Tech: Help save my bookmarks!

Subject: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 08:50 PM

Big problem! I just renewed my subscription to NetZero, my ISP, and found out that they no longer support my favorite browser, Opera. I'm getting nothing but error messages when I try to use Opera.

The bummer is that I have over a hundred sites (mostly folk-related) bookmarked in that browser. Is there a way I can save those bookmarks and move them to another browser?

Or maybe there's a way around NetZero's restrictions? They say they only support IE, Netscape, and Mozilla.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 08:59 PM

"support??" why would an ISP choose to not "support" s a browser? beyond me.....
but...I think there are answers...hold on a bit, as I think I know of bookmark re-importing programs..(and 'some' browsers may do it themselves)

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 09:11 PM

yep...one way is with an intermediate program such as URLbase ...it has settings to import most all the usual browsers...and I believe, to export them too... so even if you use it only briefly, to transfer bookmarks it might help.. (it is free)

there is also Columbine Bookmark Merge which does essentially the same thing, and 'may' be easier to use...

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 09:13 PM

I would seriously protest anything which says you can't use Opera!...*tsk*

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 09:19 PM

good grief! I just read it...I HATE it when someone does stuff like this and refuses to say why!...Saving $$$ can be a hassle, huh?

"We're sorry, but NetZero only supports the following Web browsers:

Internet Explorer 4 and higher
Netscape 3.x through 4.x. (amazing!)

If you are trying to run NetZero with a different Web browser, you will need to consult your browser manufacturer for support."

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 09:55 PM

note...Columbine Bookmark Merge says it does NOT work well on large bookmark files...like 1000 or more. (I tried it once, and it hung...it would take many hours)...URLbase will get them from Opera so you can use them, or export them to Netscape. I have just recently gotten it, and have not used it much, as I have full use of all browsers)

(I am learning stuff I didn't know as I look at all this)

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 09:59 PM

Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it?

What steams me is that I've used Opera for almost a year -- ever since I started using NetZero -- with no problems. And now this!

Of course they didn't tell me until AFTER I renewed...

Anyway, thanks for those suggestions, Bill, I'll look into it.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: mack/misophist
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 10:16 PM

Save a copy of them right now to be on the safe side. Look in .opera for the file opera6.adr or opera5.adr. It's a plain text file, very easy to read.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 10:25 PM

I didn't even know ISPs could do such a thing! How absurd!

Thanks Bill!

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 11:20 PM

Are you sure Windows didn't grab a copy for itself in a FAVORITES folder?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bullfrog Jones
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 04:42 AM

When I left my last place of outside employment a few years back I just copied the Favourites folder to a floppy and then pasted it into the Favourites folder of my home computer.

BJ

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 10:45 AM

I would assume that if an ISP says they don't support a particular browser, they mean they can not help with technical support issues rather than this browser will not work with our service. What errors are you getting?

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 11:38 AM

" I just copied the Favourites folder to a floppy "...but he is not using "favorites"....Opera bookmarks are in a totally different format, which requires 'translating' them with a special program

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 01:52 PM

I keep getting the following message:

OPERA caused an invalid page fault in
module OPERA.EXE at 019f:005d3e60.
Registers:
EAX=00000000 CS=019f EIP=005d3e60 EFLGS=00010206
EBX=02148480 SS=01a7 ESP=008ee650 EBP=008ee668
ECX=00000001 DS=01a7 ESI=00e30a10 FS=683f
EDX=00000014 ES=01a7 EDI=00000000 GS=8687
Bytes at CS:EIP:
66 8b 10 66 85 d2 74 2e 8b 4c 24 10 8b d0 2b d1
Stack dump:
00000000 00e30a10 0056568a 00000000 00632b98 017430b0 008ee6a0 00567e52 00000001 00000000 0098c90c 0000000b 017430b0 01743164 00000001 005677af

Susan -- where would I look for that Favorites folder?

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 02:48 PM

Misophist -- I found the .adr file, but my computer doesn't know what program to open it with! I'm stumped. Can you help?

Michael

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 02:55 PM

michaelr, I'd suggest you try re-installing Opera.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 05:44 PM

In my Windows ME, it's in My Computer/C/Windows/Favorites. Or you can find it using Windows' SEARCH to bring up a folder of that name.

Did you try opening the .adr file from Internet Explorer? Maybe it will import it into the Windows Favorites folder, automatically?

~Susan

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: michaelr
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 08:04 PM

Susan --

I tried importing the .adr file into IE but it's "not a valid bookmark file", so I guess I nedd a translation program, such as URLBase which Bill D suggested.

