This is how to create a Firefox or Edge bookmark to a local file

IE made it easy to add a link to a local file [.lnk] to its Favourites. It could simply be added to the Favourites folder*** in the same way as adding an lnk file anywhere else.

*** By default in C:\Users\%UserName%\Favourites or C:\Users\%UserName%\Favorites

But adding a link to a local file is not so straightforward in Firefox & Edge.

1 Go to the Favourites / Bookmarks page using

[Firefox]

Ctrl-Shift-O

[Edge]

Ctrl-Shift-O, …, Open favourites page

2 Add a new bookmark using

[Firefox] Right-click, Add Bookmark
[Edge] Click on the Add Favourite icon

then type in

Name - Whatever
[Edge]

URL - file:///C:\Users\Denis\Documents\Some File Or Other.txt
{This is the normal way of expressing a file path with back slashes.}

[Firefox]

URL - file:///C:/Users/Denis/Documents/Some File Or Other.txt
{The file path's back slashes had to be changed to forward slashes.}

- The use of file:/// is common to both browsers.
- In both browsers, I did not enclose "paths with spaces" in quotation marks. The bookmarks did not work if I did so.

Back slashes & forward slashes
I ran several tests.

- Some Firefox bookmarks worked with normal paths [back slashes] & some didn't but they all worked using forward slashes.
- In all my tests, Edge worked with both normal paths [back slashes] & with forward slashes.

Denis

Thanks for the post.
I spent a long time looking for how to get to it.
Wonder why they changed it?

I have since realised that you can drag and drop file & folder shortcuts straight into Firefox's Ctrl-Shift-O window.
I have not managed to do this with Edge.

All the best,
Denis