Browser won’t open crashes immediately mac os Catalina

So this app just doesn’t work, eh? Cool feature.

Yeah, looks like it… they’re not even bothered to provide an update…

@eljuno @Mattches

@dfineout @c0nd3stav3l,
There could be a lot of things causing the crash. Neither of you have provided any details or information surrounding the issue to help in diagnosing. Please see my post assisting another user with this issue for steps to try and resolve the issue:

Thanks, I’ll check out the suggestions there. If I’m still having issues I’ll send you crash logs.

I mentioned that brave has been crashing every time i launch it and I’m desperate for my bookmarks as all my research is in it for a start up I’m in the middle of launching but my post has been ignored for two days now, while this one got 18 replies. I also directly wrote to @Mattches (twice now) and no direct message reply. So what’s up with that? If I’m posting something in the wrong way maybe just let me know so I can rectify it and not just be ignored. Thanks.

Here’s my post: Brave keeps crashing :( Lost all my Bookmarks/Research for my saving democracy project launch

Description of the issue:
I open brave as always - seconds later it crashes

Steps to Reproduce (add as many as necessary): 1. 2. 3.
Click on brave icon or type brave in mac search field and hit enter. browser opens and then immediately crashes or crashes seconds later or opens to a blank tab and then crashes or remains stuck, every 10th time I’ll see the normal browser welcome page and then it crashes. I can’t shut down. must force quit.

Expected result:
brave will crash

Reproduces how often:
tried at least 50 x

Operating System and Brave Version(See the About Brave page in the main menu):
Macos 10.13.6 (17G9016) - can’t see about brave menu

Additional Information:
Uncertain if this is the cause but this started happening last night after I downloaded fileZilla and in doing so I got a malware bug called TopResults. Removed bug and brave seemed to work again. But today I tried to sync my computer with my iPhone (so I’d be able to access my bookmarks on my phone if my computer’s browser tweaked out again) and it’s been crashing ever since. Sync did not seem to work (but synching is not an issue i care to talk about right now as I am desperate for my bookmarks)

I downloaded Brave Browser Beta also and it does the same thing. Crashes immediately.

If there is anyway to find (and export) my bookmarks from some other place on my mac (terminal?), please give detailed information on how to recover / view them - export as an html file. anything to get my bookmarks - even just one bookmark folder that has the most critical information in it. I’m loosing my mind right now as my project is an election integrity watchdog for the upcoming election in america that starts in less than 2 weeks. Thank you.

CRASH REPORT
Process: Brave Browser [1712]
Path: /Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave Browser
Identifier: com.brave.Browser
Version: 79.1.2.43 (102.43)
Code Type: X86-64 (Native)
Parent Process: ??? [1]
Responsible: Brave Browser [1712]
User ID: 502

Date/Time: 2020-01-23 15:10:07.451 -0800
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.13.6 (17G9016)
Report Version: 12
Anonymous UUID: CA852B62-D0EB-F349-FE73-9E79FC99F691

Time Awake Since Boot: 1800 seconds

System Integrity Protection: enabled

Crashed Thread: 0 CrBrowserMain Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread

Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000028

VM Regions Near 0x28:
–>
__TEXT 000000010916d000-0000000109196000 [ 164K] r-x/rwx SM=COW /Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave Browser

