Foxmarks: Frequently Asked Questions
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This page answers some frequently asked questions. If you don't find the answer to what you're looking for, add it to this page or email your query to us.
Did you have problems with the Foxmarks version 2 upgrade? Check out the related Foxmarks: Foxmarks Version 2 Upgrade FAQ
Download, Install, Uninstall Questions
Download
When I try to download, I get a message saying that Foxmarks isn't compatible. What should I do?
First, make sure that you are in fact running a compatible version of Firefox (currently 1.5 though 2). You can check the version of Firefox you're running on the About menu (on Windows, in the Help menu; on Mac, on the Apple menu). If you aren't running a compatible version, upgrade Firefox by going here.
If you're running a compatible version of Firefox but Firefox still complains about version incompatibility, perform the following steps:
- In the address bar type "about:config".
- In the filter box type "version".
- If you see an entry that says "app.extensions.version", reset it by right-clicking on that entry and then select the "Reset" option.
After making these changes, try to install again.
(via Flashblock)
When I try to download, I get a message saying "Download Error." What should I do?
There are two possible causes for this problem stemming from your Firefox configuration. Check the following:
- Make sure that your cache size is greater than 0. In Firefox, go to Tools / Options / Privacy / Cache and make sure that the cache size is larger than zero.
- Make sure your cache is enabled. Perform the following steps:
- In the URL (address) bar type the following without the quotes: "about:config"
- In the filter box type "browser.cache".
- In the filtered list you should see an entry called: "browser.cache.disk.enable".Double-clicking on this option will toggle it between true and false. Make sure that it is set to "true".
(via Flashblock)
When I try to download, I get a message saying "Software installation is disabled." What should I do?
This is caused by a problem with the way you have configured Firefox. Please see the Mozillazine Knowledge Base for instructions on how to fix your configuration.
When I try to download, I get a message saying "Invalid file hash (possible download corruption)." What should I do?
There is a bug that occasionally causes this problem when downloading extensions from the Firefox Add-ons site. Restarting Firefox and re-downloading the extension generally appears to fix the problem.
Install, Setup
Where do I create my account?
If you intend to use the Foxmarks Server (the only configuration that we support), the setup wizard (which launches automatically after installation) will guide you through the account setup process, which you'll do exactly once.
If you're using some other server, speak to that server's administrator about setting up an account to use.
I created an account, but the Setup Wizard can't find it. What happened?
The only way to create an account for use with Foxmarks is by using the Setup Wizard. If you created an account some other way (e.g., by creating a Wiki Account), you have unfortunately gone down the wrong path. Use the Setup Wizard to create an account and the rest should go easily.
If you don't know how to restart the Setup Wizard, look here.
How do I restart the Setup Wizard?
The Setup Wizard runs automatically exactly once, and otherwise stays out of the way to avoid bothering you. If you need to start the Setup Wizard again, do the following:
- From the Firefox Tools menu , click Foxmarks..., select the Settings... option, then click the Run Setup Wizard button.
Installing won't work, I get an error message!
Sometimes the files the Firefox web browser uses to store extension records can become corrupted; follow the instructions found here, and you should be able to install Foxmarks afterward.
Also, on one verified occasion an OS X user encountered the following error in the Firefox Error Console while trying to install the Foxmarks extension:
Error: [Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520008 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ALREADY_EXISTS) [nsILocalFile.create]" nsresult: "0x80520008 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ALREADY_EXISTS)" location: "JS frame :: file:///Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/components/nsExtensionManager.js :: openSafeFileOutputStream :: line 556" data: no] Source File: file:///Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/components/nsExtensionManager.js Line: 556
In this case, creating an entirely new profile fixed things up. For more information on the Firefox Profile Manager and how to create new profiles, check out this link
Does Foxmarks work on portable versions of Firefox?
We've had several reports of the Foxmarks extension working well with USB and other portable versions of the Firefox browser. So: Yes!
Uninstall
How do I uninstall Foxmarks from my PC?
Foxmarks can be uninstalled like any other Firefox extension. See this page for step-by-step instructions.
