logins and passwords will not restore from 2017 restored back up when bookmarks have restored
Hi. After a BSOD I have clean installed Windows 10 and Firefox on SSD. My data is on a separate HD including my profiles folders. Sadly the Firefox profile got overwritten with my Thunderbird profile - woops! So I am trying to restore from an old 2017 back up. Bookmarks have come through but I cannot get the logins and passwords to work. I have tried copying the following files into the profiles folder from the restored back up folder:
logins.json key3.db Cert8 prefs signon.sqlite
I have tried this with other older backups too I don't understand why the profile is being recognised (I have my old bookmarks back) but no the logins and passwords. Is there any way of testing whether they are corrupt? If all else fails, is there any other way of 'reading' the information in those files so I can manually enter them again in the new profile If you are wondering why I am going to a 2017 backup it is because my backup program decided to stop backing up my profiles after that date without my noticing nor asking my permission!! Grateful for any help
Izabrano rješenje
Thanks, I have it back I tried the version 68 ESR but it didn't make a key3.db only Key4.db So I removed it and went further back to my origina 53 version This found all the logins, passwords and bookmarks but when it updated itself on reloading the program, it lost them again The workaround was to do it again but this time use sync in the 53 version, then I could sync the latest version from my account Very grateful for your help - cheers
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Don't you have a key4.db file in that backup ? What Firefox version is reported as the last version that used this profile if you check compatibility.ini in this profile ?
Support for key3.db ended with Firefox 73 and newer, so you would have to use an older Firefox version like Firefox 68 ESR to be able to access these logins and transfer the migrated logins.json and key4.db files to the Firefox 85 profile.
Make sure you use a separate profile for the 68 version and remove an existing key4.db in the profile folder before you start Firefox 68 using this profile.
Thanks cor-el The compatability.ini shows - LastVersion=53.0.3_ Will Firefox 68 ESR work in Windows 10? Will loading it interfere with my latest version already installed? Appreciate your help
You are not that far off with 53 (Firefox 58 and newer use key4.db).
It shouldn't be a problem to run Firefox 68 in Windows 10, but make sure to do a custom install in its own installation directory.
You also need to start 68 with the 53 profile in case you restored this profile or create a new profile if you only need logins.json and key3.db.
Thanks, I'll try it in the morning
Odabrano rješenje
Thanks, I have it back I tried the version 68 ESR but it didn't make a key3.db only Key4.db So I removed it and went further back to my origina 53 version This found all the logins, passwords and bookmarks but when it updated itself on reloading the program, it lost them again The workaround was to do it again but this time use sync in the 53 version, then I could sync the latest version from my account Very grateful for your help - cheers
The point is that Firefox 68 will convert key3.db (DBM) to key4.db (SQL) and possibly convert (re-encrypt) logins.json as well to make the files compatible with current releases. Then you can copy the resulting key4.db and logins.json to the Firefox 85 profile.