Unexpected bookmarks structure during initial setup

[tmatijevich]

Describe the issue you are experiencing
Initial sync results in "Unexpected bookmarks structure".
The log says I'm missing container other bookmarks, The other bookmarks folder is present, but empty. Certainly not missing.

How can the issue be reproduced?
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Add xBrowserSync extension from the Chrome Web Store
2. Gives permissions
3. Follow guide
4. Enter new sync password

Screenshots

Desktop browser
Please complete the following information for all affected desktop browsers:

• OS: Win10
• Browser: Chrome
  • Version 81.0.4044.129 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Application log
Please include the logs from the affected clients:

Log entries

2020-05-07 14:55:53.372	[warn]	Missing container: other bookmarks
2020-05-07 14:56:37.327	[error]		Error: [10006] DailyNewSyncLimitReached at chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:1818:38 at chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:140:44 at m.$digest (chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:151:185) at m.$apply (chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:155:35) at k (chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:106:129) at v (chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:111:206) at XMLHttpRequest.y.onload (chrome-extension://lcbjdhceifofjlpecfpeimnnphbcjgnc/js/app.min.js:112:125)
2020-05-07 14:57:31.779	[trace]	Starting up
2020-05-07 14:57:31.798	[trace]	{"checkForAppUpdates":true,"displayHelp":false,"displayOtherSyncsWarning":false,"displayPermissions":false,"syncBookmarksToolbar":true,"appVersion":"1.5.2","platform":{"name":"chrome","version":"81.0.4044","mobile":false,"os":"Windows 10"}}
2020-05-07 14:57:36.988	[trace]	v1.5.2.1 update available
2020-05-07 15:00:13.378	[trace]	Service url changed to: https://xbrowsersync.burrows.xyz
2020-05-07 15:00:33.150	[trace]	Service url changed to: https://xbs.25mb.co.uk
2020-05-07 15:01:01.144	[trace]	Sync jsmizm (push) queued
2020-05-07 15:01:01.149	[trace]	Processing sync jsmizm (0 in queue)
2020-05-07 15:01:01.228	[warn]	Missing container: other bookmarks
2020-05-07 15:01:01.237	[trace]	Sync jsmizm failed
2020-05-07 15:01:01.244	[error]	bookmarks.sync: [10113] LocalContainerNotFound

[nero120]

@tmatijevich I need more info to figure out what's going on here, can you do the following please:

• Browse to chrome://extensions
• Toggle the "Developer mode" switch to enabled
• Under xBrowserSync in the list of extensions, click on background.html where it says "Inspect views"
• The console tab should be visible in the DevTools window, paste the following code and copy the results here:

chrome.bookmarks.getTree(x => console.log(JSON.stringify(x)));

I really just need to see the property values for the bookmarks bar and other bookmarks nodes, so feel free to delete the rest of your bookmarks before posting here.

[tmatijevich]

Not a problem,

[
  {
    "children": [
      {
        "children": [
... my bookmarks ...
        ],
        "dateAdded": 1581367543791,
        "dateGroupModified": 1582037089938,
        "id": "1",
        "index": 0,
        "parentId": "0",
        "title": "Bookmarks bar"
      },
      {
        "children": [],
        "dateAdded": 1581367543791,
        "id": "616",
        "index": 1,
        "parentId": "0",
        "title": "Other bookmarks"
      }
    ],
    "dateAdded": 1588942381538,
    "id": "0",
    "title": ""
  }
]

[nero120]

@tmatijevich there's the problem, the id of other bookmarks is 616 when it should be 2. I've seen this happen now and again, I'm pretty sure it's a bug in chromium.

The way to fix it is to either edit the bookmarks file in your profile directory and change the id manually or to create a new profile.

[tmatijevich]

My bookmarks bar begins with a folder "Google" (ID #2)

            ],
            "dateAdded": 1582037088634,
            "dateGroupModified": 1582037088649,
            "id": "2",
            "index": 0,
            "parentId": "1",
            "title": "Google"
          },

The first bookmark in the first folder has ID #3.

            "children": [
              {
                "dateAdded": 1582037088637,
                "id": "3",
                "index": 0,
                "parentId": "2",
                "title": "Google",
                "url": "https://www.google.com/"
              },

So does every ID have to be re-ordered?

[nero120]

@tmatijevich hmm yes that's true. It's probably easier to create a temporary profile and use xBrowserSync to sync your bookmarks into that profile, then copy the contents of the bookmarks file back to your original profile.

[tmatijevich]

Excellent, now it is working.
Copy+paste bookmarks bar from original profile to new profile does the trick:

         } ],
         "date_added": "13233435235928897",
         "date_modified": "13233437023564780",
         "guid": "00000000-0000-4000-a000-000000000002",
         "id": "1",
         "name": "Bookmarks bar",
         "type": "folder"
      },
      "other": {
         "children": [  ],
         "date_added": "13233435235928901",
         "date_modified": "0",
         "guid": "00000000-0000-4000-a000-000000000003",
         "id": "2",
         "name": "Other bookmarks",
         "type": "folder"
      },
      "synced": {
         "children": [  ],
         "date_added": "13233435235928902",
         "date_modified": "0",
         "guid": "00000000-0000-4000-a000-000000000004",
         "id": "3",
         "name": "Mobile bookmarks",
         "type": "folder"
      }
   },
   "version": 1
}

I have been manually backing up Chrome\User Data\Default\Bookmarks on multiple computers and using git to merge them together. After a merge, Chrome likes to re-ID all the bookmarks which resulted in the "other bookmarks" being something other than ID #2.

xBrowserSync will be less work and better performance. Having the temporary profile trick is a suitable workaround when the bookmarks structure is corrupt (will backups).

Thanks for your support, and for the app!

[nero120]

Glad it's sorted @tmatijevich! 😄

[bitphage]

@tmatijevich hmm yes that's true. It's probably easier to create a temporary profile and use xBrowserSync to sync your bookmarks into that profile, then copy the contents of the bookmarks file back to your original profile.

Did't figured out how to use xBrowserSync to sync from main profile to a temporary, but did another trick:

1. In the main profile go to bookmarks manager, and export bookmarks to a file
2. In the temp profile go to bookmarks manager, and import from that file
3. Move all bookmarks from "Imported" to "Other bookmarks"
4. Copy Bookmarks file from the temp profile to the main.

[burt-ie]

Just came to say thanks, I was experiencing this issue using edge. Following the method of exporting bookmarks, creating a new profile, importing bookmarks then copying the bookmark file from new profile to original works.

[tomangert]

Building this with the pull request From @Tahlor #518 fixed this for me.