How do I delete my Foxmarks account?
To delete your synchronization account, go to http://www.foxmarks.com/, click on My Account, provide your username and password to log in, and then click Delete acount.... Follow the instructions to delete your account.
Note that this process is irreversible. After deleting your account, you will also likely want to uninstall Foxmarks from your computer.
Account & Password Issues
I forgot my password. What do I do?
If you've forgotten your password, follow these steps:
- Go to http://www.foxmarks.com/ and click the link that says Manage my Account.
- Click on the link that says "Forgot your password?"
- Follow the instruction provided to change your password.
Alternatively, if your browser is still synchronizing successfully with the Foxmarks server, you can recover your password directly from Firefox:
- In Firefox, go to the Tools menu, and click "Options..." . On a Mac, go to the Firefox menu, and click "Preferences...". On Linux, go to the "Edit" menu, and click "Preferences..."
- Select "Security" from the list of tabs along the top of the Options dialog.
- Click on the button labeled "Show Passwords..." midway down the screen. ("Saved passwords" in Firefox 3.)
- In the "Remember Passwords" dialog that opens, scroll down until you find an entry labeled "sync.foxmarks.com".
- Click "Show passwords..." and then click "Yes" to confirm that you want to see your passwords.
- You should now be able to see your password adjacent to the label "sync.foxmarks.com". Close all open dialogs.
I'm having trouble logging into my.foxmarks.com! What should I do?
Please note the following if you are having difficulties logging in:
- Make sure you're logging in at the right place: http://my.foxmarks.com/.
- Be sure that you have used the Setup Wizard to create your account. Some people are creating a wiki account on our website, but that account is independent of your synchronization account, and most people don't need a wiki account. If you haven't used the Setup Wizard to create yourself a synchronization account, see the FAQ item on this page regarding restarting the Setup Wizard.
- Usernames and passwords are case sensitive -- this means that MyPassword is different from mypassword. Use the same case for both username and passwords that you used when you created your account.
I keep receiving a message saying that my "Username and password appear to be invalid." How do I fix this?
For Foxmarks to work, you need to have created a synchronization account on our server, and Foxmarks needs to know your username and password so it can access that account. If you don't have an account, or you haven't provided to Foxmarks the correct username and password, you'll see this error message ("Username and password appear to be invalid") every time that Foxmarks tries to sync.
If you have never created an account, run the Setup Wizard to have it create an account for you. Once you've completed this process, you should be set.
If you have created an account, make sure that the username and password provided to Foxmarks are both correct. Open the Foxmarks Settings Dialog (Tools -> Foxmarks -> Settings...), correct any errors you see in the username and password fields, and press Synchronize Now to verify that all is well. If sync succeeds, you are set.
If this still does not work, you may be misremembering your username or password. To verify your account info, go to http://www.foxmarks.com/, and click on "My Account". Use your username and password to log in. If you can log in successfully, go back to the previous step and make sure you're set the same username and password in the Foxmarks Control Panel that you just used to log in on the web.
If you cannot login on the web, click on the "forgot" link. Follow the instructions there to either recover your password or receive a temporary login credential via email. Try correcting your username and password in the Foxmarks Settings Dialog (as described in the preceding paragraph) and then try to sync again. If it succeeds, you are set.
If you find that Firefox doesn't remember your password between sessions, please see this section.
This can also happen if you have your browser configured not to remember any passwords. If you really want to keep that setting while continuing to use Foxmarks, click the 'Ok' button until you get rid of the alerts, then type your username and password, and click 'Synchronize now'
Running Firefox under Linux? There's a case pointed out by a Foxmarks user where, if you're running Firefox under Linux, the file signons2.txt needs to be writeable by your user account in order for the password data to be properly updated for Firefox access.
Have you installed Sticky Password under Windows? Unfortunately, Sticky Password doesn't seem to play nicely with the Foxmarks add-on; presently the only option seems to be to disable Sticky Password.
If none of these works for you, please contact us for further assistance.
