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

My passwords and master password disappeared just now for no reason.

  • 5 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by Budieus

more options

For no reason I can see, my passwords disappeared. When I looked at options, security, the use master password was unchecked. I know it worked earlier today because I used it. I entered the master password but there was nothing there. The only thing I did unusual was to use a work around for this error message per one of your help people. "uses an invalid security certificate. The certificate is only valid for firefox.blog"

You can retrieve the certificate and check details like who issued certificates and expiration dates of certificates.

   Click the link at the bottom of the error page: "I Understand the Risks" 

Let Firefox retrieve the certificate: "Add Exception" -> "Get Certificate".

   Click the "View..." button and inspect the certificate and check who is the issuer. 

You can see more Details like intermediate certificates that are used in the Details pane.

For no reason I can see, my passwords disappeared. When I looked at options, security, the use master password was unchecked. I know it worked earlier today because I used it. I entered the master password but there was nothing there. The only thing I did unusual was to use a work around for this error message per one of your help people. "uses an invalid security certificate. The certificate is only valid for firefox.blog" You can retrieve the certificate and check details like who issued certificates and expiration dates of certificates. Click the link at the bottom of the error page: "I Understand the Risks" Let Firefox retrieve the certificate: "Add Exception" -> "Get Certificate". Click the "View..." button and inspect the certificate and check who is the issuer. You can see more Details like intermediate certificates that are used in the Details pane.

All Replies (5)

more options
more options

Are you still using the default profile?

If use master password gets unchecked then that can mean that the key3.db got replaced or corrupted or you may have created a new profile.

You can try to restore a previous version of the key3.db and signons.sqlite files.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

  • Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder
more options

Well yes the key3.db was deleted. I was told to do that by the person here who was helping me solve a problem. I was trying to get to the Mozilla News, new information page and kept getting an "unsafe" error message. I now restored the key3 but that didn't help. I also tried to follow your suggestion here but am totally lost. I will try the Microsoft suggestion too.

more options

Which problems did you have that might have required to delete the key3.db file?

You will have to restore both key3.db and signons.sqlite to get the passwords working again.
Deleting the key3.db file may have gotten Firefox to reset or clear the signons.sqlite file and then in that case the old key3.db file won't work.

more options

I was told by someone here to delete both of these who was trying to solve the problem that I was getting when I clicked on a link in Mozilla News. I got an error message that the page was unsafe. I did try to create a new profile but I was so lost that I gave up and clicked reset Firefox. I think that solved it except last night it seemed so slow. I will see how it goes.

Modified by Budieus