Did you reset / restore Firefox?

Look on your desktop. Do you see a folder called; Old Firefox?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

Hi, Thank you.

The "Old Firefox" is not a problem.

Some days ago, after updating to 36, it asked me to refresh FF and created that Old folder which actually I had to use, because since the update, I can't see videos (blinking). So I tried the old, the new, the safe mode, old FF version, install reinstall, install reinstall flash. Nothing. So I finally gave up. Got back to FF 36, no extra plugins, videos are still bad, Firefox is crashing with Vimeo. So...yeah...

But all my passwords were there.

Everything was working fine (except videos) until this morning, when all my passwords/logins were gone.

So, Old Firefox is not the problem nor the solution...

So at this point, the Old Firefox Data folder that you previously mined for copies of data files no longer has a copy of those files that you could restore again?

If the feature to clear history at shutdown got turned on, that could wipe your passwords and form fill history. However, it doesn't sound as though that setting should have changed. To check:

"3- bar" menu button (or Firefox menu) > Preferences > Privacy

If the center selector is "Firefox will: Remember history" change it to "Firefox will: Use custom settings for history" so you can access the detailed controls.

If there is a checkmark next to Clear history when Firefox closes, you can investigate the categories getting cleared using the Settings button to the right.

Ok. Done. No, it's not checked.

Also I have quit FF today and my history was and is all there. Unless last night, for some reason, that feature was turned on. But...it's not very likely, right? Because my preferences were the ones stored in the old firefox. No way to know now.

I was thinking if there's a way to use the signons.sqlite file (july 2014) that I have in my time machine. At least to see my passwords...

And I noticed that now it's storing passwords, but not the usernames and emails.

There is a trick to force Firefox to re-import the old signons.sqlite file into a new logins.json file.

First, you need to clear the preference which Firefox saves after it already did this so it does it again.

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter. Click the button promising to be careful.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste signon and pause while the list is filtered

(3) Right-click* the signon.importedFromSqlite preference and Reset so the value is cleared

* or Mac equivalent

Next, you'll remove logins.json:

Open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either

• "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
• (menu bar) Help > Troubleshooting Information
• type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table on the page, click the "Show in Finder" button. This should launch a new Finder window listing various files and folders.

Leaving that window open, switch back to Firefox and Quit, either:

• "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
• (menu bar) File > Exit/Quit

Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup, then rename logins.json to something like logins.old, or delete it.

Finally, copy the desired signons.sqlite into this folder, along with the corresponding key3.db file.

Start Firefox back up again and it should import signons.sqlite.

Any luck?

omgfirefox said

And I noticed that now it's storing passwords, but not the usernames and emails.

That doesn't make sense. You can't store only part of a logon... I don't know why that would happen.

) No...that deleted all the passwords I saved today.

And I backed up the profile folder before doing what you said. Now I'm using that folder again, but the passwords are gone. It's a mystery to me. Can I read the signons.sqlite? open it with some app or...

The contents of signons.sqlite can be read using a SQLite database viewer. There is an extension named SQLite Manager that I use on Windows, I don't know whether it works on Mac: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/sqlite-manager/

But... the passwords should be scrambled, so I'm not sure reading the database will be helpful.

Thank you so much for your patience, jscher2000.

I'm giving up.

I read the sqlite file. In deed, it couldn't be more encrypted :). So I installed Firefox 24 (from july 2014, same date my file had), backed up the Profile folder, replaced it with the old one from my time machine, and managed to recover some old passwords. But I had to request a new one for each site I can remember having saved a login after that time. And some are unrecoverable.

• yes, there's a sqlite manager for firefox/mac

Thank you again for your help. I have no idea what happened, but I don't think there's a solution. Gone.

These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.

These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox

FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension) {web link} FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backup of files that you choose.

OPIE {web link} Import/Export extension preferences

) paper. All we need is paper.

Thanks. I'll be more wise now