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finding Sync Recovery Key

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  • 24 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Steelbreese

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I have a working Firefox Sync account with 3 computers synced. That is, I already have working 3 computers with a working Sync account across them. I want to add a 4th computer, but I need my recovery key. I don't have it. The instructions say, To get a copy of my Recovery Key, I need to "At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button and then click options, then Sync, then Manage Account." I can't find a Firefox button with any choice of Options. There is an Options choice under Tools, but under Sync, but there is no Manage Account button. I can't start over and re-register because Firefox says my email account already has an account (I agree). Please, where is this Manage Account button?

I have a working Firefox Sync account with 3 computers synced. That is, I already have working 3 computers with a working Sync account across them. I want to add a 4th computer, but I need my recovery key. I don't have it. The instructions say, To get a copy of my Recovery Key, I need to "At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button and then click options, then Sync, then Manage Account." I can't find a Firefox button with any choice of Options. There is an Options choice under Tools, but under Sync, but there is no Manage Account button. I can't start over and re-register because Firefox says my email account already has an account (I agree). Please, where is this Manage Account button?

All Replies (20)

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If sync is set up on a computer and working then you should be able to access the sync settings including the sync key in Firefox or Tools > Options > Sync

You can find the Password of the Sync account and the Sync Key in the password manager on computers where have setup that sync account with a specific e-mail address.

  • Tools > Options > Security: Passwords: "Saved Passwords" > "Show Passwords"

Look for:

  • chrome://weave (Mozilla Services Password)
  • chrome://weave (Mozilla Services Encryption Passphrase)
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"If sync is set up on a computer and working then you should be able to access the sync settings including the sync key in Firefox or Tools > Options > Sync " When I follow Tools.Options>Sync, I am given 2 choices-Set Up Firefox Sync (which invites me to Create an Account or I have an Account), or Pair A Device. Nothing that says Manage Account. All choices eventually ask for my Recovery Key. Following Tools > Options > Security: Passwords: "Saved Passwords" > "Show Passwords" gives me my password, but I already have my password. I need my recovery key, which Firefox keeps telling me is under Manage Account. Where is Manage Account?

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Sync hasn't been setup if you get the window to pair a device, so you won't be able to retrieve the sync key from such a computer.

Did you check this on the other computers that you stated have working sync account?

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I can find no Manage account when i click on sync options. I cannot set up sync no matter what. There is a program error that requires someone's attention. I've tried everything.

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dehuth-@-gmail.com

Please provide a screenshot of the Options > Sync window.

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As you can see there is no Manage Account option.

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That is a Sync Setup dialog - it looks like Sync isn't completely set up on that PC yet. Are you able to click the Done button?

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I can click the done button, but to no avail. It is possible that a recent crash caused me to reinstall programs and I may have lost the setup. However, I would have thought that the set up sync would have allowed me to start over. No?

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What do you see in the Firefox or Tools menu?

If Sync hasn't been set up then you have a "Set Up Sync" entry in the Firefox menu and in the Tools menu.
If Sync has been set up and is working then that entry changes to "Sync Now".
So you can check this on each computer to see if there is one that has been set up properly.

That computer should have the sync key saved in the password manager.

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--I have "Set up Sync" in both the Firefox menu and the Options menu, I don't have a tools menu.

--If I click on "Set up Firefox Sync" in the options menu under Sync a popup appears offering 2 choices "Create a New Account" or "I have an account". If I click on the latter, the "Pair a device" window appears asking me to activate with the code provided by going to the other machine and entering it. If I do, I'm asked to sign in and provide a recovery code, which I cannot do because i cannot access a "Mange my account" function. In short, apparently I no longer have anything to recover, but am prevented from starting anew.

If I try to create a new account using the only e-add that I have It tells me the address is already in use.

Catch 22 comes to mind. Any suggestions how to dodge the program's paranoia?

Regards, Don

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You can click "I don't have the device with me" at the bottom to enter the account settings (email, password, sync key).

Both devices need to be online at the same time if you want to pair a device with the (3x4) 12-character code and sync needs to be set up and working on at least one (desktop) computer.

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That's the problem. Firefox sync isn't working on my desktop and the laptop is new. Thus, as I keep saying, I cannot get a recovery code and need to find a way to reestablish the Sync function.

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i have this problem too, which adds too much trouble for syn, who can help with this? Firefox 17 sucks.

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I had the same issue; my tablet was the initiating sync device when I set it up, and I rooted it and all data was lost. My PC was syncing to it, but the "Set up Sync" button never went away, and I had to initiate syncs from my tablet.

Trying to set up a new device, both pc and tablet gave codes and wouldn't let me type them in; my account was set up and thus my email was already taken.

I fixed this by clicking "lost my device" multiple times in the set-up page of my PC firefox, after typing in email and password. It generated a new recovery code for me. Typed that into my tablet and it registered, then I had to re-pair the devices using the code displayed on the desktop and putting it into my tablet.

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I've tried everything but standing on my head and whistling Dixie. I finally tried to set up a new pairing but every time I generated a new key by clicking on Lost my Device, Firefox rejected the key as being invalid. I tried three times with the same result. I may have to give up on Firefox and go to Chrome unless someone in the programming section of Mozilla straightens out this problem.

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I have the same problem -no manage account option anywhere, can't use my email address because it's already in use, exactly the same thing. I've gone through every single hoop described in this section and everything I can think of except for sacrificing a goat. I'd wanted to use FFA but clearly...it just isn't going to work.

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I sympathize, but nothing will solve this problem without the direct intervention of the Firefox technical staff and I have seen no indication of their interest in fixing this anomaly.

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You can look at this modified version of the about:synckey extension.

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I don't want free file hosting

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I have uploaded a modified version of that extension because the original is broken in current Firefox releases and uses the wrong function call to get the sync key (should be: hyphenatePassphrase(Weave.Identity.syncKey))

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