I'll keep trying...:-)

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 09:58 PM

Opera can import from Netscape, but Netscape 4.X and IE can't import from Opera, if I read it all correctly.

Yep...I think URLBase is what you need.....at least for long enough to re-translate them to whatever you want.

(Just guessing, but I suspect NetZero won't get your $$$ next time.)*grin*

I 'believe' that the reason Opera is so different is that they have a search routine built into Opera bookmarks which requires a different formatting. Opera can put 'normal' bookmarks into IT'S system, but once there, it takes 2 steps to get them out again...hence, URLBase....

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: mack/misophist
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 10:00 PM

I always used a plain text editor to read the *.adr file Unix doesn't care. Notepad should do. Sorry, no translation progs I know of, but, as I said, it's plain text. NOTE, plain text can always be read with notepad.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 10:20 PM

yes...I see that now. A text editor will open a .adr file...but all the identity keys and such may prevent the .adr file from being read properly by Netscape...etc....

So the bookmarks are 'there'when opened in a text editor, but not in a clickable form...maybe URLBase shuffles and reformats the info so that they can be easily copied back into Netscape?

(too tired to experiment with it all tonight....what I'd like to do is take a realtively small bookmark file and run it thru all the browsers and reformatting programs and see just what IS possible...maybe after craft show season)

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Nov 02 - 10:57 PM

Bill D

My IE Help file says that Netscape and IE bookmarks/favorites are "in plain html," so you should be able to make necessary conversions if you have the "text." Maybe opening in Word and using "Save As html" would be enough (or just opening in Word with the "convert URLs" option turned on); although looking at a "known good" favorites/bookmark file should show what might need to be rearranged.

Doesn't Opera have an "export" function (and/or help file)??

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: michaelr
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 12:12 AM

Wow -- that's a heap of help for a newbie like me. Thanks everyone, especialy Bill D, for your suggestions!

I'm off for T-day tomorrow, but I'm excited to delve into these possibilities on the weekend.

John in Kansas -- where in Word is the "convert URLs" option? and what does "known good" mean?

Happy Thanksgiving, all.
Michael

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 01:45 AM

michaelr

If you have IE or Netscape on your machine, and the cookies and favorites/bookmarks work, then you can assume those are "known good" and can copy or export them to someplace where you can look at them. In IE, click on File and select Import/Export and you should be able to find them - I assume Netscape has something similar.

Compare the ones that work in the program you're bringing new stuff into with the ones you've mangled through the "converter" or just "copied" from some other program like Opera, and see if there are consistent changes you can make so that the one's you're trying to rescue will look like the ones that came from the program you're trying to put them into.

In Word, click on Tools - Autocorrect. Select the "Autoformat" tab, and put a check mark by "replace as you type - Internet and Network paths with hyperlinks." If you leave this turned on, anytime you type or paste a "clickable" into a Word document, it will "turn into" a "blue clicky." (Damned annoying in real world work, but handy occasionally if you're intending to work with links.

If you choose to work on them in Word, you should know that to search and replace on tabs, you enter ^t in the "Find" and "Replace With" boxes. Paragraph marks are ^p. Odd characters can be worked using ^nnn, where the nnn is the ASCII value of the character. The easy way to delete something everywhere it occurs is to "replace with nothing" - i.e., highlight the "replace with" box and hit delete, then "replace all." The way to put "something" at the begining of every line is to replace "^p" with "^psomething" (but watch the first line, since there may not be a ^p in front of it.)

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 10:16 PM

Sunds like you have got it into your head you have to get rid of Opera michaelr.

I still can't help that feel you are being misled by the advice above.

I use 2 ISPs for internet connections and neither of them provide tech support for anything other than the most common browsers, i.e. certain IE and I think in one case also certain Netscape browsers. I can still run about 8 different browsers on 2 different platforms.

Your error message is a typical Windows "illegal operation" message and it is highly unlikely your ISP is sending something back to cause that. The chances are far higher that something in your Opera installation has got corrupted or that something in Windows itself is wrong.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 10:35 PM

I dunno, Mr. Guest...it says pretty clearly that NetZero "does not support" other browsers....I think that means something beyond "won't provide technical help".....michaelr HAS been using Opera until his ISP did something that made it no longer compatible, if I read him correctly.

I do not know why, but the page(at NetZero) says that is you are having trouble running other browsers, you should ask the browser provider about it!

