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My firefox has built approx 1500 unwanted bookmarks toolbars

  • 7 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by Elgar

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When I open bookmarks the browser goes to not responding and then shows the following message

A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, open the script in the debugger, or let the script continue.

Script: chrome://browser/content/places/browserPlacesViews.js:271

hen it finally comes back it has produced some 1500 "Bopokmarks Toolbars"

I have tried many methods to get rid of this including uninstalling Firefox for at least 1 month but on reinstallation the same problem is there. I would like to continue using Firefox but in these circumstances cannot

What can be done to remedy the situation

When I open bookmarks the browser goes to not responding and then shows the following message A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, open the script in the debugger, or let the script continue. Script: chrome://browser/content/places/browserPlacesViews.js:271 hen it finally comes back it has produced some 1500 "Bopokmarks Toolbars" I have tried many methods to get rid of this including uninstalling Firefox for at least 1 month but on reinstallation the same problem is there. I would like to continue using Firefox but in these circumstances cannot What can be done to remedy the situation

Chosen solution

  1. user.js is an optional file, which is located in your Profile folder. Use Help > Troubleshooting Information -> Application Basics - Profile Folder - Show Folder to get to your Profile folder. Then right-click that file as use Open with Notepad (or Wordpad). Note: some malicious software create / install a user.js without the user's knowledge and it's something that we look out for when viewing "More System Details" that comes with a new questions thread.
  2. Unless you manually delete the Profile folder when you uninstall Firefox, it will be picked up again when you re-install Firefox. You'll probably have the 'problems' that you had when you decided to stop using Firefox and got rid of the program files by uninstalling it.
  3. To have that many Bookmarks Toolbar folders in Firefox, you have a massive corruption of 'something' - probably the places.sqlite file where bookmarks are stored. Recently we have seen rash of BTB corruption threads in involving Sync might involve "mobile" which is Firefox for Android - which is why I asked about Sync and "mobile". Sync treats "mobile" a bit differently than "desktop" Firefox - a smart phone screen is too narrow to have a Bookmarks Toolbar like the "desktop" / laptop screens can handle. And it's might thinking that the 'problem' is with Sync, at least partially. With your mobile devices using Safari we can cross that off as a contributing factor.

One device with what sounds like corruption of the bookmarks file system.

Install and run the Places Maintenance extension. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/ Many times it is able to clear up a problem like this, but I don't recall 1500 Bookmarks Toolbars ever being mentioned before. Typical with the BTB getting multiplied is under 10 copies from what I have seen posted here.

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All Replies (7)

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hello, please try to refresh firefox and see if this can address the issue...

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Are you using Sync? If so, do you have a mobile device running Firefox for Android connected to that Sync account?

And out of curiosity what are the contents of your user.js file?

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richardvaughan said

When I open bookmarks the browser goes to not responding and then shows the following message A script on this page may be busy, or it may have stopped responding. You can stop the script now, open the script in the debugger, or let the script continue. Script: chrome://browser/content/places/browserPlacesViews.js:271 hen it finally comes back it has produced some 1500 "Bopokmarks Toolbars" I have tried many methods to get rid of this including uninstalling Firefox for at least 1 month but on reinstallation the same problem is there. I would like to continue using Firefox but in these circumstances cannot What can be done to remedy the situation

No!! I am sorry that did nothing - the problem persists

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the-edmeister said

Are you using Sync? If so, do you have a mobile device running Firefox for Android connected to that Sync account? And out of curiosity what are the contents of your user.js file?

I tried to do sync some time ago - it did not work - I gave up. My mobile devices run safari

I have never come across "user.js" file; where can it be found

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I tried to do sync some time ago - it did not work - I gave up. My mobile devices run safari


I have never come across "user.js" file; where can it be found

more options

Chosen Solution

  1. user.js is an optional file, which is located in your Profile folder. Use Help > Troubleshooting Information -> Application Basics - Profile Folder - Show Folder to get to your Profile folder. Then right-click that file as use Open with Notepad (or Wordpad). Note: some malicious software create / install a user.js without the user's knowledge and it's something that we look out for when viewing "More System Details" that comes with a new questions thread.
  2. Unless you manually delete the Profile folder when you uninstall Firefox, it will be picked up again when you re-install Firefox. You'll probably have the 'problems' that you had when you decided to stop using Firefox and got rid of the program files by uninstalling it.
  3. To have that many Bookmarks Toolbar folders in Firefox, you have a massive corruption of 'something' - probably the places.sqlite file where bookmarks are stored. Recently we have seen rash of BTB corruption threads in involving Sync might involve "mobile" which is Firefox for Android - which is why I asked about Sync and "mobile". Sync treats "mobile" a bit differently than "desktop" Firefox - a smart phone screen is too narrow to have a Bookmarks Toolbar like the "desktop" / laptop screens can handle. And it's might thinking that the 'problem' is with Sync, at least partially. With your mobile devices using Safari we can cross that off as a contributing factor.

One device with what sounds like corruption of the bookmarks file system.

Install and run the Places Maintenance extension. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/ Many times it is able to clear up a problem like this, but I don't recall 1500 Bookmarks Toolbars ever being mentioned before. Typical with the BTB getting multiplied is under 10 copies from what I have seen posted here.

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That in part has solved the problem by uninstalling Firefox, deleting the Mozilla folder and reinstalling Firefox. However on reinstallation it went automatically into Sync and the problem returned. I have checked both my iPad and iPhone and although I have had Sync for Firefox it is currently not installed.

I have now repeated the step and have left Sync disabled (I do not really need it)

To the best of your knowledge have I mow cured the problem apart from reinstalling my original bookmarks!!!

Thanks in advance