After a major computer crash, Sync doesn't seem to have my passwords, etc.--How can I recover them?
I believe I setup Sync correctly anticipating a re-installation of Windows after a mysterious computer shutdown problem developed over the past two months. The disk reformat was disastrous and now it looks like my laptop will be out of action for seven weeks (will have to fix in USA, am now in Chile). I tried to login to Sync after updating Firefox on a computer in a cyber café. It seemed to recognize my user name, but did not recognize my password. I went through the process to establish a new password. After this, I was logged into sync, but none of the passwords nor bookmarks were available. The system also did not ask for my'master password'.
I backed up my files prior to the re-install attempt, but am not sure if the generic Windows backup copies the Mozilla profiles information which, I imagine, is the best place to find this info. Can you guide me to find it or is there a way to get at my info in the cloud?
วิธีแก้ปัญหาที่เลือก
Sorry the be the bearer of bad news, but you're "between a rock and a hard place".
1. Firefox 29 has a new version of Sync, so setting up Sync 2 months ago with Firefox 28 you can't connect to Sync with Firefox 29. You would have to reinstall Firefox 28 and establish Sync to get your data onto the "new device" and then upgrade to Firefox 29, then upgrade your Sync account to the new version of Sync.
2. Sync wasn't intended to be used as a backup medium for an OS re-installation. It can be made to work if the user has the Account Name (email addy), the Password, and the Sync Key / Recovery Key. It seems that most people don't save the Sync Key, which is used to encrypt / decrypt the Sync data, rendering their data useless.
3. Currently, the Master Password is incompatible with the newSync. I'm not sure how that was allowed to happen, but I have read a few Bug reports concerning that issue and can say the developers are working on a fix.
As far as the Windows backup procedure goes, I have no idea if it does or doesn't include Firefox data; I have never used it.
The Firefox Profile folder is where that data is stored. On WinXP: C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ then the Profile folder which usually has Default in the name, after a randomly generated 8-digit alpha/numeric string - if you are still using the initial Profile that was setup upon installation of Firefox.
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วิธีแก้ปัญหาที่เลือก
Sorry the be the bearer of bad news, but you're "between a rock and a hard place".
1. Firefox 29 has a new version of Sync, so setting up Sync 2 months ago with Firefox 28 you can't connect to Sync with Firefox 29. You would have to reinstall Firefox 28 and establish Sync to get your data onto the "new device" and then upgrade to Firefox 29, then upgrade your Sync account to the new version of Sync.
2. Sync wasn't intended to be used as a backup medium for an OS re-installation. It can be made to work if the user has the Account Name (email addy), the Password, and the Sync Key / Recovery Key. It seems that most people don't save the Sync Key, which is used to encrypt / decrypt the Sync data, rendering their data useless.
3. Currently, the Master Password is incompatible with the newSync. I'm not sure how that was allowed to happen, but I have read a few Bug reports concerning that issue and can say the developers are working on a fix.
As far as the Windows backup procedure goes, I have no idea if it does or doesn't include Firefox data; I have never used it.
The Firefox Profile folder is where that data is stored. On WinXP: C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ then the Profile folder which usually has Default in the name, after a randomly generated 8-digit alpha/numeric string - if you are still using the initial Profile that was setup upon installation of Firefox.
You should be cautious with requesting a new password for the Sync account as this will likely wipe all data stored on the Sync server.
The Sync version used in Firefox 29 and later will still use a Sync key to encrypt data locally before uploading, but this Sync key is generated internally from the password of the Firefox account, so there is no longer a separate Sync key.
Did you backup the defult location for the main profile folder? Windows XP:
- C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
Windows vista and later:
- C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile>\
Thank you both very much for this information (Edmeister and cor-el). I should not have counted on getting my computer on-line, nor on having Sync work as a backup for logons. Also should not have created the new password for Sync... I will look into the Windows backup disks. Searching the Win7 zipped files on the cyber cafe's XP's with dubious anti-virus software is still beyond me. Will study the links as well. My hope is that the Windows backup might have saved the profiles.