Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

How to delete redundant History Tag Download entries

  • 4 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by henpemaz

henpemaz
henpemaz
more options

Hello community,

I've been using Firefox since forever, on multiple computers, OSs and languages. For a long time I was used to have my 'bookmarks' in the bookmarks toolbar, so I never cared that much about it's actual folder structure.

But times have changed, and since I'm constantly using the bookmarks to sort and store tutorials and references, I'm getting really annoyed by this issue with multiple entries for History, Tags and Downloads (see attached image or http://i.imgur.com/NKL7T1N.png ). For the items with the magnifier as icon, the only option on the right-click menu is to Copy it, everything else is grayed out.

I've already tried a duplicated bookmarks remover ("Places Maintenance"), but it was of no help... I think I should be able to achieve this by performing a html backup and modifying the file, but sounds like it's going to be an awful lot of work.

Any suggestions ?

Hello community, I've been using Firefox since forever, on multiple computers, OSs and languages. For a long time I was used to have my 'bookmarks' in the bookmarks toolbar, so I never cared that much about it's actual folder structure. But times have changed, and since I'm constantly using the bookmarks to sort and store tutorials and references, I'm getting really annoyed by this issue with multiple entries for History, Tags and Downloads (see attached image or http://i.imgur.com/NKL7T1N.png ). For the items with the magnifier as icon, the only option on the right-click menu is to Copy it, everything else is grayed out. I've already tried a duplicated bookmarks remover ("Places Maintenance"), but it was of no help... I think I should be able to achieve this by performing a html backup and modifying the file, but sounds like it's going to be an awful lot of work. Any suggestions ?

Chosen solution

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database (bookmarks, history) in the Firefox profile folder.

If the Places Maintenance extension can't repair the places.sqlite database then remove all places.sqlite file(s) in the Firefox profile folder to make Firefox rebuild the places.sqlite database from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

  • keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created

See also:

If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync (temporarily) while performing maintenance/repair efforts to the places.sqlite database. You can change the password for the Sync account to reset data stored on the Sync server.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (4)

the-edmeister
the-edmeister
  • Moderator
more options

Are you using Sync? And if so, do you have a "mobile" device on that Sync account?

henpemaz
henpemaz Question owner
more options

the-edmeister said

Are you using Sync? And if so, do you have a "mobile" device on that Sync account?

Yes and Yes. Mobile is running Android 5.1 and Firefox is updated.

I also have Sync active on a second laptop running Linux (FF is 43.0.4 on both machines). Now, I often format this second notebook to test new configurations, and it feels like whenever I signed it to sync in it, another set of History|Tag|Downloads would appear...

cor-el
cor-el
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Chosen Solution

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database (bookmarks, history) in the Firefox profile folder.

If the Places Maintenance extension can't repair the places.sqlite database then remove all places.sqlite file(s) in the Firefox profile folder to make Firefox rebuild the places.sqlite database from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.

  • keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created

See also:

If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync (temporarily) while performing maintenance/repair efforts to the places.sqlite database. You can change the password for the Sync account to reset data stored on the Sync server.

henpemaz
henpemaz Question owner
more options

cor-el said

You can check for problems with the places.sqlite database (bookmarks, history) in the Firefox profile folder. If the Places Maintenance extension can't repair the places.sqlite database then remove all places.sqlite file(s) in the Firefox profile folder to make Firefox rebuild the places.sqlite database from the most recent JSON backup in the bookmarkbackups folder.
  • keep a backup copy of places.sqlite in case a new places.sqlite database has to be created
See also: If you use Sync then best is to disconnect Sync (temporarily) while performing maintenance/repair efforts to the places.sqlite database. You can change the password for the Sync account to reset data stored on the Sync server.

Thank you. As I stated before, Places Maintenance didn't do the job.

But recreating the places.sqlite did. The redundant entries were loaded inside the "Unsorted Bookmarks", inside an "All Bookmarks" subfolder, where I was able to delete them.

I had a funny problem with this All Bookmarks subfolder containing a reference to itself and causing a crash when trying to move it, but once the loop was deleted, everything worked perfectly. The final result http://i.imgur.com/QdoSn5T.png

Thank you very much for your time. Now I only hope it doesn't go back when I turn sync back on...