The link you sent me when I requested a temporary login didn't work. Why not?
If you've forgotten your username and/or password and used the form we provide to have us send you a temporary login link, you should note that that link expires 30 minutes after we send it to you. If you allow more than 30 minutes to elapse before using the link, you'll find that clicking on it displays the message "Access Timed Out" at the top of the screen and returns you to the "Recover Password" page. Request another temporary login, and use the link provided within 30 minutes to access your account.
How do I change my account information?
Go to http://www.foxmarks.com/ and click on Manage My Account. After logging in, you'll be directed to a page that will allow you to edit your account information. If you use this page to change your password, make sure that you change it within Foxmarks, too. (Go to Tools / Foxmarks... to edit your Foxmarks password.)
Note that you can't change your username once it's created. If need be, you can delete your account; then you can create a new one with the new name.
Foxmarks keeps forgetting my password. Why?
Foxmarks uses Firefox's password manager to store your password. For this to work smoothly, you have to allow Firefox to store your password, which you can do by navigating to Tools -> Options -> Privacy -> Private Data -> Settings and then unchecking Saved Passwords.
Additionally, we've had a report of turning on the "Always clear my private data" setting causing the password to be "forgotten", so you might look into that (in the same menu tree).
How do I change my password?
If you'd like to change your password, follow these steps:
- Go to http://www.foxmarks.com/ and click on "Manage my Account"
- Log in using your current username and password
- You will immediately be taken to page that allows you to update your account information. Change your password here.
- Follow instructions provided for updating the password in your Firefox extensions as necessary.
What is Master Password for the Software Security Device?
This is a feature of Firefox, not Foxmarks. Firefox allows you to set a master password to protect all of your web passwords, including your password for your Foxmarks account. If you've enabled Firefox's Master Password, Firefox will ask you to supply this password in each Firefox session the first time that Foxmarks tries to sync. If you don't need to protect access to your passwords, disable the Master Password by going to Tools / Options / Security / Passwords in Firefox and click to remove the check-mark in the box "Use a master password." If you need to keep your passwords secure (because, for instance, other people have physical access to your computer), you might consider disabling Foxmarks' automatic synchronization by going to Tools / Foxmarks / Settings (or if you are still running version 1.0.1 of Foxmarks, Bookmarks / Foxmarks...) and unchecking the checkbox.
If you have forgotten your Master Password, you can do the following to reset it (which will also cause you to lose your stored passwords, but those were inaccessible to you without the the Master Password anyway):
Enter "chrome://pippki/content/resetpassword.xul" in the location bar and click on "Reset"
my.foxmarks.com
The my.foxmarks.com page is blank for me!
This can happen if you have javascript disabled in your web browser, or have another javascript blocking extension installed. For example, "Ad Muncher" is known to break the my.foxmarks.com display. Try enabling javascript or disabling other browser extensions to get this to work.
There's also been a report of Norton Ad Blocker causing this behavior--to fix under that case, you have to add my.foxmarks.com to Norton Ad Blocker's permitted sites, then add the path "/".
Miscellaneous Questions
Foxmarks: Error: Forbidden
See Foxmarks: Error: Forbidden for details.
Foxmarks: Error: Failed to parse sync file
See Foxmarks: Error: Failed to parse sync file
Foxmarks icon has disappeared!
You can turn the Foxmarks status icon back on by going to Tools > Foxmarks > Show Status Icon.
Why do I get a "certificate error" whenever I sync?
The reason this happens is that Foxmarks used to require you to talk to sync.foxcloud.com for HTTPS, while our HTTPS certificate is now set for sync.foxmarks.com. If you had previously manually enabled HTTPS and updated the server to sync.foxcloud.com, you'll get this warning message. These two domains actually refer to the same server, but HTTPS is particularly finicky and it complains about the mismatch between the specified domain and the certificate.
Previously, to use HTTPS you had to manually switch over to sync.foxcloud.com, but now either HTTP or HTTPS should work fine with just sync.foxmarks.com. If you're getting the certificate error, you can change the server name (on the "Other" tab in the Foxmarks Options Window) to sync.foxmarks.com, and you should no longer receive the error.
