When you import the Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 bookmarks file to a system running Internet Explorer 7 or earlier, the following error occurs when you click Finish in the Import/Export Wizard.

I could fully reproduce the problem in my Windows XP SP3 system running Internet Explorer 7. The source computer runs Windows Vista with Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 installed. Thinking that this could be due to incorrect formatting or missing tags in the HTML file, I opened the file using Notepad but couldn’t find any errors in it. Eventually I spotted that this issue is caused by incorrect encoding used by Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 to create/write to bookmark.htm. With that said, the fix is very simple.
To resolve the problem, save the bookmarks file as ANSI text. To do so, use the following steps:
Start Notepad, and then open the bookmarks file (bookmark.htm)

Click Save As on the File menu.
In the Save As dialog box, click ANSI in the Encoding list, and then click Save.

Click Yes when prompted to overwrite the file.
You should be able to import the bookmark file successfully using the Import/Export Wizard in Internet Explorer.
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Brilliant – saved me loads of time. I appreciate the assistance of someone more intelligent on computer matters.
Elegant, thank you.
Worked like a charm!! Thank you.
You’re a lifesaver. I too thought that I was going to have to re-type all of my bookmarks. Thanks!
Wow, so simple and really worked – thanks.
Thank you very much! Worked perfectly :-)
That was fantastic. I sure thought i was gonna have to retype them all.
Thank you; you’re a lifesaver.
Thanks.. Great solution.
Thanks so much. I’m sure many others are seeing the same problem.