Can't restore bookmarks

[apel69]

I moved from an S3 to my S4 and have been able to get everything set back up except my bookmarks. I had previously used Super Backup: SMS & Contacts without problems. I used this for call logs, sms and calendar. I used it once for bookmarks but it doesn't preserve the folder structure or order so I started using TB to restore internet data. I can't use TB to do this now because the internet version has changed and I don't want to mess anything up since it is a system app. Using this app I have been able to restore call logs, sms and calendar successfully so I tried it with my bookmarks. It had a physical counter running as it restored but there were no bookmarks in the browser. I thought maybe it was an android version issue so I created a new bookmark and did a backup and restore with no success. I then tried it with four other backup apps with no success. I then restored my original backup to my wifes S3 and did a backup with these four new apps, transferred the data to my phone and tried a restore with no success. I also tried a backup with the original backup app on my phone and noticed it was creating a backup one larger than what it had originally 'restored' so the information appears to be there but isn't visible.

I am at a loss as to what is going on. I am using the default samsung browser and noticed the text in the headers in the bookmark page are different so maybe this has something to do with a cross phone restore but a backup and restore should at least work on the same phone. I also looked at chrome which is a default install and there was no bookmark data there either.

The only other idea is to remove my browser with TB and restore the previous 4.1.2 browser from my S3 but I think that's asking for trouble.

Sorry for the long post but I try to be thorough in troubleshooting and explaining.

 

[CaptainBroflovski]

You know, it would have been tons easier to just use Chrome. Anyway, it would make sense why this was happening. It's kinda hard to explain, but it happens with most system apps. I remember trying to restore texts using titanium backup from one aosp rom to a different one. They had the same texting apps, except they weren't. They were made for the specific rom's system. This is why you can't restore it, it's essentially a different app. It was made for the latest touchwiz, so it won't work with old data from the s3. There, I hope that makes sense. I would use Chrome from now on, and re-add the bookmarks. Maybe chrome has a bookmark import on android in the app, but I can't remember because I've only used chrome and nothing else.

Posted by The Android Central app

 

[apel69]

Yeah I know but I don't like chrome. GASP! I've read that it does have an import/export option which apparently makes too much sense for Samsung to add to their browser even though they have one for contacts. I kinda figured it was either an android version issue or app version issue. That's why I also tested with only S4 backups which didn't work. That's the part that doesn't make sense unless all five apps I tested with are partially or totally incompatible.

 

[CaptainBroflovski]

Yeah I know but I don't like chrome. GASP! I've read that it does have an import/export option which apparently makes too much sense for Samsung to add to their browser even though they have one for contacts. I kinda figured it was either an android version issue or app version issue. That's why I also tested with only S4 backups which didn't work. That's the part that doesn't make sense unless all five apps I tested with are partially or totally incompatible.

Yeah, that doesn't make much sense at all. Maybe it's a specific touchwiz issue?

Posted by The Android Central app

 

[Darnell0216]

For future reference, TB keeps personalized data in different colored selections that are green and yellow. These are the items you should back up for cross phone/ROM compatibility. These options include Bluetooth, Bookmarks, Call Log, APN settings, SMS/MMS messages, Wi-Fi spots and more. I've done it this way across 3 phones and even more factory resets.

 

[apel69]

My original method was to use TB but it didn't work. I used it before to move these elements and apps from my S to S3 and now my S4. Everything has transferred perfectly except my bookmarks.

It is like the new internet version doesn't use the same location as my S3 to store files. They are there but they can't be seen.

Would the previous version from 4.1.2 run on an S4?

 

[Darnell0216]

My original method was to use TB but it didn't work. I used it before to move these elements and apps from my S to S3 and now my S4. Everything has transferred perfectly except my bookmarks.

It is like the new internet version doesn't use the same location as my S3 to store files. They are there but they can't be seen.

Would the previous version from 4.1.2 run on an S4?

