Firefox forgets passwords and usernames! How can I retrieve them?
firefox remembered passwords and usernames from different websites. They were stored in firefox for so long I forgot them. It's very complicated retrieving them, thus I would like to know where the heck they went? why did this happen? I can't access my accounts!!! and we are NOT talking about google accounts.
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I just upgraded to 6.0.2 recently (a week or so ago). I've been getting the same thing happening. I have a suspicion that something is killing the cookies. Check in Tools / Options / Security / Saved Passwords and see if all your passwords are still there. If they are, I think you might have a corrupt installation of FireFox.
What worked for me is backups of FireFox using MozBackup (http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/). I backup both FireFox and Thunderbird EVERY SINGLE TIME I reboot my computer.
Close FireFox. Backup your entire FireFox installation using MozBackup. Uninstall FireFox (make sure all remnants are off your harddrive.) Do a brand-new, clean install of FireFox. Restore all the settings from the backup. AND, this is the step that you probably won't be able to do unless you've been using MozBackup right along ... restore JUST passwords and cookies from an earlier version of backed up FireFox (mine was 4.0.??). I've noticed a huge difference in the file sizes of the backups between today and a month ago (version 4.0.??).
As I said, I've got nothing but a gut instinct and 13 years of senior computer helpdesk experience; but, something tells me something is killing the cookies. Sounds like a good title for a murder mystery ... doesn't it !!
I just noticed that the cookies are gone again ... obviously they're being deleted while the program is running. Obviously, a BIG problem.
Barb
FireFox 6.0.2 on top of Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 3
Modified by moose53
Hi moose53,
yes the passwords are still there. I have a mac and it looks like mozbackup is for windows only.
Unfortunately I'm not a developer and can't really do much to help solve the problem. If mozilla and the community don't find a solution to this I'll stop using the browser and switch to something else ... chrome perhaps. This is extremely annoying!
Thanks for the help!!!
Do you still see the passwords in the Password Manager?
- Firefox > Preferences > Security: Passwords: "Saved Passwords" > "Show Passwords"
- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Password_Manager
- https://support.mozilla.com/kb/make-firefox-remember-usernames-and-passwords
Make sure that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode.
- https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Private+Browsing
- You enter Private Browsing mode if you select: Firefox > Preferences > Privacy > History: Firefox will: "Never Remember History"
- To see all History and Cookie settings, choose: Firefox > Preferences > Privacy, choose the setting Firefox will: Use custom settings for history
- Deselect: [ ] "Permanent Private Browsing mode"
Hi cor-el,
yes I see the passwords and no, I'm not in Private Browsing mode.
Firefox simply doesn't "autofill" the fields "username" and "password" for certain websites even if I tell the browser to remember them.
Just today everything disappeared from Yahoo.
Grrrrrrrrr!
Start Firefox in Diagnose Firefox issues using Troubleshoot Mode to check if one of the extensions is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox (Tools) > Add-ons > Appearance/Themes).
- Don't make any changes on the Safe mode start window.
- https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Safe+Mode