Is encryption supported?
The synchronizer support three levels of encryption which can be set from the Firefox menu Tools / Firefox / Settings... / Advanced, Security.
The options are:
- No Encryption - send username/password and all bookmark data in the clear.
- Password Only - encrypt username/password but not the bookmark data.
- Encrypt All - encrypt both username/password and all bookmark data.
If you are behind a firewall or proxy which blocks https traffic, then you will need to pick option 1.
Help! Something strange happened to my bookmarks. What do I do?
If you believe you have discovered a bug, please let us know! Follow the instructions here to add your bug to our list so we can fix it. Or you could send mail to mailto:support@foxmarks.com.
Lost bookmarks
More information at Foxmarks: Disappearing Bookmarks
When I use Foxmarks, I see an empty dialog that says "Status" and shows a "?". What should I do?
This can happen if Foxmarks has been incompletely installed, a problem that we've seen occasionally on Mac OSX. We don't yet know what causes the problem, but it can usually be fixed by uninstalling Foxmarks and re-installing it.
Is there a way to see my account details at all times?
I'm not sure what you're asking here, but my guess is: "No, unless you just write them down on a piece of paper that you tape to your computer monitor." But we don't recommend doing that. If I'm misunderstanding your question, please provide further details!
Is Foxmarks Compatible with Firefox 3?
Yes!
How do I sort my bookmarks alphabetically?
You can do that in Firefox. Open Firefox's Bookmark Manager (Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks) and find the folder or container in the left-hand pane that contains the bookmarks you wish to sort. Right-click on that folder or container and select "Sort By Name." Voila!
Note that this is different from clicking the "Name" column header in the Bookmark Manager. This effects the way that bookmarks are sorted only within the bookmark manager and only for this session. If you want your ordering to persist, use the technique described above.
I installed Tor Button and now I can't sync. Why?
Tor Button is not currently compatible with Foxmarks. Please see this bug report for more current information. Until it is fixed, you will have to uninstall Tor Button in order for Foxmarks to operate properly.
What is this "Unsorted" bookmarks folder?
The "Unsorted" bookmarks folder is a new feature in Firefox 3, and is not a feature of Foxmarks. It's related to the star icon that you see in your address bar. When you click that star icon once, the page that you are currently on gets bookmarked and placed in the "Unsorted" bookmarks folder. You can learn more about this folder and using the star icon here.
Hey, you clobbered my favorite keyboard shortcut! Can I change it?
By default, Ctrl-Shift-F will open the Foxmarks settings dialog, and Ctrl-Shift-S will force Foxmarks to sync with the server (a.k.a. "Sync Now"). If you'd like to change the letter used for these shortcuts, you can do so with a small amount of gymnastics.
Visit your configuration settings by typing 'about:config' into the Firefox location bar. Enter 'foxmarks.shortcut' into the filter field, and you should see the two shortcuts listed. You can change any config value by selecting the entry, right-clicking, then choosing the "Modify" command from the menu--you may need to restart your browser for the change to take effect. Note that this functionality is available starting in Foxmarks v2.1.0.10, which is currently available only to users who are using the Foxmarks Sync Profiles beta. You can go here to join.
Can I view my bookmarks when I'm not at my own computer?
Yes! If you're traveling or otherwise away from your normal computers, just visit http://my.foxmarks.com/ and enter your username and password for your account. After logging in, you'll be able to access your bookmarks much like you can from your own computer.
There are many cool features in My Foxmarks that you might want to use even when you're on your own computer:
- organize your bookmarks, since you can see them all at once and in one easy to use display
- add or delete bookmarks
- edit descriptions, tags, titles, etc via the Details dialog
- search for a particular bookmark in your collection using the Search dialog (it searches titles, URLs, descriptions, and tags)
- view all your bookmarks in a flat list sorted any way you like via Grid View
- import your public del.icio.us bookmarks, or public bookmarks from other del.icio.us accounts
- view and restore old bookmark sets, if you ever lose your bookmarks or accidentally delete something you need
- choose 'sync profiles', so you can only sync a specified subset of your bookmarks to some of your computers, or restrict the bookmarks you see when you visit our mobile site (http://my.foxmarks.com/mobile).
