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All passwords are lost

  • 8 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 4 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

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Firefox crashed - and when I re-opened it all my passwords are gone. Every site I go to is asking me to login -is there a way to retrieve all the passwords?

Firefox crashed - and when I re-opened it all my passwords are gone. Every site I go to is asking me to login -is there a way to retrieve all the passwords?

All Replies (8)

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Hello there,

FYI i have found a similar article in the link below which might help: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1023258

Give those steps a try and keep us posted on the progress.

Thanks

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This could be a problem with special "remember me" cookies that were cleared.

Do you mean names and passwords in the Password Manager or do you mean that you are no longer logged on to (*Tools > Options > Security: Logins: "Saved Logins" > "Show Passwords"

There is a difference between remembering the name and password in the Password Manager and a "remember me" check box on a web page to log you in automatically. The latter usually involves the creation of a special "remember me" cookie that is stored on your computer and that is send to the server. If this "remember me" cookie is removed or gets corrupted or is not send to the server then the server won't remember you and you will have to sign in once again.

You can use these steps to make a website recognize and remember you:

  • You can create a cookie "Allow" exception to keep specific cookies, especially in case of secure websites and when cookies expire when Firefox is closed.
  • Tools > Options > Privacy > "Use custom settings for history" > Cookies: Exceptions

In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history.

  • do not clear the Cookies
  • do not clear the Site Preferences
  • clearing "Site Preferences" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exception for password and other website specific data
  • clearing cookies will remove all selected cookies including cookies with an "Allow" exception you may want to keep
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Thank you for those who replied - specifically the issue is with all sites that require a password - Amazon, Gmail, Yahoo mail, Netflix, etc.

After Firefox crashed and I re-opened it - all the sites mentioned above and others are now requiring User ID and passwords.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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Did you previously stored the passwords in the Firefox Password Manager?

If you did then are they still present there?

  • Tools > Options > Security: Logins: "Saved Logins" > "Show Passwords"
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Thank you again for your response

Yes - when I follow - Tools > Options > Security: Logins: "Saved Logins" > "Show Passwords"

I am able to see the passwords

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In that case it is likely that you lost all cookies for some reason if you or someone else that used the computer didn't do this.

Like i wrote above, a detail like a website remembering you (log you in automatically) is stored in a cookie. If cookies from a website are removed then this makes the website forget about you and you need to log in again.

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No - it was nothing I did (the sole user of the computer).

Firefox crashed and when I re-opened it - I was left with the situation I have described.

Are you saying that I have to re-enter all the passwords for the various sites?

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Unfortunately yes unless you would have a backup copy of the cookies.sqlite file that stores the cookies.