Question

"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?

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?

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.

dehuth-@-gmail.com

Please provide a screenshot of the Options > Sync window.

As you can see there is no Manage Account option.

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?

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?

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.

--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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

• http://www.freefilehosting.net/aboutsynckey-11-fnfx
• [/questions/942893]

I don't want free file hosting

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))

Sorry, but I don't understand: what does a file hosting download have to do with sync on firefox? I don't see any mention of sync or firefox at the site and am always reluctant to download unknown executable files. Can you just send me the fix?

Regards, don

You can install the original extension from the Add-ons site and edit the synckey.xhtml in the content folder of the xpi file (an xpi file is a zip archive) if you really do not want to download this small extension.
Change Weave.Service.passphrase to Weave.Identity.syncKey That is all that is needed to make the extension work again.

<script type="application/javascript;version=1.8"><![CDATA[
window.addEventListener("load", function onLoad() {
  window.removeEventListener("load", onLoad, false);
  Components.utils.import("resource://services-sync/main.js");
-  let synckey = Weave.Utils.hyphenatePassphrase(Weave.Service.passphrase);
+  let synckey = Weave.Utils.hyphenatePassphrase(Weave.Identity.syncKey);
  document.getElementById("synckey").textContent = synckey;
}, false);
]]></script>

So is there a solution to this general problem for everybody? I have it too. I syncd all my data on the firefox server before I reinstalled Windows and now I can't login again. I can't login because I don't have the Recovery Key, but I can't find out the Recovery Key because I am not logged in. Please give us the solution, we're all losing our history, data, bookmarks for a minor bug.

Rather than a continuous string of me toos by a growing number of users, perhaps it is time for Mozilla to correct the problem in its source code.

Daridan003 said
I can't login because I don't have the Recovery Key, but I can't find out the Recovery Key because I am not logged

You are the only person who has the Recovery Key (aka Sync Key); it is not stored by Mozilla with your Sync data.See the screenshot below for the message that you were given at the conclusion of the initial Sync set up procedure.

dehuth@gmail.com

On the desktop where you have Sync installed, open up Options > Security - > Passwords --> Saved Passwords - then hit Show Passwords

In the Search box at the top enter chrome://weave - under the 2nd entry labeled chrome://weave (Mozilla Services Encryption Passphrase) look at the Password field, minus the 5 hyphens (a hyphen after the first digit, the after every 5th digit). That is your Recovery Key (aka Sync Key).

I've tried the recovery key and it doesn't work

Does Firefox say it is the wrong key? If so, does Firefox say that with the first digits which are typed? If that is the case, can you ignore that message and type the complete "key" to completion?

No, after I enter the key it says it is not the right key.

Are you using the same sync account (email)?

Can you access that account here?

• https://services.mozilla.com/ Firefox Sync » Home
• https://account.services.mozilla.com/

No, I have the same account and yes, I can access both site. I'm assuming that you're suggesting that I can clear the sync data and re sync from my current computer configuration. Is that so? And, if so, I could have solved this problem long ago, had I known.

Regards, Don

A Solution: After reading the forum and suffering through many trials and errors, it occurred to me that it might be best if I just started over from scratch. That meant deleting my "Sync Account" on my computer. I did so by launching: https://account.services.mozilla.com

You'll need to log in. Then Click on "Delete Your Account" Type in your password Click "Delete My Account" to confirm. And done.

Now go back to the Preferences panel and select Sync and set up a new account. During set-up, you'll be presented with an opportunity to view "My Recovery Key". Make sure you either take a snapshot or write it down.

Once the account is set up, Firefox will inform you that it's building a data file and that you can continue to use Firefox. Allow some time and go to your mobile device and following the procedures for "Syncing Firefox". You'll be presented with the 3 codes that need to be entered into your computer when you initial the Sync process.

This worked perfectly for me the very first try and I completed syncing all my bookmarks, history, plug-ins and passwords for Firefox to my mobile device. And for good measure this involved an Intel Macintosh and a Samsung Galaxy Tablet (Android based), so even cross platform was not an issue.

Good luck.

Thank you SO much! I have been trying to resolve this same problem for months now. I could kiss you!

I too gave up and deleted my account, thanks

Don't know if this has already been posted but it is as simple as this:

To find your Recovery Key, complete the following steps in Firefox on a computer that already has your Sync account set up. If you don't have any synced devices close to you, see I've lost my Recovery Key.

   At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP) and then click Options
   Select the Sync panel.
   Click Manage Account and then select My Recovery Key. A window displaying your Recovery Key will open.