Web browser bookmarks backup and restore

It's a good question. Let me explain few scenarios where storing the bookmark is really handy and saves lot of your time.

Case 1:
When you start using different web browser, you will not have those old bookmarks

Case 2:
When you re-install the Operating system of your computer, you will lose all your old bookmarks.

Case 3:
When you start using different computers, Bookmarks stored in one computer will not be used in other computer.

First solution is to use online bookmarking websites to store all your bookmarks. But it is not easy as using bookmarks from web browser. You need to have separate user id and password and also you need to visit that bookmarking site every time you want to retrieve a bookmark.

But best solution would be using the backup/restore or export/import option from web browsers. It is very easy, less time consuming, don't need to remember any login details and you don't have to be an expert in computer.

Few browsers will have both backup/restore and export/import options. Example is Mozilla Firefox. Some browsers will have only export/import option. Example is Google Chrome.

When you use backup option, a backup file will be created and the same can be used for restoring.

When you use the export option, all the bookmarks will be exported in the HTML file and that can be used for importing. Exported HTML file can be used across almost all the browsers for simple importing. But backup file created by a particular web browser, can only be used in that particular browser while restoring.

Backup :
1. Open the Mozilla web browser by double clicking the Mozilla icon
2. In the Mozilla web browser, select "Bookmarks" from menu.
3. New window called "Library" will be displayed now. Select the "Import and Backup -> Backup" from that Library window,
4. Enter the file name and select the location to store the backup file with ".json" extension.
5. Press "Save" button. File will be saved as "Bookmarks TODAY'S DATE.json"(eg:-Bookmarks 2011-05-01.json)

You have successfully taken the backup of the Bookmarks from Firefox.

Restore:
1. Open the Mozilla web browser by double clicking the Mozilla icon
2. In the Mozilla web browser, select "Bookmarks" from menu.
3. New window called "Library" will be displayed now. Select the "Import and Backup -> Restore" from that Library window,
4. You can select the backup file from list or select "Choose File".
5. "This will replace all of your current bookmarks with the backup. Are you sure?" message will be displayed. Select "OK".

You have successfully restored the bookmarks in Firefox Browser.

Note: I am using Firefox 4 version . But the above procedure will work in previous versions too.

Export:
1. Open the Mozilla web browser by double clicking the Mozilla icon
2. In the Mozilla web browser, select "Bookmarks" from menu.
3. New window called "Library" will be displayed now. Select the "Import and Backup -> Export HTML" from that Library window,
4. Enter the file name and location to store the exported file with ".html" extension.
5. Press "Save" button. By default File will be saved as "bookmarks.html"

You have successfully exported the bookmarks from Firefox.

Import:
1. Open the Mozilla web browser by double clicking the Mozilla icon
2. In the Mozilla web browser, select "Bookmarks" from menu.
3. New window called "Library" will be displayed now. Select the "Import and Backup -> Import HTML" from that Library window,
4. You can now directly import bookmarks from Internet explorer and Opera browser by selecting the option.
5. If you want to import from a file, Select "From an HTML file" option and press "Next"
6. Select the file and press "Open"

You have successfully imported the bookmarks into Firefox.