Thread 0 Crashed:: CrBrowserMain Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011506ee36 0x110300000 + 81194550
1 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000111c7dad7 0x110300000 + 26729175
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000111c97ea8 0x110300000 + 26836648
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011173dbd2 0x110300000 + 21224402
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011173f828 0x110300000 + 21231656
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011173f38a 0x110300000 + 21230474
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001117619f1 0x110300000 + 21371377
7 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011176194c 0x110300000 + 21371212
8 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001157be0bd 0x110300000 + 88858813
9 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011150cd99 0x110300000 + 18927001
10 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001111e5532 0x110300000 + 15619378
11 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113d89a71 0x110300000 + 61381233
12 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011329e12f 0x110300000 + 49930543
13 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ad94a 0x110300000 + 49994058
14 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132addfd 0x110300000 + 49995261
15 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325d255 0x110300000 + 49664597
16 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113252e1a 0x110300000 + 49622554
17 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325cb9f 0x110300000 + 49662879
18 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff49619851 CFRUNLOOP_IS_CALLING_OUT_TO_A_SOURCE0_PERFORM_FUNCTION + 17
19 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff496d3e4c __CFRunLoopDoSource0 + 108
20 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495fc2b0 __CFRunLoopDoSources0 + 208
21 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495fb72d __CFRunLoopRun + 1293
22 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495faf93 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 483
23 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x00007fff488e5d96 RunCurrentEventLoopInMode + 286
24 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x00007fff488e5b06 ReceiveNextEventCommon + 613
25 com.apple.HIToolbox 0x00007fff488e5884 _BlockUntilNextEventMatchingListInModeWithFilter + 64
26 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff46b94a3b _DPSNextEvent + 2085
27 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff4732ae34 -[NSApplication(NSEvent) _nextEventMatchingEventMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 3044
28 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000112e20300 0x110300000 + 45220608
29 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113252e1a 0x110300000 + 49622554
30 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000112e20239 0x110300000 + 45220409
31 com.apple.AppKit 0x00007fff46b8984d -[NSApplication run] + 764
32 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325da3c 0x110300000 + 49666620
33 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325c568 0x110300000 + 49661288
34 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ae1a2 0x110300000 + 49996194
35 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113282667 0x110300000 + 49817191
36 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000112e263ff 0x110300000 + 45245439
37 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011105e0ab 0x110300000 + 14016683
38 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011105f9e2 0x110300000 + 14023138
39 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011105b58a 0x110300000 + 14005642
40 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000112d663b4 0x110300000 + 44458932
41 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000112d660be 0x110300000 + 44458174
42 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011565b379 0x110300000 + 87405433
43 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000112d656b4 0x110300000 + 44455604
44 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011030386b ChromeMain + 187
45 com.brave.Browser 0x000000010916d944 main + 372
46 libdyld.dylib 0x00007fff71557015 start + 1

Thread 1:
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a828a __workq_kernreturn + 10
1 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f009 _pthread_wqthread + 1035
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebe9 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 2:
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a828a __workq_kernreturn + 10
1 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f20e _pthread_wqthread + 1552
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebe9 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 3:
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a828a __workq_kernreturn + 10
1 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f009 _pthread_wqthread + 1035
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebe9 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 4:
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001141dfc2e 0x110300000 + 65928238
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001141dfea9 0x110300000 + 65928873
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001141da1e8 0x110300000 + 65905128
5 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
6 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 5:
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a828a __workq_kernreturn + 10
1 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f009 _pthread_wqthread + 1035
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebe9 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 6:
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a828a __workq_kernreturn + 10
1 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f009 _pthread_wqthread + 1035
2 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebe9 start_wqthread + 13

