Safari Won't Save Bookmarks + Can't Change Search Engine

Question

Level 2

285 points

Safari Won't Save Bookmarks + Can't Change Search Engine

Okay, this must be a simple problem. I tried exiting out of Safari and running the Safari program again - but find I have these two problems

1) Can save a book mark - I press Command-D and save as normal (to "Favorites") but I don't see the webpage anywhere

2) I cannot change the start page or search engine. I want to change the search engine from Google to something else - but it immediately reverts to Google.

So, maybe I need to enter a password for permission to make these changes? Is that the problem?

I have the latest version of Safari.

My operating system is also the latest version of High Sierra

MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13), null

Posted on Apr 6, 2018 12:27 PM

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Answer 1

Eric Root

Level 10

685,215 points

Apr 10, 2018 2:34 PM in response to silver_mica

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem or a suggestion for change. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem/suggested change solved sooner.

Click here to send Feedback

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Answer 2

silver_mica Author

Level 2

285 points

May 21, 2018 7:13 PM in response to Eric Root

I still have the bookmark problem (Control-D places the bookmark at the very bottom instead of at the top as it once did for years). I also have this very odd problem with YouTube videos restarting on their own - I posted about that here: Unwanted replay of YouTube videos

I wonder if re-installing Safari would fix both issues. Anyone know how to do that?

-David

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Answer 3

Eric Root

Level 10

685,215 points

Apr 6, 2018 1:52 PM in response to silver_mica

Might be corrupt .plists.

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 Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist and Safari/Bookmarks.plist. Move the .plists to your desktop.

Restart the computer, open the application, and test. If it works okay, delete the plists from the desktop.

If the application is the same, return the .plists 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.

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Answer 4

silver_mica Author

Level 2

285 points

Apr 10, 2018 10:33 AM in response to silver_mica

One of two issues resolved itself without rebooting the computer.

The two issues were probably not related.

The remaining issue is that when I add a bookmark - the newly added bookmark gets placed at the bottom fo the list. For the past two years new bookmarks were placed at the top of the list (where you see it without having to manipulate scroll bars). This is why I had originally thought bookmarks were not being added - because now they are placed where they are not seen.

I poked around looking for settings that might adjust the positioning of new bookmarks (if that even exists) - but I found nothing.

So, now I know where my bookmarks are going - but would really prefer it worked they way it once did during the past two years.

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

685,215 points

May 21, 2018 7:33 PM in response to silver_mica

To reinstall Safari, you would need to reinstall the OS. That wouldn't fix the Bookmarks 'problem'. Having the added Bookmarks go to the bottom of Favorites is the new 'normal' and reinstalling won't fix that. All you can do is send feedback as I previously suggested.

For the YouTube problem, try another browser as a test to see if it does the same thing.

Firefox 10.9 or higher

Opera Browser 10.9 or higher

SeaMonkey 10.9 or higher8

Waterfox 10.8 or higher

Firefox ESR 10.9

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