Retrieving bookmarks from an old version of Safari

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Retrieving bookmarks from an old version of Safari

Hi, my iBook hard drive crashed and I've just purchased a MacBook Pro and installed the latest software. I have the data from my old hard drive on an external hard drive (from data recovery company). I was using Tiger on the iBook and now have Leopard. I was hoping to rescue the bookmarks from my old version. Is there a way of doing it? I tried opening Safari on the ext drive but it said that I can't open it with the version of Mac OS I have now.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 25, 2009 5:37 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 25, 2009 6:41 AM in response to jr0bert

Greetings,

If you want to replace your current Bookmarks with the ones from your old machine, you would need to start Safari with that Bookmarks.plist file in your Home/Library/Safari folder; then you can export them to an HTML file on your Desktop, quit Safari and move the old Bookmarks.plist file back to that location, then restart Safari and import the bookmarks file from your Desktop.

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Answer 2

jr0bert Author

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Aug 26, 2009 5:39 AM in response to Golden Shoes

Thanks for helping but doesn't that mean opening the old version of Safari on the ext drive? Sorry if I'm not understanding you correctly. I can see 'export bookmarks' under the File menu but I can't open that version. Can I update the operating system and safari version on the ext HD maybe? Don't suppose I can just switch the old .plist file with the new one?

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Answer 3

Aug 26, 2009 5:45 AM in response to jr0bert

doesn't that mean opening the old version of Safari on the ext drive?

No. You want to find the "old" version of Bookmarks.plist on the external drive and copy the file into Home/Library/Safari on the Mac, then start Safari and export the bookmarks to an HTML file on your Desktop.

Then you quit Safari, delete the Bookmarks.plist file and replace it with the original one from your Mac. Then restart Safari and import the HTML file you just created on your Desktop.

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Answer 4

jr0bert Author

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Aug 26, 2009 8:32 PM in response to Golden Shoes

Thanks Golden Shoes. It actually just asked me if I wanted to replace the current .plist file when I transferred my old one into the folder and straight away they were all in Safari working. Didn't need to do the export then import thing, although I have a copy sitting in desktop just in case!
Rob

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