My bookmarks have disappeared and I can't add new bookmarks.

Question

All my bookmarks have disappeared, including the defaults on the toolbar of most visited, etc. I can't add new bookmarks either. I have tried all the Help Topics on lost bookmarks. I tried restoring bookmark backups, but the backup from the date I lost bookmarks says "unable to process backup file." All the later dates will load, but they have no bookmarks saved in them. All of the other Help Topic attempts went fine but did not solve the problem.

Answer 1

What I would say is that if you have any bookmarks at all at present that you make a manual backup of them, and then continue to make manual backups as any recovery efforts proceed.
* see [[Backing up and restoring bookmarks]]
There is a possibility that you had corrupt files, and may then have inadvertently overwritten any files that may have contained bookmarks. It is a good idea to make manual backups, for cases where the auto backups do not. work as expected.
If you have already followed the instructions carefully about [[lost bookmarks]] and without resolving the situation, there may not be much you can do about your personal bookmarks. If they are important and you are willing to try there may be a possibility using file recovery software, &/or sqlite editors that something could be salvaged, but not something I can advise on, I am not currently a Mac user.
The default bookmarks should be fairly easy to restore. You can probably also start the bookmarks working again. Trying the simplest options first:
# work from [safe mode]
#* at this stage when you see the first dialogue window with options do not make changes, press the continue button
# use the customise / customize option from the toolbars and '''reset defaults'''
#* Mac may differ from my Windows XP, I can right click bookmarks, or use the tools menu see [[How do I customize the toolbars?]]
# if that has failed to resolve the problem go back to safe mode as in step 1 but this time use reset toolbars and controls.
By now you should have the default bookmarks back and maybe the bookmarks work and will save new bookmarks, try it whilst still in safe mode, before going back to try in ordinary mode. If it works in safe mode but not in ordinary mode you probably have some add-on managing to cause problems
If you still have problems and bookmarks will not save see [[bookmarks not saved]] that probably indicates corrupt places.sqlite &/or localstore.rdf the linked article explains how to find and delete them.