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Hey guys, I had to revert back to High Sierra from Catalina on my 2012 iMac and now Safari is not saving the browsing history even though the option in Preferences to save "All windows from last session" is checked.
I tried Apple Support and the tech said it wasn't working on his Mac either when he tried at the same time, any help for this please?
iMac 27", macOS 10.13
Go to Safari Preferences/Extensions and turn all extensions off. Quit/reopen Safari and test. If okay, turn the extensions on one by one until you figure out what extension is causing the problem.
Are you running any anti - virus programs? Using a VPN?
Try setting up another admin user account in System Preferences/Users & Groups to see if the same problem continues. Please post back on whether or not this worked. Also try the Safe Mode. Please post back on whether or not this worked.
Isolating an issue by using another user account
If it works in the Safe Mode, try running this program when booted normally and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown. If the log won’t post, try posting it in Pastebin and provide a link in a reply. After pasting the report in a PasteBin page, go to the top of the page, and copy the address in the URL bar. Paste that in a new reply. Pastebin
Etrecheck – System Information
Web site version if required. https://etrecheck.com
Go to Safari Preferences/Extensions and turn all extensions off. Quit/reopen Safari and test. If okay, turn the extensions on one by one until you figure out what extension is causing the problem.
Are you running any anti - virus programs? Using a VPN?
Try setting up another admin user account in System Preferences/Users & Groups to see if the same problem continues. Please post back on whether or not this worked. Also try the Safe Mode. Please post back on whether or not this worked.
Isolating an issue by using another user account
If it works in the Safe Mode, try running this program when booted normally and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown. If the log won’t post, try posting it in Pastebin and provide a link in a reply. After pasting the report in a PasteBin page, go to the top of the page, and copy the address in the URL bar. Paste that in a new reply. Pastebin
Etrecheck – System Information
Web site version if required. https://etrecheck.com
You are welcome. Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.
Quit the application.
Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Safari. Move the files that start with History to your desktop.
Restart the computer, open the application, and test. If it works okay, delete the files from the desktop.
If the application is the same, return the files to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.
This may require a reset of some other Preferences.
Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.
Actually we had been through that process. Here's the whole situation.
Before attempting to go back to High Sierra I had done a time machine backup. Apple Support tech had told me when asked that Safari's browsing history and bookmarks will be reinstated when I do the time machine restore but the TM restore had failed for whatever reason.
As a safety measure I had copied over everything from the Safari folder to a flash drive prior to doing the TM backup.
The new tech told me to include the bookmarks plist list file from the external drive's TM backup which worked but I cannot find a similar history file in the flash drive's backup.
I had asked the tech what if I were to replace everything in the safari folder with the backup on the flash drive. He responded it would not work because it's a different operating system. Knowing this do you think I should replace everything in the High Sierra's safari folder with the backup from the Catalina folder?
I'm not sure the replacement would work either. If you want to try it, make a copy of the existing data before replacement. If things don't work after the replacement, you can then revert back to the existing data.
After reviewing the Etrecheck report, I don't see anything that would be causing the problem.
Well, you fixed what the Apple techs could not fix, it works, thank you very much!
Please let me know if this is ok?
Thanks but this is fresh install done on Friday evening, there are no extensions showing. No AV or VPN.
It did not work in safe mode when the Support tech tried.
Ok, I have to leave in a little while so will attempt tomorrow and report back, thanks.
Oh it's working in safe mode
Try rebooting normally and see if it works. The Safe Mode resets certain things and may have cleared the problem.
You are welcome. Glad to help.
Safari not saving browsing history anymore?
