How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

User Help for Mozilla Firefox
Windmaker
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Joined: October 27th, 2006, 9:47 pm

How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Windmaker »

I just purchased a new computer and had followed some instructions I found in Firefox help on how to transfer my Firefox bookmarks from my old computer to my new computer, but the host file turned out to be a .json file (java script object notation), whatever that means. Initially, I had entered the (provided) path into my Start/Run search box to locate the bookmarks in a "profile folder". From there I copied it onto a flash drive. As stated, it turned out that the file had a .json extension, and the problem is that I haven't found a way to open a/the json type file, so the transfer cannot be completed. When a dialog box appears requesting a selection of a program to open it, entering "java" or "javascript" doesn't compute.

Can anyone help me with this or know of another way to transfer firefox bookmarks between computers? I have Firefox 3.0.1 loaded on both computers....I think. Right now I don't have my old computer hooked up to verify, but I know for certain it was a Firefox 3 version at a minimum...possibly 3.0
Last edited by LIMPET235 on September 24th, 2008, 9:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
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trolly
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by trolly »

Use Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks -> Import & Backup -> Export HTML
... -> Import HTML

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coyot
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by coyot »

I just copy and paste the "places.sqlite" found in profiles -- that is if your upgrading Firefox and transfering to
another Firefox. If going to a different browser, or lower than FF 3.0 then you need the html file and do as above said.

(Good idea to backup "places.sqlite" it contains everything-ALL bookmarks)

coyot
Anonymosity
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Anonymosity »

Why not just copy the .json file to any directory and restore it from there?
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dickvl
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by dickvl »

Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Restore > Choose File
Guest
Guest

Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Guest »

coyot wrote:I just copy and paste the "places.sqlite" found in profiles -- that is if your upgrading Firefox and transfering to
another Firefox.

coyot


I have FF 3.0.1 installed on my home and work computers. I use flash drive to transfer the places.sqlite file between the two PCs via SyncToy. What I've found, however, is the bookmarks are not getting updated on my home computer. I've used Sqlite Manager to verify the new bookmarks are in the database, but after copying the file (exiting FF first) and restarting Firefox, they're not there.

The HTML transfer method takes too many steps to perform every other day.

Any suggestions?

Rich
Anonymosity
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Anonymosity »

Transfer the .json files instead. You obtain those by using "Backup" from the bookmark organizer. You use "Restore" to import them.
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dickvl
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by dickvl »

If you copy places.sqlite then you may need to reset browser.places.*folderId prefs on the about:config page. Also old references in localstore.rdf to places.sqlite can cause problems.
So it is better to use a JSON backup to restore the bookmarks from.
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steviex
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by steviex »

Pike's Bookmarks Backup Extension is a good way to automate this... http://www.pikey.me.uk/mozilla/?addon=bb

It can save Bookmarks and other Profile data to the folder of your choice on a daily basis.....
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Guest »

Using the .json files appears to be a workable solution. However, I'm still puzzled about why transferring the places.sqlite file works from home to work, but not from work to home.

Pike's extension seems to do what I'm doing manually so I doubt it would help.

Thanks,
Rich
Guest
Guest

Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Guest »

I had the same problem the above answer :"Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks > Import & Backup > Restore > Choose File" worked great!! Thanks
Guest
Guest

Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by Guest »

ok, I running Win XP Home and the new firefox 3.0.4 and I had to reformat the HD and before I did so I used firefox to backup my bookmarks and saved the .json file.
NOOOW when I try to restore that file it says "Unable to process the backup file."

It is driving me buggy because alllll of the last 6 months of bookmarks and research sites are in there and I really do not want to have to research it allll over again.

Any help is greatly loved!!
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dickvl
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by dickvl »

Which security software do you have?

You can use EnumProcess written by trolly, a moderator on this forum, to check which security software is running (firewalls and anti-virus).
More info on trolly's website: http://www.trolly.homepage.t-online.de/tools.html

Try to put the JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder and move all other files in that folder to another location. Then also remove places.sqlite and prefs.js from the profile folder. That should make Firefox use the JSON backup to recreate a new places.sqlite.

See Finding the profile folder on Windows
"Application Data" in XP and "AppData" in Vista are hidden folders

Show hidden files and folders

XP/2K : C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
Vista : C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
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the-edmeister
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Re: How do I transfer bookmarks stored in a JSON file?

Post by the-edmeister »

^ Guest,

Open that .json file in a text reader program, like Notepad. The "uri" for each bookmark is there, so you should be able to recover most of those bookmarks.


.
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