How to Auto Export Firefox 3 bookmarks to bookmarks.html?
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After writing my previous post (Understanding How and Where Firefox 3 Bookmarks are saved?), I have been playing with all the different settings in Firefox 3. I mentioned that Firefox 3 saves the bookmarks in the database places.sqlite and not in bookmarks.html. In Firefox 2, one can get all the bookmarks in bookmarks.html which allowed to export and sync with other browsers or other machines very easily. But one can actually tweak to automatically save the bookmarks both in the database places.sqlite and bookmarks.html at the same time.
However, this is only one way and it cannot be made to sync at all times if you try to auto export bookmarks from bookmarks.html to places.sqlite.
To change the settings, Type about:config in the Firefox 3 address bar.
Click Ok when it gives the warning (and be careful 
)
Type bookmarks in the filter and search for browser.bookmarks.autoExportHTML
The value will be false by default and double click to change the setting to true.
Now when you save a bookmark, it will be saved in the database as well as in the bookmarks.html. But bookmarks.html will not have information about tags or other keywords.
You can also see there is browser.places.importBookmarksHTML which is by default set to false. However this cannot be set to true so that it can sync with places.sqlite everytime. Once the bookmarks are imported from bookmarks.html to places.sqlite, this is automatically reverted back to false.
[...] Firefox 3 bookmarks are not stored in the same way it was stored before. (Note: You can tweak Firefox 3 to save bookmarks in bookmarks.html [...]
I tried this when I was going trough the About Config file and even wrote half post on this, but you beat me.
firefox 3 is not good
it consumes a lot of memory and
I like version 2.xx…this is very best version!
[...] I just tweaked about:config to use html rather than json. See this explanation. [...]
On the subject of being able to SECURELY erase browsing history in Firefox 3, the obvious problem is bookmarks are stored w/ history in “places.sqlite.”
I did make the change discussed in “How to Auto Export Firefox 3 bookmarks to bookmarks.html.”
I then deleted the places.sqlite file from current FF 3 profile (w/ FF closed). Even though I’d imported bookmarks once before from a saved FF 2 bookmarks.html file, when 1st installed FF 3, it allowed me to import them again.
All my previous bookmarks show up when open FF 3.
Question is, how to automate or greatly shorten this process to be able to securely erase history (the entire places.sqlite file) when desired, & import bookmarks from either the html file (now that bookmarks are being saved in both places.sqlite & bookmarks.html).
I’m not a coder. I’m GUESSING you could shred the places.sqlite file (assuming you made the chgs in about:config, setting “browser.bookmarks.autoExportHTML” to “TRUE”) & all your bookmarks are also in bookmarks.html.
After restarting FF 3, it recreates “places.sqlite”, & could import bookmarks again from the bookmarks.html file.
WARNING: I tried this once & it seemed to work, but I’m not sure there won’t be problems.
Would there be a way to automate or streamline this process?
Thanks.
If you put the browser.places.importBookmarksHTML line from pref.js into a user.js in your profile directory with the value set to true then every restart of FireFox3 will resync the bookmarks with bookmarks.html.
Once you change this setting, where on Vista does Firefox 3 put the current bookmarks.html file? I’m looking for it in:
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\45hgg2ef.default\bookmarkbackups
Is this the correct place?
Thanks!
[...] LyteByte has a nice little tutorial on how you can export your Firefox 3 bookmarks to bookmarks.html file. [...]
The autoexport puts bookmarks.html in the root of your profile directory. This is the same place as FFox 2.x kept the file.
Hiding bookmarks is the dumbest idea of all time.hen I bookmark a site, I expect to see it when I look in ..eh..bookmarks
Easy as hell to find
1. Get to the location of a file named bookmark-YYYY-MM-DD.json (pick the last modified file), should be at “C:\Users\Firethefox\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\l0rewn2a.default\bookmarkbackups”.
2.open firefox, choose bookmarks-> organize bookmarks-> import & safetycopys -> re-establish (choose file).
3. now just select the file bookmark-YYYY-MM-DD.json and select OK. dØNE!
-peace
Here is the very easy solution.
Ignore all other suggestions.
Read this:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Unable_to_export_bookmarks_to_HTML_file_-_Firefox
(Simply export .json bookmarks. Restore bookmarks with this file. Then export to HTML.)
TADAAAAA!
Thank you Rob, it helped very much.