This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Primary password reset on 90.0.2 goes intoo a loop

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

When I try to reset the primary password, I can get a new password - the only problem is that this new password is not accepted when I try set a new login into a web site. It looks like there are two different passwords: one for "Firefox Accounts" and one for "Firefox Logins". How to reset the latter one when they differ. There is a kind of deadly embrace! Not to forget that the access to the support can be on the same email address with a totally different password.

Is a start from scratch with a completely new profile a possible solution?

When I try to reset the primary password, I can get a new password - the only problem is that this new password is not accepted when I try set a new login into a web site. It looks like there are two different passwords: one for "Firefox Accounts" and one for "Firefox Logins". How to reset the latter one when they differ. There is a kind of deadly embrace! Not to forget that the access to the support can be on the same email address with a totally different password. Is a start from scratch with a completely new profile a possible solution?

Chosen solution

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-your-primary-password-if-youve-forgotten-it leading to chrome://pippki/content/resetpassword.xhtml worked a treat. Now some hard work reinstalling the logins and associated passwords

feedback!

Read this answer in context 👍 0

All Replies (6)

more options

The Primary Password is only used locally to encrypt the passwords stored in Lockwise (logins.json in the profile folder) and never leaves the computer (i.e. isn't part of syncing logins).

The password for the Firefox Account used for connecting to Sync is different and is used to encrypt all profile data locally before it is uploaded to the Sync server.

In case of issues try to login to the Firefox Account via this website.

more options

Thanks for your advice. It confirms there are two 2 different items (Lockwise and Sync) and two separate passwords. My problem is with the Lockwise one. The help article (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-primary-password-protect-stored-logins) is very clear and useful, provided you still know the Primary Password. It is needed when you want to change or remove it. If you do not remember it what is the next step ? Can a tweak into the profile or a profile delete and set up of a new one sort the problem. Would last resort be a full reinstall of Firefox?

more options

You will have to reset the Primary Password or rename/remove logins.json and key4.db in the Firefox profile folder if you do not remember the PP. This causes all current logins to get lost unless they are still on another device. If you are connected to Sync then best is to disconnect this device and possibly backup the logins on the other device.

See also:

more options

Chosen Solution

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-your-primary-password-if-youve-forgotten-it leading to chrome://pippki/content/resetpassword.xhtml worked a treat. Now some hard work reinstalling the logins and associated passwords

feedback!

more options

I am sorry I have to somehow reopen the question. After resetting/erasing the Primary Password and changing my account password, I reinstated a few logins/passwords without setting a Primary Password (untick box Use a Primary Password in Settings/Privacy & Security/Logins and Passwords). So far so good. When I ticked the box, a Primary Password request popped up I gave a brand new password different from the account one.

Then trouble started again: password not accepted for signing into Lockwise and password not accepted for signing into my Firefox account. I tried all possibilities; none worked.

Are there really two different passwords? I begin to be suspicious when I see 3 versions of basically the same panel asking to sign into "Account Settings", "Firefox Sync", "Pocket". Even more suspicious when the panel quote: "One account, many services" (and this includes Lockwise). One single password for the lot would make sense.... but that would also mean the same Primary Password for Lockwise on all synced systems is stored remotely.

I believe this was not the initial intention; see https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-primary-password-protect-stored-logins "Multiple devices/profiles: Primary passwords are set locally and are not synced between profiles or devices. If you use more than one device or profile, those use separate primary passwords".

more options

If you set a Primary Password via "Settings -> Privacy & Security" then this PP only works in a PP prompt like when you get if you open Lockwise (about:logins) or, if you use Sync, when you start Firefox to unlock the passwords and make it possible to access the credentials of the Sync account stored in the Password Manager (this "chrome://FirefoxAccounts" entry is not visible in Lockwise, but is stored in logins.json). You only need to enter the password for the Sync account if you need to (re)connect to Sync because you disconnected Sync or possibly if you visit the "accounts.firefox.com" website.