Solving Bookmark Nightmare

Using Browser Bookmarks across Platforms

Bookmarks (in Internet Explorer, it is termed as Favorites) in your browser help you in jumping among your favorite sites through a single click without having to type complex web address while browsing the Web. During the course of time, there happens a nice collection of bookmarks accumulated that no user ever wants to loose. If you use only single browser in only single platform, you need not worry about porting your favorite Web address on other platform. All that you do is backup your favorite / bookmarked address by exporting it to a safe location so that in case of any eventuality you can import previously saved bookmarks. Every browser supports exporting bookmarks / favorites to a safe location so that it can later restore through its import command. However, if you use a number of browsers in number of platforms, for example, if you use dual boot machine one - Windows (IE) and other - Linux (Netscape), you simply cannot use one browser’s bookmark as other one’s favorites. You need bookmark converters or online bookmark managers that can manage your bookmarks across platforms and across browsers.

Managing Bookmarks

Every browsers let you manage your bookmarks / favorite web pages. However, according to their versions, they may differ in functionality and you have to tweak a little to manage your favorite web address. In Netscape 7, click on Bookmarks >Manage Bookmarks menu and then click on Tools menu that appear in a child window. You will see option Import / Export bookmarks from / to a directory. Here, you can export / import bookmarks in a Netscape only compatible html file.

In Internet Explorer 6, Click on File menu then click on Import / Export menu. A wizard will appear that will guide you to Import / Export your favorite web address in IE. You simply need to follow on-screen instructions. You can Import / Export favorite web address in IE compatible files. If you want to use other browsers bookmarks such as Netscape or Opera bookmarks in Internet Explorer, then you need Bookmark Converters. Bookmark Converters converts specific bookmark files of certain browser in to the compatible file format of another browser that you specify.

Managing bookmarks in Opera 7 is a bit easy. You can import Internet Explorer and Netscape bookmarks directly to Opera without any need to conversion. Simply click on Bookmark on Opera Window and then click on Manage Bookmark. You will be presented option to Import IE / Netscape / Opera in Import option dialogue. However, you can not export Opera Bookmarks in other than Opera format. So you still need bookmark converters if you want to use Opera bookmarks in other browser.

Bookmark Converters

Bookmarks / Favorites of specific browsers are not usable by other browsers across same or different platforms. They need Bookmark Converters which converts bookmark file format usable in specific platform. Bookmark Converters may be a third party utility or Web applications. They are simple in use but great in managing your Bookmarks. Some Bookmark Converters provide you some additional tools that are useful in managing Bookmarks. In addition to converting Bookmarks usable in cross platforms, with Bookmark Converters, you can have some or more of these:

• Sort Bookmarks in categories.
• Sync / Merge Bookmark collections.
• Can search for Bookmark Files in your computer or across network.
• Can detect Duplicate Bookmarks and remove them.
• Can repair damage Bookmark Files.
• Identify dead links to remove them.

Some Bookmark Converters are reviewed here for you:

Bookmark Converter 3

This shareware application is simple in use and has clear understandable interface. It provides two input window where you have to specify Bookmark Source that is to be converted and Bookmark Target- the platform in which Bookmark is to be converted. After proper input, you simply have to click convert button to convert your bookmark file from one format to another. It supports nearly all versions of Netscape, Internet Explorer, Mozilla and Opera. In addition to bookmark conversion, Bookmark Converters also provides you most of the functionality mentioned in above paragraph. You can have this utility from its web site http://www.magnusbrading.com/bmc

URLBase

This utility helps you in Importing / Exporting Favorites and Bookmarks from browsers like Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla and Opera in cool, easy, no-nonsense way. It has wizard that helps you in importing / exporting bookmarks. For example, you can import from Internet Explorer Favorites and export it to Netscape Bookmarks. The imported / exported files can be saved as URLBase database file that can be used in any supported browser through this application. The application is simple in use and does not need much input from user. Download this nice utility which is free for personal use from http://www.terriadev.com

Check & Get 1.14

This utility has more functionality, but is complex in use. It has explorer like interface through which you can manage your bookmarks. It is rather bookmark management suit software through which you can manage your bookmarks. You can delete unwanted bookmarks, detect dead ones, and find duplicated items and more. The utility has capability to find out dead links by automatically checking bookmarked sites. It can also detect mirror pages for bookmarked sites for faster web experience. The advertising supported Check & Get can be downloaded for free from: http://activeurls.com

SAB Bookmarks Converter

This bookmark converter can convert Internet Explorer Favorite and Netscape Bookmarks in to one another and can merge them for use in either platform. Its interface is very raw and not so user friendly. However, the script file it generates can be saved to a hidden location and all the bookmarks can be thus stored secretly for use at will. Get this free utility from : http://www.sabeman.com/sabbc

Web Applications

Managing bookmarks through web applications is easy affair. You need not have to install additional software. You simply have to go certain web site like http://www.mybookmarks.com , register with them and follow online instructions to export / import your bookmarks. Further, you can access your bookmarks and favorites through these sites from anywhere and any time. For example, you can save your favorites from your home computer at New Delhi and use the bookmarks from a Cyber Café at Chennai through these sites. But remember to remove bookmarks from browser cache that you use in strange locations. You can manage your bookmarks to a limited extent through popular web sites like Yahoo.com that helps you in exporting / importing your bookmarks through their web site. There are dozens of other web sites; most of them offer free services and help you in managing your bookmarks. Managing bookmarks has become real easy and equally necessary it seems.

Screenshot Descriptions

1. Bookmark 01.png SAB Bookmark Converter lets you convert your Netscape Bookmarks and Internet Explorer Favorites in to one another. You can secretly store bookmarks that can be loaded by script file generated by this application.
2. Bookmark 02.png Bookmark Converter 3 lets you convert Bookmarks of one browser in to Bookmarks of other browser in an easy way.
3. Bookmark 03.png Internet Explorer / Netscape save their Favorites / Bookmarks in Folders / Files as links or clickable web address. You can explore / browse them. Generally, Internet Explorer Favorites are stored in Windows/Favorites folder and Netscape store its Bookmark as html file in //Netscape/Profile directory.
4. Bookmark 04.png Check & Get – The Explorer style Bookmark Converter is rather a Bookmark Manager than a bookmark converter. It has some nice utility like dead link detection tool helps you in finding broken / invalid / dead web address.
5. Bookmark 05.png URLBase 5 – this simple application converts bookmarks of various kinds of browsers in to one another’s formats.
6. Bookmark 06.png You can manage your favorite web address through Internet Explorer’s Import / Export wizard. But for using IE favorites in other browser, you need Bookmark Conversion Utility.
7. Bookmark 07.png Opera browser can import bookmarks from other popular browser like Netscape and Internet Explorer. But it exports only in Opera compatible format. If you want Opera Bookmarks in either Netscape or in Internet Explorer, you need Bookmark Converters.
8. Bookmark 08.png Netscape exports its bookmark in an html file that can be browsed but can not be imported in other browser’s bookmark list directly.
9. Bookmark 09.png Web sites like http://www.mybookmarks.com provides you feature full services to manage your bookmarks globally. You can use your bookmarks from anywhere, anytime and in any platform through Internet with the help of these sites.
10. Bookmark 10.png popular web sites like Yahoo.com also help you in managing your bookmarks.