Getting a new laptop: How do I preserve my bookmarks?

[Mallory]

Monday I'm supposed to be getting a new laptop from work. Well, not really new, it's a year old. But mine is going on six years now and it's time for something different with a clean install of XP or Vista.

My question here is fairly straight foreward, how can I copy my current bookmarks from FireFox and IE to the new system? In the past I've just started over, but after six years I've built up a pretty good list on the current system and I'd hate to have to rekey them all.

Is there a file (or files) that I can copy from my old XP system to my new one to preserve all my existing bookmarks?

 

[Trekker4747]

Monday I'm supposed to be getting a new laptop from work. Well, not really new, it's a year old. But mine is going on six years now and it's time for something different with a clean install of XP or Vista.

My question here is fairly straight foreward, how can I copy my current bookmarks from FireFox and IE to the new system? In the past I've just started over, but after six years I've built up a pretty good list on the current system and I'd hate to have to rekey them all.

Is there a file (or files) that I can copy from my old XP system to my new one to preserve all my existing bookmarks?

There's a file. It should be clearly marked in your user account's browser's folder.

The path for IE in XP is: C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Favorites.

Copying that file to a disc/disk/USB device will allow you to transfer your bookmarks to another computer.

(More crudely you can email the links to yourself, open them on your new computer, and resave them.)

 

[backstept]

C:\Documents and Settings\*USERNAME*\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles
there's a folder in there and a bookmarks.html file . . .
better yet, just copy the whole profiles folder so you can save your settings etc

 

[Mallory]

Thanks guys! After six years of installing and uninstalling stuff for my software development job I really wanted to start with a clean system, but I also wanted to preserve my bookmarks. I found both folders/files with no problems.

It will just be a copy/paste operation for me. I'm planning on copying my current drive (20 gigs) to a subdirectory on the new system to make things a little easier.

 

[Alaedhros]

C:\Documents and Settings\*USERNAME*\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\$PROFILE\bookmarks.html

The above path is correct for Firefox 1 and 2. However, in Fx 3 they changed the bookmark system so that it uses a file called places.sqlite (in the same folder). Why they had to go all database-y, I don't know, but ah well. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[Mr. B]

You managed to go six years without a windows reinstall? I treat my desktop like a lady and I still have to format every year or so.

 

[Mallory]

The above path is correct for Firefox 1 and 2. However, in Fx 3 they changed the bookmark system so that it uses a file called places.sqlite (in the same folder). Why they had to go all database-y, I don't know, but ah well. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I'm still using FireFox 2, I figured I'd wait for a new machine before I upgraded. Your tip is helpful though.

You managed to go six years without a windows reinstall? I treat my desktop like a lady and I still have to format every year or so.

Mine is a work system and we're a MS reseller, so it's stayed fairly vanilla over the years. Any non-MS software is heavily frowned upon and removed if detected by a sysadmin. I suspect that if you just stay in the MS world you're probably OK for years.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I still have to format every year or so.

That's because you use Windows.

 

[Non Sync]

IE has an easy way of handling the move of your bookmarks.

There is an Import/Export wizard that is under the File menu. You can use it to migrate your Favorites, Cookies, and Feeds.

 

[Orac Zen]

I've found the easiest way to keep / back up Firefox bookmarks is this:

Bookmarks -> Organise Bookmarks -> Import and backup -> Export HTML. Save the resulting file somewhere and then import that file to the new installation.

 

[M'Sharak]

I've found the easiest way to keep / back up Firefox bookmarks is this:

Bookmarks -> Organise Bookmarks -> Import and backup -> Export HTML. Save the resulting file somewhere and then import that file to the new installation.

Bingo. I did this a few months ago and just e-mailed them to myself. Then open Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks and import. It's ridiculously easy.

 

[Orac Zen]

There's also FEBE, a Firefox add-on that can be set to back up all your add-ons, passwords, cookies, browser history, and myriad other Firefox settings. It can even be set to back everything up automatically at regular intervals, and restoring settings from the backups is simplicity itself.

 

[Alaedhros]

The above path is correct for Firefox 1 and 2. However, in Fx 3 they changed the bookmark system so that it uses a file called places.sqlite (in the same folder). Why they had to go all database-y, I don't know, but ah well. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I'm still using FireFox 2, I figured I'd wait for a new machine before I upgraded. Your tip is helpful though.

Thanks. I think I've been outdone by OZ though.

 

[Orac Zen]

I just realised my post sounds like a damned advert for the add-on.

 

[Non Sync]

I just found about a freeware ulility that handles conversion of different bookmark formats between the various browsers.

http://gettransmute.com/

I have not used it myself, but it came from Gizmo's Support Alert Newsletter (now part of Brian Livingston's Windows Secrets).

 

[Rÿcher]

I've found the easiest way to keep / back up Firefox bookmarks is this:

Bookmarks -> Organise Bookmarks -> Import and backup -> Export HTML. Save the resulting file somewhere and then import that file to the new installation.

Bingo. I did this a few months ago and just e-mailed them to myself. Then open Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks and import. It's ridiculously easy.

Yeah, fuck the whole "profile" bullshit. Too confusing, especially if you can't find or if your profile is locked. Why go from A to M when you can just go from A to C and be done?

 

[Deks]

Agreed.
Even IE had the feature of saving up the Bookmarks as a separate file for years.
Firefox did too.
Why mess with the profiles when this works fine?

 

[Chaos Descending]

My solution for keeping my bookmarks straight across multiple computers for Firefox is a handy Add-On called "Foxmarks".