solution

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You are a genius cor-el. I ran the "Places Maintenance" addon mentioned here and it said the database was corrupted and fixed it.

Thank you! Thank you!

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You're welcome