How to Recover Firefox Bookmarks From a Mac Hard Drive
By Avery Martin
Bookmarks provide a way to quickly access websites you saved to your Firefox "Bookmarks" menu. You can export your Firefox bookmarks from the Bookmarks library provided you can still access the browser. If the browser no longer opens and you need to reinstall Firefox, you can make a backup of your bookmarks straight from your hard drive. Firefox stores your bookmarks in a hidden folder on Mac OS X. To view the folder, you need to use a special keystroke when opening the Library menu.
Export Bookmarks
Click the "Bookmarks" drop-down menu and select "Show All Bookmarks" from the Firefox menu bar.
Select the "Import and Backup Your Bookmarks" drop-down menu and choose "Export Bookmarks to HTML." The Import and Backup Your Bookmarks menu looks like a star.
Click the "Save" button to save your bookmarks to the location designated in the "Where" field. Change the location by clicking the "Where" drop-down menu and selecting a new location.
Locate the Bookmarks Folder
Click the "Finder" icon on the Dock to display the Mac OS menu bar, if necessary.
Hold down the "Option" key while clicking the "Go" menu followed by the "Library" option in the drop-down list. Make sure to hold down the "Option" key for the entire sequence. If you let go of the Option key, you can't access the Library.
Click "Application Support" while in list view, or double-click "Application Support" in icon view.
Open the "Firefox" and "Profiles" folders. Then, open the folder with the word "Default" in the filename.
Select the most recent file with the word "Bookmarks" in the name. The date displays as part of the filename and in the Date Modified column.
Warnings
Information in this article applies to Mac OS X Mountain Lion and Firefox 21. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.
References
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Writer Bio
Avery Martin holds a Bachelor of Music in opera performance and a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian studies. As a professional writer, she has written for Education.com, Samsung and IBM. Martin contributed English translations for a collection of Japanese poems by Misuzu Kaneko. She has worked as an educator in Japan, and she runs a private voice studio out of her home. She writes about education, music and travel.