Thread 7:: ThreadPoolServiceThread
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a8c02 kevent64 + 10
1 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113303071 0x110300000 + 50344049
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113302f06 0x110300000 + 50343686
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ae1a2 0x110300000 + 49996194
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113282667 0x110300000 + 49817191
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132b6054 0x110300000 + 50028628
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132c4994 0x110300000 + 50088340
7 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
10 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 8:: ThreadPoolForegroundWorker
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132be828 0x110300000 + 50063400
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bf0aa 0x110300000 + 50065578
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bed94 0x110300000 + 50064788
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 9:: ThreadPoolBackgroundWorker
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132be828 0x110300000 + 50063400
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bf0aa 0x110300000 + 50065578
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bed04 0x110300000 + 50064644
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 10:: ThreadPoolBackgroundWorker
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132be828 0x110300000 + 50063400
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bee7e 0x110300000 + 50065022
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bed04 0x110300000 + 50064644
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 11:: Chrome_IOThread
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a8c02 kevent64 + 10
1 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113303071 0x110300000 + 50344049
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113302f06 0x110300000 + 50343686
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ae1a2 0x110300000 + 49996194
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113282667 0x110300000 + 49817191
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000111066024 0x110300000 + 14049316
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132c4994 0x110300000 + 50088340
7 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
10 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 12:: NetworkConfigWatcher
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495fc5c5 __CFRunLoopServiceMachPort + 341
3 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495fb917 __CFRunLoopRun + 1783
4 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495faf93 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 483
5 com.apple.Foundation 0x00007fff4b6fb746 -[NSRunLoop(NSRunLoop) runMode:beforeDate:] + 277
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325d741 0x110300000 + 49665857
7 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325c568 0x110300000 + 49661288
8 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ae1a2 0x110300000 + 49996194
9 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113282667 0x110300000 + 49817191
10 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132c4994 0x110300000 + 50088340
11 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
12 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
13 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
14 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 13:: CrShutdownDetector
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a9142 read + 10
1 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000111da4f2f 0x110300000 + 27938607
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
3 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
4 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
5 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 14:: NetworkConfigWatcher
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495fc5c5 __CFRunLoopServiceMachPort + 341
3 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495fb917 __CFRunLoopRun + 1783
4 com.apple.CoreFoundation 0x00007fff495faf93 CFRunLoopRunSpecific + 483
5 com.apple.Foundation 0x00007fff4b6fb746 -[NSRunLoop(NSRunLoop) runMode:beforeDate:] + 277
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325d741 0x110300000 + 49665857
7 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325c568 0x110300000 + 49661288
8 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ae1a2 0x110300000 + 49996194
9 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113282667 0x110300000 + 49817191
10 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132c4994 0x110300000 + 50088340
11 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
12 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
13 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
14 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 15:: ThreadPoolForegroundWorker
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132be828 0x110300000 + 50063400
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bf0aa 0x110300000 + 50065578
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bed94 0x110300000 + 50064788
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 16:: ThreadPoolForegroundWorker
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132be828 0x110300000 + 50063400
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bf0aa 0x110300000 + 50065578
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bed94 0x110300000 + 50064788
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 17:: ThreadPoolForegroundWorker
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132be828 0x110300000 + 50063400
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bf0aa 0x110300000 + 50065578
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132bed94 0x110300000 + 50064788
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 18:: CompositorTileWorker1
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff716a7a16 __psynch_cvwait + 10
1 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff71870589 _pthread_cond_wait + 732
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9225 0x110300000 + 50303525
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001149dac9d 0x110300000 + 74296477
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
5 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
6 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
7 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

Thread 19:: AudioThread
0 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169e20a mach_msg_trap + 10
1 libsystem_kernel.dylib 0x00007fff7169d724 mach_msg + 60
2 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113299621 0x110300000 + 49911329
3 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011329942f 0x110300000 + 49910831
4 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x000000011325c437 0x110300000 + 49660983
5 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132ae1a2 0x110300000 + 49996194
6 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x0000000113282667 0x110300000 + 49817191
7 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132c4994 0x110300000 + 50088340
8 com.brave.Browser.framework 0x00000001132f9ff7 0x110300000 + 50307063
9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f661 _pthread_body + 340
10 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186f50d _pthread_start + 377
11 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x00007fff7186ebf9 thread_start + 13

@Summer,
I apologize for not responding to your post. Please remember that we (support team) get hundreds - thousands of support requests every day and it’s inevitable that some will slip through the cracks or be overlooked entirely. I appreciate your patience and have merged your original post with this thread so that everyone can benefit from any support received here.

We should be able to fix the crash you’re experiencing or at thevery least get you the bookmarks you need. The interesting bit is that you downloaded the Beta and got the same result – this points to some conflict between Brave and your system. I would start with a common culprit for crashes like this – Hardware Acceleration. I’d like you to try launching the browser with this feature disabled, which you’ll have to do from the Terminal.

Can you try opening your system Terminal and typeing the following command?

open -a "Brave-browser.app" --args --disable-gpu

Let me know what the results are.

Thank you @Mattches So glad I’ve got you on this now.

Terminal response is:
Unable to find application named ‘Brave-browser.app’

I cut and pasted your terminal command exactly as is displayed on the screen above.

@Summer, the same thing happens to me when I use that format for the command (dash and lower case beginning for browser). What works for me is
open -a "Brave Browser.app" --args --disable-gpu

Give that a whirl and see if you at least get past the “not found” error.

That worked! Thank you.
It opened the Brave browser.
So I went to bookmarks Manager to hopefully get my bookmarks but the page is just empty…
I had to force quite Brave again as it doesn’t shut down on it’s own.
Now I’m back here.

@Mattches, I wonder if this is an issue related to Catalina’s new permissions structure in the Security & Privacy portion of System Preferences. It took a while to get a bunch of my applications set properly in there. Brave has several entries in there on my (working) install. Camera, Microphone, and Accessibility have entries, anyway. Probably not the answer, but it’s an idea.