Seems you're right. The usual "Bookmarks (stock browser)" option that saves your bookmarks to a universal XML file is incompatible with the S4 after trying it myself. I guess with Chrome taking over and auto-syncing bookmarks as well as other browsers being used for flash, no one has made it a point to ask TB to find a fix to the stock browser (or they can't). You cannot restore the system app Internet from your S3 to your S4, but there's no way of knowing how the data will translate. I try to avoid restoring system data but try backing up the current data before restoring your S3's. If it doesn't work, you can always restore the S4's data. Make sure to choose data only and it may require a reboot.

EDIT: Apparently messing with the stock browser bookmarks XML option has deleted ALL my Chrome bookmarks. Restoring the data didn't fix the problem either. I'm now surfing blind :'(

 

[apel69]

Well that sucks. Didn't intend to have things go south for you.

Restoring with "Bookmarks (stock browser)" didn't work very often so I always restored the "Internet 4.1.2" data on my S3. It worked every time with no issues and preserved the folder structure and order. I decided to see how this works under 4.2.2 and it has mixed results. I created a new bookmark and then did a TB backup of "Internet 1.0", deleted the bookmark and restored the data via TB. It worked on the first test although it took a lot longer than it should have. The next two tests also worked except the TB process never completed. I had to do a force quit and finally restart to kill the restore process but the bookmark was restored. Given that you could try restoring your chrome data via TB if you don't have it backed otherwise. It should work but it seems like 4.2.2 isn't playing as nice as 4.1.2 did. I've come across a number of small things that just don't work the way they should.

I'll try restoring the S3 data later tonight as I will have to pull the S3 TB backup from my computer.

 

[Darnell0216]

I made out luckier than I expected. During the original cross breeding between Chrome Desktop and Chrome Android, bookmarks synced in a separate folder, albeit unsorted. It's only visible on the desktop via Bookmark Manager. I was able to recover from that.

And yes, you're correct about the process taking long or stalling out completely, but it does go through. It happens every so often with some apps in TB but I'm not sure what causes it.

 

[apel69]

That's great to hear.

I tried restoring the data from my S3's "Internet 4.1.2" and it didn't work but at least it didn't break anything. I took a look at Kies and it doesn't support bookmarks. I also looked at using google sync but it appears the "sync internet" option was taken out in the S4. I stumbled across this review on the S4 at techradar talking a bit about this issue. Me thinks someone wants me to use chrome instead. I'm a stubborn SOB so I will keep plugging away at it although odds are I will just have to setup all my bookmarks from scratch.

Thanks for your help and time on this.

 

[apel69]

Realism has won out over stubborness. So I moved on and started looking for a new browser and after testing about half a dozen I landed on Next Browser for now. I have some reservations about the group but their browser has a lot of functionality similar to the default browser. I even managed to import my bookmarks. Here's my Rube Goldberg process to accomplish it.

1) Borrowed my wifes S3, backed up her bookmarks, deleted them and restored my last backup.
2) Downloaded Bookmarks Sort & Backup from Google Play and backed up the newly restored bookmarks with it. I chose this because it is the only one that exports as html which browsers need as an import file.
3) Transferred backup file to my computer and imported into Firefox. IE works as well. I backed up my browser bookmarks first for an easy restore. I also took the time here to organize the imported bookmarks into folders like I had them before.
4) Use Chrome to import bookmarks from Firefox or IE.
5) Sync desktop Chrome to mobile Chrome on my S4 by signing both into google.
6) Import bookmarks into Next Browser from Chrome.
7) Complete. Bookmarks imported in order and in the folders from when I organized in Firefox. Now I have my bookmarks in a third party app and can easily use TB to back it up with no worries and don't have to deal with this crap anymore.

I know some would say it would have been easier to just use Chrome but I don't like it. I hope this helps someone who liked the old default android browser. May it rest in pieces.

 

[emberlyn]

Lost bookmarks when signing up for Google account