I agree... Imagine your email account or phone resetting and erasing all data after a password reset. smh

This is a result of how Sync has been implemented.

If you reset the password for the Mozilla account because you do not remember this password, then that will remove all data stored on the Sync server because this password is used to encrypt your data locally before it is uploaded to the Sync server and only this password or a possible recovery key that you created earlier can decrypt this data. I.e. only encrypted data leaves you computer and only you know the password (encryption key).

I'm a software developer so I understand what you mean, but at least, please, a f*cking warning before the user resetting their password "hey, stupid forgetful user, all your passwords and bookmarks will be wiped out if you set a new password!"

If I had known that all my data would be deleted, I would have looked for my old password because I have it somewhere and there would have been no problem. Or I would have registered a new Mozilla account with a different email address, just in case I find the password one day.

But the fact that my data is deleted without any warning with a new password is completely unacceptable.

I think that Firefox shows a warning when you try to reset the password, maybe you used a way that bypasses this warning.

Not a single warning at all. This is the dialog I can see. And nothing in the email either.

That's unacceptable!

Yeah, on the very last page there is a warning: . . . you may lose some . . .

But this is not a "may", but 100% wiped out

Thank you HK for giving us those screenshots! We can use them as evidence. We can't apologize enough for what's happened to your passwords and bookmarks & we're just volunteers on here giving support.

Many years ago all the support helpers on this site warned Mozilla to stop advertising Sync or Mozilla Accounts as a backup service. It truly is not a backup service due to the way it acts. You can't even export any data from your sync account for a future data restore process. You can only sync a new device to your account and have it copy your data there.

Make it clear to users that Sync is not for backup (posted in 2022): https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/make-it-clear-to-users-that-sync-is-not-backup/idi-p/17450

I believe they listened to us at the time and added a better warning but I'll have to go thru the bugs filed over the years to see if they actually did it. Most of the time the Sync/Mozilla Account developers agree with us, we agree on strong language to warn the user what will happen when they reset the password but then someone from the UX dept overrides us and adds softer language because they say our warning is "too scary". The fact that it says the user MAY lose some data is absolutely ridiculous! As you are GUARANTEED to lose all Firefox browser data when you perform a password reset.

Stronger language like this is needed: Permanent deletion of Firefox data If you continue to reset your password, you will lose ALL your Firefox data including bookmarks, passwords, tabs, addons, form history, autofill data, whatever, whatever. This erased data is UNRECOVERABLE. Once again, if you choose to continue to reset your password, all your Firefox data will be erased and it can not be recovered at all.

I will file a bug about this & add it to this thread so you can track it as well. I have a feeling we're going to go thru the same rodeo again of UX people trying to soften the language dramatically. This is not a game. This is serious business.

There was a Firefox AMA earlier this summer. Some Mozilla staff that looked like they had some decision making power were there answering questions. I will try to reach out to some of those people to explain the seriousness of the problem. I just hope someone doesn't come along 2 or 3 years later and soften/tone down the reset password/data loss language again.

Sidenote: When you did a Windows clean install, I know you definitely backed up some data. But these days you have to backup your browser data as well. Since it has your passwords & bookmarks. It's got to become a mandatory part of your backup routine. Entrusting that important things saved to the cloud will be available when you finish reinstalling a OS is not the best move. I think you should always distrust the cloud and outsmart the cloud. Backup your data physically on another external drive, usb stick, etc. As now you'll have another backup copy in case the cloud version disappears.

As for me, I've never trusted any online cloud backup including Google Drive or Microsoft Onedrive. So I don't rely on those for any kind of data backup. I also don't use Firefox Sync aka Mozilla Account for any kind of data backup of my browser files. I instinctively know it will go poof one day. Even if I don't reset my password, I still believe it would lose my data due to some future catastrophe.