John in Kansas, as usual, has some pretty clear pointers about how to check compatibility in formats and do the translation. You can try that, or try the program that does it all in one operation...maybe we'll all end up learning something...

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 02 - 10:58 PM

"I do not know why, but the page(at NetZero) says that is you are having trouble running other browsers, you should ask the browser
provider about it!"

That is reasonable Bill. ISPs get plagued with "How do I do this with this?" questions and "why is this going wrong questions?" Imagine trying to cover every possible combination and having people able to answer?

I still doubt (though I conceede the timing sounds good) that an ISP would make a change that could render customer's browsers usless. In general, that would go against business logic.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 01:47 AM

There have been a number of fairly widely applied "security fixes" in both Windows/NT and Linux/Unix systems. It's entirely possible that the ISP felt obligated to apply a "security fix" that has the potential to affect users of the various browsers in different ways. They would probably get any such "fixes" from sources who have "confirmed" them for the more common browsers, but may not have the resources to "confirm" - and develop corrective action - for all the browsers that may be in use.

The ISP statement that they "support" IE and Netscape probably does mean that they have confirmed that these two browsers will still work, although it's not necessarily a guarantee that you won't need some adjustments. It almost certainly means that they can, and are willing to, provide any necessary "resets" needed - if you're running one of these browsers.

I don't have details on all of the recent "fixes," but it is not uncommon, when the server applies a fix, to need a corresponding fix or adjustment of settings on users' machines. With the exception of the few common browsers that the ISP "knows" well enough to pass on "second hand information," the proper place to get the needed software mods is from the software manufacturer. Even if the ISP can make your IE and Netscape work, you might be well advised to check with the IE and Netscape "makers" for more complete fixes - in the case of something like this (apparently) major ISP change.

The "invalid page fault" frequently does indicate file corruption on your machine, so reinstalling your browser is a logical step (although not necessarily the most/first logical one). The first step is to seek support from the software manufacturer.

Why do ISPs change these things??:

"A recent research note from two analysts at the Aberdeen Group calls open-source software and Linux distributions the "2002 poster children for security problems." Of the 29 advisories issued through October by the CERT Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, 16 of them addressed vulnerabilities in open-source or Linux products." ZiffDavis bulletin

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 02 - 06:41 PM

Thanks John,

My reason for concern was that in the first post, michaelr had referred to Opera as his favourite browser and there seemed to be few suggestions to help him think that keeping that favourite is a possibility that probably would work.

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: michaelr
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 01:06 PM

John in Kansas --
reinstalling your browser is a logical step (although not necessarily the most/first logical one). The first step is to seek support from the software manufacturer.

By software manufacturer, are you referring to the Opera people? Also, if I reinstall Opera, should I try the latest version or the one I had before (They're a version or two farther now)?

Thanks to everyone for helping.

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 30 Nov 02 - 03:28 PM

michaelr

I don't use Opera, so I can't advise on what version to use. The error message indicates the possibility of corruption of a file, probably an exe or dll. It usually means that the program has tried to write to a space in memory that "belongs to" another program or to another process in the same program.

Since the same error message can be produced by something other than the program that's running, (e.g. by Windows or your AV) reinstalling is sort of a "shot in the dark" procedure. It would be a reasonable thing to do, if you can't find something else to blame.

If you have an uninstall for Opera, it is normally recommended that you uninstall before you reinstall. Many "installation manager" programs will not overwrite a file that's already there, so a corrupted file may not be replaced by reinstalling over an existing installation.

The "software manufacturer" would be the "Opera people" - if you can identify an entry into their support facilities. They may have something posted, or a place where you can send questions. They may also have a "user group" where you can look to see if others have had your problem.

Since all browsers are vulnerable to virus attacks, they quite possibly have a download link where you can update your current version, and/or get a newer version.

Perhaps someone who knows more about Opera will offer advice on how to get to them.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: michaelr
Date: 02 Dec 02 - 09:41 PM

OK -- I reinstalled Opera, and it seems to be working. I saved the .adr file before uninstalling the previous program, and then just swapped it out for the new one. Joy!

I also downloaded URLBase (see Bill D's link above), and it seems to be just the ticket for importing my bookmarks into IE.

Thanks again to everyone who helped!

BTW, I recommend Opera ("the fastest browser on Earth"!)

Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Tech: Help save my bookmarks!
From: AKS
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 02:31 AM

Also, do not forget Opera's setup option file / (quick) preferences / identify as Opera/Mozilla #/MSIE 5.0. In many cases that is of help enough.

AKS