I have not upgraded to Catalina myself… I’m still at 10.13.6 (17G9016) but @Mattches thought best to merge my post with this one… I’m not exactly certain why except that my post hadn’t had any comments and it’s been sitting on the site for a week now so perhaps it’ll get more traction here… which it apparently did with you commenting and at least getting me past the terminal issue…

Well, there goes that idea. :stuck_out_tongue: Sorry I didn’t catch the OS version.

It very well could be an issue spanning versions of the OS, but my KungFu is inferior in this regard.

What I can offer at this point, and you may already know this, is the location where your bookmarks are supposed to be: in your profile folder, which is in
~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave Browser/.
Unless you’ve added a profile, it should be the one named Default, and the bookmarks file is a JSON file simply named Bookmarks with no extension.
So the whole path to the file is
~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave Browser/Default/Bookmarks.
Here’s what mine looks like:

So I’d better bow out and leave the sleuthing to those with superior powers. Best of luck.

1 Like

I looked in my library and there is no Browser folder in Application Support :frowning:

@hnktong I sooo appreciate your attempt to help me! I feel somewhat better as I was feeling like I didn’t exist out here… Now I just hope my bookmarks still exist somewhere… worse case scenario bookmarks from about 2 months ago are in a backup… but I lost the most critical work over the last few weeks so I am praying there is still a way to recover my most recent bookmarks. Good luck to you too!

@Summer, you’re very welcome. I do think one reason that @Mattches added your thread here is that with many eyes on this one you were more likely to get something and the same solution might help the OP here and you.

With regard to the screenshot you posted and the presence of BraveSoftware folder, it looks like that shot is of your root Library folder, not the one in your home directory. In other words, what you posted was /Library/Application Support, but the folder we’re looking folder is in ~/Library/Application Support, and I think the confusion is that the tilde ("~") represents the path to your home directory (/Users/[YourUserName]). Easiest way to get to it is, if 10.13 has it, Finder’s Go menu --> Home:
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YES!!! OMG… OVERJOYED!!!

It seems i do still have files in that folder… ahhh… I’m so giddy right now I can nearly kiss my computer screen.

Thank you @hnktong - Is it certain that my bookmarks are in here then??

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I am very happy that @Mattches put me in here because doing that led me to you! I just didn’t know if s/He realized I’m not on catalina yet and I would hope not to confuse others.

That said… do you know how I can retrieve my bookmarks? Export them in an HTML file? I’d so appreciate that!

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Glad that the folder is present. That is, your profile folder should be the one named Default, and I’d make a copy of the whole Default folder (drag to your Documents, maybe?) before doing anything else. Maybe two in different locations, just in case, if you have the room.

Once that’s done, see if the file Bookmarks is in there. If so, that’s the gold. Do a Get Info on it to see when it was created/modified and how big it is. The dates will give you an idea of whether it has what you want. To get it usable/readable isn’t too hard, especially if you have Chrome or another Chromium-based browser installed that is working okay. You can just replace the target browser’s bookmarks with the file from your Brave Default profile folder. If you have bookmarks you value in the target browser, then I’d create a new profile in that browser so you don’t lose the ones you want to save or download another browser as the target.

Example using Chrome:

  • This will erase Chrome’s bookmarks unless you create a new profile (see below for instructions on how to do that)

If you’ve not saved any bookmarks in Chrome, just have one Finder window with your Brave Default profile folder open (sorry for missing hyphens before)
~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/
and another open to the Chrome Default profile folder
~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/
and drag the Bookmarks file into the Chrome/Default profile folder, telling Finder to replace the Chrome profile’s existing file, if any.

Creating a New Chrome Profile:

If you have bookmarks you want to preserve in Chrome, then we create a new profile from within Chrome first using the little icon in the upper right corner next to the Chrome menu (that’s the stack of three dots). Click the grey person outline, not the dots, and pull down to + Add


then in the subsequent window, name the new profile, select an icon for it, and click Add.

You should get a new Chrome window on top of the existing one, each representing one of the two profiles. Quit Chrome (probably have to hold Cmd-Q) and go to
~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/
and find the new profile folder, which should be called Profile 1
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Copy your Brave/Default/Bookmarks file into Chrome/Profile 1, open Chrome, and you should be able to see what’s in the “imported” Brave bookmarks file. You can switch between profiles using the same menu you used to get to add the new profile.

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