Sync does not work (or work not as one would expect)
I have synced all my bookmarks and passwords to mozilla sync then I reinstalled windows on my pc. I installed FF, connected to my FF account but not a single thing was synced to my computer again. I would expect it to sync back all my stuff however it is not happening.
Is my information lost forever? How do I recover it back?
All Replies (5)
Did you have any problems connecting to Sync after reinstalling Windows? Like maybe you needed to reset your password?
I reseted my password but I changed it to the same what I thought was the same. Is this important?
Yes, that is important. The "key" under which your data is encrypted before being uploaded to the Sync server is based upon your Password. Your data can't be decrypted without the correct "key".
Sorry, Sync wasn't intended to be used as a "cloud" for backup purposes.
But I have my key (random combination). I reseted only password.
SO what sync is intended to do?
The Sync Key (aka Recovery Key) was used in Firefox 28 and earlier versions as the 3rd "key" for security purposes, that being encryption / decryption of user data.
With Firefox 29 the user only needs their email address (account name) and their Password to use Sync. The 3rd "key" is now extrapolated from the Password and is a hidden implementation, not user facing as before.
Sync is intended to be used to synchronize Firefox user data between multiple devices. When a user would find it necessary to format a drive or a drive fails, and the user would need to reinstall all their software, the expectation is that their data would still be on one of their devices.