I had to re-install Brave, now a bookmark folder has lost its contents

I had to re-install Brave, now a bookmark folder has lost its contents

Hi. The same happened to me but it was not because I re-installed Brave but because I had to remove cookies. I asked for help but now I cannot find my question.

Yes I had to do that also very not good situation I had dozens of bookmarks there impossible to remember all of them.
Brave is no longer my default or preferred browser.

First off, reinstalling is never suggested. If you haven’t found it already, please try to read my FAQ that Brave pinned at -Retired- PSA: User FAQ - Support & Answers

Now, you mention bookmark folder losing it’s contents. If you reinstalled, that means it erased everything you had. The only way you’d have your information is if it was synced with another device or you at least had created a Sync chain and saved the code JUST IN CASE things happened. Without syncing, there would be no backup for your bookmarks. You might have been able to do a system restore to a point prior where your bookmarks might have been saved.

Your question still remains, though no response. It’s at Youtube personal library

I had been away from Brave Community a while and so not been checking on things. I’m guessing overall yours just got overlooked by people. Plus, if I’m going to be blunt, the way you phrased things is very confusing. Anyway, I’ll try to go respond over there a bit.

Indeed it is recommended syncing the bookmarks via sync chain. Keep the passphrase securely.
I never have a problem with this.

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@wayan

You said, ‘a bookmarks folder’ . . . notthe bookmarks folder’.

If one or more Bookmarks sub-folders suddenly are missing, that is usually because something has corrupted the Bookmarks [JSON] file.

Or, an imported (example filename:) bookmarks_5_20_22.html file has been corrupted. (If you exported your Bookmarks on May 20, 2022, then the resulting HTML file will likely have that filename.)

The ‘corruption’ may be just a single character - missing from a particular place that affects the structure of all, or most of, the bookmarks listed in the file after the occurence of the missing character. (PS. I recently went thru that experience; ‘Where? Are the rest of them?!’ I wondered. I spent hours finding the single character that was missing from where it was needed, in the file.)

I often recommend that users routinely back up their Bookmarks manually, using the Export function in the Bookmarks Manager.

I also recommend routine backups of the BraveSoftware folder:

Linux OS:

  • /home/$USER/.config/BraveSoftware/

Mac OS:

  • $HOME/Library/Application\ Support/BraveSoftware/

Windows OS:

  • %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\

I would also make a compressed version of the BraveSoftware folder, and be sure that is copied to some external, attached drive. Recommend WinZip or 7-Zip.

In general, I have found GoodSync to be a good backup application.

From what I find among Brave Community members’ reports, the odds are, that you are likely to recover / restore Bookmarks IF you have backed up your Bookmarks.

On the other hand, Username - Password (“U-and-P”) combinations are tricky. Because the Passwords are encrypted, and their encryption depends upon a keychain or keyring aboard your Operating System. A new installation or re-installation may upset the important key / digital certificate within the keychain / keyring, that is associated with encrypted items within your BraveSoftware folder.

If you lose the keychain or keyring of that U-and-P association, the odds weigh against your figuring out what those passwords, were. (That is why I recommend a Password Manager such as 1Password, or others, as a Password backup plan.)

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