New FF version unable to see old FF version logins and passwords
I was running FF 56.0.2 (to keep my addons) when a recent windows 10 update made it unable to load any webpages. I decided to try installing a second version of firefox just so I could still brows the web until I could get the old version working again. When I installed the new version, however, it never gave me the option to install in a different location, and it overwrote my old firefox version entirely.
The current/new version is seeing my old bookmarks and history, but is NOT seeing my logins and passwords, which are of course the most important things.
If it matters, I did have a master password on the old version of firefox. This new version doesn't even ask for that - it just doesn't seem to see the old logins & passwords at all.
Please help!!
All Replies (5)
Hi Anonymoose,
could you try copying two files from your old profile folder to you new one? You'll need to close Firefox during the operation. The hope is when you re-open Firefox, it will seamlessly use the old files in place of the new empty ones. Here goes:
Open your current Firefox profile folder using either
"3-bar" menu button > "?" Help > 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, on the Profile Folder row, click the "Open Folder" button. This should launch a new window listing various files and folders in Windows Explorer.
Leaving that window open, switch back to Firefox and Exit, either:
"3-bar" menu button > Exit (menu bar) File > Exit Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup
Then right-click > Rename logins.json to something like loginsOLD.json. Also right-click > Rename key4.db to something like key4OLD.db. This is in case you need to undo this change.
Copy/paste the logins.json and key4.db files from the old profile folder to the current one.
Start Firefox back up again. Can Firefox find/read your logins?
i hope resolve your problem then reply me back.
Thank you!
Hi Arman! Thanks for the reply.
I may have complicated things a little - since this problem occurred, I have used firefox (the new version, only one on the computer right now) and have 8 logins on it. Can I still just follow your procedure and hopefully have it "see" my old logins? I don't really care if I lose the new logins - heck, there are so few (and most are the old login info anyhow, that I managed to remember) that I can just copy those down before doing your procedure and then add back in later. But I really need to have it see my old logins!
Hi Anonymoose,
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
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-run-firefox-when-profile-missing-inaccessible
Thank You.
Hi Shashank,
No, there is no "old firefox" folder on my desktop.
Did you ever previously used a newer Firefox version ?
Firefox 57 and older use key3.db for the encryption key and Firefox 58 and later use key4.db.
You can check if you have a logins.json.corrupt file in the profile folder.
If that is the case then try to remove key4.db and rename logins.json.corrupt to logins.json to see if that has effect.
Make sure to keep a backup copy of all three files (logins.json and key4.db and key3.db).
Otherwise try to reinstall Firefox 56.0.2 to see if that brings back the passwords.
You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.
- Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
See also: