I've lost access to my Sync account.
I installed Kubuntu 11.04 on both my laptop and my desktop at the same time, without thinking of the consequences for my Firefox Sync account. I have my password and username, but cannot sync one computer with another, because both have no bookmarks in them yet. My bookmarks, I assume, are on the Sync server, which I cannot connect to on either machine, again, because they're both fresh installations. I cannot create a new sync account with my email address either, as I already have one.
How do I get the information back, or get my computers connected back up to Sync?
All Replies (6)
See this:
https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/add-a-device-to-firefox-sync
Besides the username and password for your Sync account, you're going to need your Sync Key. Without the correct Sync Key, Firefox can't decrypt your data as it is downloaded from the Sync server.
So then I'm screwed, basically. I don't have a sync key because neither system has its old, original bookmarks or is connected to Sync. Had it installed Kubuntu on one, done the sync, and then done the other, it would be fine, but because I had to wipe out both installations and start from scratch,
I cannot retrieve the Sync key because I cannot sync either computer with each other (they are both fresh installs) and in order to attach Firefox to a sync account you need to have something to sync to, by the looks of it. Unless you're starting a new account, which I can't facilitate, because my email is already attached to the old one.
Crap.
Thank you for the effort replying, however.
Without the proper Sync Key your data is useless. The Sync Key is used for encryption on the upload to the server and decryption of the download from the server. Nobody has your Sync Key except for you - only you can read the data that is synchronized, unlike other "sync" services like Xmarks or Delicious. It is stored in the Password files, and the user is prompted to print a page with the Sync Key on it when the set up of the Sync service is completed on each PC that is setup for the service.
You can reset your account on the Sync server (so you don't need a 2nd email address) and get a new Sync Key, but your data will be erased from the server when you do that.
Modified by the-edmeister
Thanks! I suppose I can live with losing my bookmarks, there were not a huge quantity of them, but I would love to have my sync account working again. I'll look for a link to reset the account.
See this for instructions for resetting your Sync account and to get a new Sync Key. Make sure you print out the page with the Sync Key and hide it somewhere.