is SYNC dependent on email address? I use many emails! LOST many logins / passwords. Help.
Finally used SYNC feature for the first time.
Am attempting to migrate out of FF (used windows system restore to bring back v88 - the 'new and fresh' design is defective, missing features I need and is unworkable for me.)
When I originally set up my FF account, I used a specific email for that - it is NOT the email i use for a majority of my browsing / website logins. (I regularly use about 50 different emails, each for a specific purpose).
After I synced FF and waterfox, I am now missing (about half) of my logins and passwords on BOTH browsers now.
it seems that firefox SYNC depends on using JUST ONE email address - for EVERYTHING?
seriously? Someone actually thought this was OK?
How do I fix this. Please help me sort this out. I seriously have no more patience to keep fixing stupid FF problems.
Thank you.
tcb_reset modificouno o
All Replies (9)
(crickets)
seriously - am I going to have to use windows 'system restore' to fix ALL my firefox problems?
Does anyone even USE Firefox any more after the v89 bomb?
(tap tap) - Is this thing on?
tcb_reset modificouno o
Did you disconnect Firefox from one account and connected the same profile to another account to transfer other data ? That is not advised and Firefox should have warned you that another Sync account had been used before to connect to Sync. And yes, you should only use one email address to sync a specific profile.
Thanks for the reply
Here is what I did:
1.) DL waterfox, opened it - noticed it had instructions to SYNC with firefox to import data.
2.) Looked at FF menu - found SYNC - prompted me to login to my FF account in order to use SYNC (FF account created long ago but rarely used).
3.) signed in to FF - left that browser open
4.) opened waterfox again - followed instructions to import with SYNC (it seemed to already know to use the existing FF email as it was already populated in the login field - so - waterfox account is already created?)
5.) Did I do it right? Miss something?
NOTES:
- there is NO WAY I can change all my logins to hundreds (thousands?) of websites to force them to use just 'one' email for 'FIREFOX's convenience'. Not possible. Not happening.
I feel this is ABSOLUTELY NOT a reasonable expectation. I am not an 8 year old child. I have many emails for many logins.
- I feel that there should be a WARNING in BIG, CAPITAL LETTERS that ALL LOGINS MUST BE ANCHORED USING THE SAME EMAIL before even thinking about using the SYNC feature.
- If there were any other instructions i needed to follow to use the SYNC feature, then I missed them or they were not presented.
NEW QUESTIONS:
a.) short of using windows system restore, is there any way to easily restore the lost logons and force FF (or waterfox) to use them as before - you know - when they worked?
b.) Failing that, if I succeed in using 'system restore' and get my FF logins back, --- is there still a RELIABLE, MANUAL WAY to export those logins to waterfox so that they 'actually work'?
where to we stand now with manual migration from FF to -other- browser on one single working PC?
I know there's a link somewhere around here for that - but I'm asking someone who has actually recently DONE this - because - the instructions seem to be missing steps around here lately?)
Historically, I've had about a 50% success rate in the past with the dicey process of manually transferring account data but usually this was from from dead / crashed computers to working new installations. Copying & pasting the data folders over USED to be an fairly straightforward process long ago.
Sorry. I'm old. sue me.
thanks
tcb_reset modificouno o
I should note all the plugins / extensions and bookmarks transferred over correctly.
I actually watched the process migration work (windows kept popping open in waterfox confirming that new extensions plugins were being added)
Just only some of the logins transferred over.
At first I thought that maybe I didn't give the process enough time but I realized what the logins that all transferred over had in common - they used the same anchor email address as the email I used for the FF (and waterfox) account.
tcb_reset modificouno o
The email for a Sync account is not about an email you use for registering (confirming) a login for a specific origin (protocol and hostname). An email you use for registering on a specific website has nothing to do with the username email you use to connect to a Sync account. That Sync email can be any of your emails, but you should only use one email to connect to Sync to share data with other connected devices. If for instance you have a work and home computer and need to separate data then do not use the same email as that will merge data (there is no master device for Sync, data from all connected devices is merged to other devices connected to this account).
Thank you for your reply.
ok - then I am at a loss as to why only some of the logins work now, and why many have disappeared (from BOTH browsers.)
I half expected some of them not to work in the new browser, but I was NOT expecting a loss of functionality in the existing / source FF browser.
FYI - no other devices are involved at this time. (I do have several other devices , but thought I would try to keep this simple)
This is happening on a single windows 7 PC - not networked with any other devices. Standalone device
Thank you for clarifying about how SYNC uses email vs website logins. But I am back at square 1
Can I Turn SYNC off in FF?
Is there a REVERT function?
I really, truly, DEEPLY hate things that don't work.
(sigh)
System restore it is...
ok - I just finished using system restore - same problem (except that now waterfox is gone - as expected)
I noticed a few other odd things -
Firefox is asking if I want to import data from google chrome (I almost never use that browser, but for a few websites I must - so there are a few logins there).
But FF has never asked me that excpet when I was first setting it up.
I tried to open google chrome - no go. I tried run as aministrator - nothing. So chrome browser is now broken.
Just for fun, I opened Internet Explorer 11 (never use it - except for windows specific maintenance functions) - and it has all my recent bookmarks imported to it (how???)
man this SYNC thing REALLY messed my machine up.
I have hundreds and hundreds of logins and passwords that I now must manually recover
i M SO PISSED.
I haven't had problems like this since I tried using the sync function with icloud / iphoto / istream with my iphone / ipad and my PC - and man that BS is STILL messed up and I have about 1000 pics permanently gone.
I guess you guys are letting some apple 'geniuses' write stuff for FF?
It used to be, IMPORT and EXPORT. COPY and PASTE. that always WORKED and you knew what you had and you knew where it was.
this BS 'smart sync' crap DOES. NOT. WORK.
Just STOP IT.
tcb_reset modificouno o