Note that this system is available only if you're using our server to store your bookmarks.
But http://my.foxmarks.com/ doesn't work well on my mobile device!
Visit our mobile site at http://my.foxmarks.com/mobile/, or http://mobile.foxmarks.com/.
Also, if you'd like to only see some of your bookmarks on your mobile device, check out our Sync Profiles feature. You can learn all the details in our blog post.
What is the difference between Foxmarks and Firefox?
Firefox is a free web browser and is managed and distributed by Mozilla corporation. You can learn more by reading the Wikipedia entry about Firefox or by visiting the Firefox website.
Foxmarks is a free add-on for your Firefox browser that syncs your bookmarks across multiple computers and more. It is developed and owned by Foxmarks Inc., a privately held company in San Francisco. You can learn more by visiting the Foxmarks website.
Like other Firefox add-ons, Foxmarks enhances the Firefox web browser by adding functionality to it. You can find other Firefox add-ons here.
Using Other Servers
Can I use Foxmarks with my own server?
Foxmarks currently supports both FTP and WebDAV (via HTTP or HTTPS). Just fill in the appropriate server settings on the Foxmarks dialog (including the "Advanced Server Settings" on the "Other" tab) to connect Foxmarks with your server. In our experience, WebDAV is faster and more robust than FTP, but both work. Recently we've made some improvements to optimize network utilization, but those improvements are available only to WebDAV installations. Moving forward, FTP will probably not be so well supported, as it's just a more limited server.
If you use your own server, we're less able to help you with problems that you might encounter. Caveat switchor.
The Setup Wizard assumes that you're using the Foxmarks server, and knows how to set up accounts only on sync.foxmarks.com. If you're using your own server, don't use the Setup Wizard (press Cancel when it starts).
While we can't provide support if you're using your own server, we're collecting information provided by users who choose to go that route.
Can I run my own Foxmarks server?
You can run parts of it yourself. Foxmarks was once based on the Open Source Application Foundation's Cosmo Server, which you can download and install yourself. For a variety of reasons, mostly related to the volume of traffic we handle, we're no longer using Cosmo, but Foxmarks remains compatible with it.
Foxmarks should also run relatively well with any WebDAV server and less well with any FTP server; see the question above. --Todd 11:06, 2 March 2006 (EST)
Is Foxmarks compatible with proxy servers?
Often not. If your browser is configured to use a proxy server, you'll probably find that you have to disable it just for the Foxmarks extension's communications with the Foxmarks server. See this page for more information.
Comment: Many companies require a proxy be used for any access to the Internet. It ain't optional. So fixing problems with proxies would be a good thing to so. However, I've had no trouble going through a proxy myself (so far). --216.82.180.22 07:11, 30 March 2007 (EDT)
Tip if synchronizing fails: first connect through the proxy by requesting a webpage. The proxy will ask for username and password, and afterwards the update succeeds.
Distributing the Foxmarks Add-on
Can I distribute the Foxmarks add-on on a CD, DVD, or other media?
We are delighted that you are interested in sharing Foxmarks with more people. You may distribute the Foxmarks add-on, provided that you agree to the following conditions:
- You will distribute the latest production Foxmarks client available at the time your media is prepared for distribution. The latest production version will always be available on the Foxmarks website.
- You will not modify the add-on in any way.
- You understand that the Foxmarks add-on is copyrighted by Foxmarks Inc.
- You will send an email to support@foxmarks.com to notify us about your plans prior to starting distribution. This is simply to notify us, you do not need to wait for our permission.
- We reserve the right to revoke your distribution rights at any time.
Can I distribute the Foxmarks add-on from my website?
Yes you may, provided that you agree to the provisions listed in the answer above. However, we encourage you to link to the Foxmarks website instead.
