Bookmarks Disappeared

[ohLisa]

Hey, For some stupid reason my safari bookmarks just disappeared.
I went thru the steps -- Library, Time Machine, Restore -- nothing! A
The time machine only goes back 1 week. Maybe I need to go back further, but the next option is from 2015 which is too far. I can't select a date. Don't know if this is the reason why they're not restored.

I tried (so frustrated) to restore my old bookmarks, but I just can't make it happen.

Can anyone help me? I'm and technologically-challenged and cannot understand geek talk... just saying.

Thanks

 

[Mike Boreham]

Hey, For some stupid reason my safari bookmarks just disappeared.
I went thru the steps -- Library, Time Machine, Restore -- nothing! A
The time machine only goes back 1 week. Maybe I need to go back further, but the next option is from 2015 which is too far. I can't select a date. Don't know if this is the reason why they're not restored.

I tried (so frustrated) to restore my old bookmarks, but I just can't make it happen.

Can anyone help me? I'm and technologically-challenged and cannot understand geek talk... just saying.

Thanks

Are your bookmarks being sync'd to other devices with iCloud?

If they are then probably the bookmarks are missing from iCloud too, so when you restore from Time Machine the bookmarks reappear briefly, then sync with iCloud and disappear again, because the empty iCloud is overwriting the restored bookmarks on the Mac.

I went through this recently. The simplified version of what worked for me was:

1. Turn iCloud > Safari off on all my devices.

2. Restore to my desktop the file ~/Library/Safari/bookmarks.plist from Time Machine

3. Open Safari and go to Menubar > File> Import from >Bookmarks HTML file

4. Chose the restored from TM file on the desktop.

5. Turn iCloud > Safari back on.

If you are not using iCloud for Safari, try just doing 2.3. and 4.

The key thing for me, after many failed attempts at restoring from TM, was to import not restore directly.

One week ago should be OK if they were working a week ago, but why is the next date 2015? Has Time Machine been turned off for three years?

 

[ohLisa]

Are your bookmarks being sync'd to other devices with iCloud?

If they are then probably the bookmarks are missing from iCloud too, so when you restore from Time Machine the bookmarks reappear briefly, then sync with iCloud and disappear again, because the empty iCloud is overwriting the restored bookmarks on the Mac.

I went through this recently. The simplified version of what worked for me was:

1. Turn iCloud > Safari off on all my devices.

2. Restore to my desktop the file ~/Library/Safari/bookmarks.plist from Time Machine

3. Open Safari and go to Menubar > File> Import from >Bookmarks HTML file

4. Chose the restored from TM file on the desktop.

5. Turn iCloud > Safari back on.

If you are not using iCloud for Safari, try just doing 2.3. and 4.

The key thing for me, after many failed attempts at restoring from TM, was to import not restore directly.

One week ago should be OK if they were working a week ago, but why is the next date 2015? Has Time Machine been turned off for three years?

[doublepost=1527003213][/doublepost]i never heard of the Time Machine until yesterday, but it's NOT working so, if I can't do step 2 then how can i do step 3?
AND I don't know where the "menubar" is in Safari either. WHERE?

 

[Mike Boreham]

In your other post on the same subject you said you had found the time machine and found the bookmarks.plist.


The "menubar" is just the line of headings next to the word "Safari" at the top of the screen. One of the headings is "File". Click on "File" and "Import from" is in the dropdown.