I clicked on something normal, and clicked again. My Untitled Bookmarks folder disappeared with all the bookmarks I had in it. I still had my Favorites on the top of my Mac.


I had to start all over as if I'd just got the Mac to get back in at all, but I did.

I re-did a bunch of the bookmarks, adding them to my Favorites which are out of sight.

Never happened before, and wonder if any Mac folks know if I can recover those lost bookmarks.

Not the end of the world if I can't, but would be nice to get them back. Looking at my history shows nothing but the individual sites I have been on for the last few days.

If I could get an Untitled Bookmarks again, I oculd fill it with the many sites I lost and hopefully can find again. Would be more convenient if I could have them on the Untitled page rather than in the Favorites part that is more inconvenient to use.

I don't speak much computer, and appreciate you reading this.

Bob

Never had this happen, but I believe you can sometimes recover bookmarks using Time Machine or iCloud backup if it's activated.

Is this in the Finder, or a browser? In Safari, there is a Hide Bookmarks option in the Bookmarks menu. If another browser, please name it.

There doesn't appear to be anything called Bookmarks in Finder, or macOS/Sonoma itself. Most things can be hidden/revealed with a few clicks or key strokes. Please be more specific about what you are referring to.

kkina, time machine never set up, doesn't look like anything set up for icloud backup.

Architect, I got no idea what you said. It's a desktop, turn it on, open the internet, bookmarks show up at the top, and untitled folder is available for more bookmarks. That is what disappeared. Finder-what and where is that?

Finder is the small icon where the applications are-never realized it had a name.

Thanks,

Bob

I use my computer to view the internet, answer but rarely initiate emails and to read my Bible. I teach an adult Sunday School Class and have a lot of commentaries bookmarked which I was able to recall by name and find them.the other stuff-just gone.

Edit, it is in Safari.

OK, let's get really basic:

> turn it on, open the internet

I will assume that the system is configured to automatically login as you upon boot (goes straight to a GUI desktop display rather than a login panel).

What, exactly, does "open the internet" mean? Assuming you are launching a web browser, or it is configured to auto-launch upon startup, which one? The name will be a word right next to the apple in the top left corner of the desktop display. This word is the name of the application that controls the display (or a window), the keyboard and the mouse.

> bookmarks show up at the top

Is this in the thin strip that has the apple logo at the left and the time at the right, or a strip within a browser window? The former is called the "menu bar" and is controlled/configured in System Preferences. There is a toggle to hide/show this strip. If it is in the browser window, it is called the "Bookmarks Bar" and is configured within the browser itself. It is imperative we know which browser you are using to help in this regard. Safari is the web browser shipped with macOS, but most of them use the same Bookmarks style.

The Finder is the macOS file manager, comparable to Windows Explorer on Microsoft OS's. When you are in Finder you will see that word on the top left of the display, just as with any other application. It is also the left-most item in the Dock (the Application launcher at the bottom of the display).

OK, I see your edit, we'll talk about Safari.

Too simple to be the answer, but Safari has a Bookmarks menu shown in the macOS menu bar when it is running and there is a Show/Hide Bookmarks item in that menu. Show will open a Bookmarks panel to the left of the main window. What is being shown in this panel? There is also an "Edit Bookmarks" item that might reveal more items of interest. Finally, are you able to "Add Bookmarks Folder" with the default name "untitled folder"? I suspect you did this at one point and that was what was lost. Do it again, and the contents might magically reappear (unlikely), or the former contents saved to somewhere else where we can copy them back to their rightful location. If you already tried this, do not try it a second time.

Finally, there is a browser add-on name "Bookmarks Organizer" that claims to be able to recover old bookmarks. This add-on is for Firefox, not Safari. Most non-Apple browsers will automatically import Safari bookmarks upon installation. I wouldn't try this just yet, but another option to explore.

But, before you do anything, back up your system to two different destinations. Any of the recovery options have the potential to wipe out or overwrite your old data making it unrecoverable.

One more thing, you may be able to find the sites you want to re-bookmark in your History.

One more thing...if you have an iPhone or iPad, and it is sync'd to your desktop machine, look on the other device before you give up, the "disappearance" may not have sync'd yet.

Thanks, Architect.

I was able, after reading your reply, to get back the Untitled folder (empty) so, at the worst, I can just open each of the current ones I added to my favorites and add the to the Untitled.

Sadly the devices have synced and now have only the new stuff I added. With your info I can more or less get my desktop back to what it was. Sorry I'm so ignorant as to computers. When I was working we had a whole roomful of word processors and our secretaries did all the computer work for us. We had computers, but most of us used them for scheduling or searching for someone's background or checking caselaw. I could type pretty well (not now as the arthritis has messed my fingers up) so I did some of my own.

Thank you again,

Bob

Bob

If you have Apple Care they may be able to help with this problem. With your permission they can mirror your screen and guide you step by step to a solution.

NO, Mark, I don't have that. I got this one in early 2019. so it is now "old." I like it 'cause it has a biiiig screen and even I can read it.

I think I now have it back almost where it was when I did whatever idiotic thing I must have done. I will try not to repeat.

Bob

quote:

Sadly the devices have synced and now have only the new stuff I added.

Doesn’t that mean that your stuff is in the cloud? How else could they sync?

This doesn’t replace the importance of having a system backup but I wanted to add, once you get your bookmarks back to a place where you want them, even if you redo them from scratch, you can always make a backup of them by opening Safari and choose File > Export > Bookmarks. This will make a back up of your bookmarks as an .html file. You can then email it to yourself, or copy to an external source like a thumb drive. You can then import that file to different browsers should you need to.

If you keep adding to the list, just export a new file to replace the old one every once in a while so it’s updated with new links.

Thanks-we had another crisis last evening, spent about 6 hours trying to log in. Kept taking me in circles back to log in again.

We were ready to get out the drill (that's how I destroy old computers) and go buy an AnythingbutaMac computer today, but, finally, it got squared away.

The only thing left is that every time I walk away and the screensaver pops up, I gotta log in again. I never had a password on the thing before, just sit down, click the mouse and go.

Maybe someone knows how to get rid of the password garbage.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by straightshooter1:
Thanks-we had another crisis last evening, spent about 6 hours trying to log in. Kept taking me in circles back to log in again.

We were ready to get out the drill (that's how I destroy old computers) and go buy an AnythingbutaMac computer today, but, finally, it got squared away.

The only thing left is that every time I walk away and the screensaver pops up, I gotta log in again. I never had a password on the thing before, just sit down, click the mouse and go.

Maybe someone knows how to get rid of the password garbage.

Bob

Apple's security measures are far from garbage. This is how you are protected from someone stealing your computer, and using this access to steal your money, your honor, and your life.

In answer to your final question, although not phrased as a question, Apple -> System Settings... -> Lock Screen will give you several options for how the lock screen behaves.

But, really???!?!??!?!?!!!!!?!?!? Typing a password is too onerous? I guess you must leave the keys to your car in the ignition, and never lock your front door. Neither of these options could be more harmful than someone gaining access to your computer (and thus to your identity). Not quite as irresponsible as leaving a loaded firearm on the roof of your car when you go in to buy your groceries, but almost.

Sorry to be judgemental, but not being serious about security has led to the sorry situation we are in with distributed systems. As much as right-thinking people wish that everyone were honest and trustworthy, anyone with half a brain knows it isn't so.

Thanks Architect.