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Hi, My places.sqlite file size is 30,720 KB have I reached the maximum size, is there even a maximum size for this. Visited links are no longer changing color.

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Hi, My places.sqlite file size is 30,720 KB have I reached the maximum size, is there even a maximum size for this. Suddenly the visited links are no longer changing font color, as I am preparing for an exam I need visited questions to change color, to keep track of questions that I have finished. But if I delete a few days of history then again,a few more visited links change color then again it stops, so it seems something is getting full and not able to accommodate any more? Why are my visited links no longer changing color after a certain number of visits? I do have a back up of the places.sqlite file. So I have tried everything from deleting the profile, uninstalling reinstalling, creating a new profile, then copy pasting places.sqlite etc, but as mentioned after a few visits, visited links no longer change color, if I delete a few days of history then again a few visits will again change color and then stop again, so what should I increase so that my visited links quota is increased, I have also tried tweaking about:config and it has had no result. Although I was not really confident that increasing brower.history_max _pages (don't remember exact name, but I am sure you get the idea) is going to help. Seems as though my visited links change color, quota is full and only if I delete a few days of history will I get a few more visited links to change color. Can somebody shed some light? As mentioned my places.sqlite file size is 30,720 KB so I think perhaps this has something to do with this? Would really appreciate if someone could help. Thank you.

Hi, My places.sqlite file size is 30,720 KB have I reached the maximum size, is there even a maximum size for this. Suddenly the visited links are no longer changing font color, as I am preparing for an exam I need visited questions to change color, to keep track of questions that I have finished. But if I delete a few days of history then again,a few more visited links change color then again it stops, so it seems something is getting full and not able to accommodate any more? Why are my visited links no longer changing color after a certain number of visits? I do have a back up of the places.sqlite file. So I have tried everything from deleting the profile, uninstalling reinstalling, creating a new profile, then copy pasting places.sqlite etc, but as mentioned after a few visits, visited links no longer change color, if I delete a few days of history then again a few visits will again change color and then stop again, so what should I increase so that my visited links quota is increased, I have also tried tweaking about:config and it has had no result. Although I was not really confident that increasing brower.history_max _pages (don't remember exact name, but I am sure you get the idea) is going to help. Seems as though my visited links change color, quota is full and only if I delete a few days of history will I get a few more visited links to change color. Can somebody shed some light? As mentioned my places.sqlite file size is 30,720 KB so I think perhaps this has something to do with this? Would really appreciate if someone could help. Thank you.

Chosen solution

Sorry it is not looking good.

  1. The History unlike bookmarks is not backed up elsewhere by Firefox.
  2. There is one possibility using Windows.
  3. Sync is not intended to back things up to the Sync server
  4. If places.sqlite does not sort itself out you may need to delete it to recreate. You will then loose your history, but can still access it indirectly IF you backed up a suitable copy
  5. To try different databases create new profiles
  1. History
    is rather less robust than bookmarks,you would have needed to deliberately somehow back it up, but that is too late now
  2. Windows Previous Versions
    This is really the last chance. Make certain you have whatever places.sqlite you have had backed up. Backup always before and again after each and any restore attempt. Windows should be able to make a previous version available. One of those versions may be usable as is; or usable after a repair with places maintenance. Obviously that is not the most recent version but it should help.
  3. Sync is not a server backup service.
    Sync is intended to backup to a second device, any backup is the fact that the second device then contains synced information. IIRC Sync development has ceased, and the replacement when available may include a server backup option.
  4. Recreating Bookmarks Database (This includes History)
    Unfortunately the recreation can only use backed up bookmarks, there is no backed up History to use. Once the data base is recreated it will continue to store history but it loses the existing History. This time take steps to back it up on a regular basis.
  5. Use new profiles for database testing.
    To simplify comparing the results from the differing database files create one or more additional new profiles. You may then try overwriting the places.sqlite file in the test profile with any other places.sqlite you wish to try.That allows you to directly compare the databases without trying to use sync, and without changing the working Firefox profile unnecessarily. You can retain one profile for studies reference with the best of whichever profiles shows some history results; with whichever the best recreated or corrupt database is.
    • Profile Manager - Create, remove or switch Firefox profiles
    • CARE, do not rename or delete profiles once created, or use anything other than empty folders when creating them. Do not nest within other profiles. (At least until you know exactly how this behaves - post back if you are ever considering such actions)
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You should avoid getting out of disk space on the system drive or at least have a (second) page file on another drive if possible that can be extended. Otherwise it is likely that the Windows OS will crash and you may have to use the recovery console to free up memory to be able to start Windows.

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From what I see the algorithm is multi factor including RAM, number of processor Cores and not just Disksize. The relevant point is that if my understanding is correct it is History that will suffer first not Bookmarks. One day I may get round to testing this, so If I can not get my head round the code I could possibly just experiment with crazy sized places files and watch what happens, but it is not really anything I am concerned about personally.

I believe cor-el may use C++ and could well comment further on the expiration algorithm, if only to clarify my misconceptions.

As for Windows I avoid using it where possible, although I am not sure if there is any basis behind this but as rule of thumb I tended to allow 20-25% free disk space as a minimum.

I know some versions /filesytems would fail to defrag after a certain limit I think that was <15% free space. I have also seen heavily fragmented HDD with single figure % , freespace in MB struggling but still running Windows. For that matter I also remember running DOS (the Windows predecessor, and for a while the actual OS behind Windows) without any HDD at all it was a floppy based system in bygone times. Cor-el no doubt has similar reminiscences, today's systems are truly fantastic compared with earlier days.

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