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Sync won't load with Firefox...I have to sign in every time I start the browser.

  • 9 replies
  • 2 have this problem
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  • Last reply by Roxmarie

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Firefox doesn't sync automatically. This is on a Windows 10 computer; it doesn't happen on two other Windows 10 computers nor on my Android phone. Under Tools, instead of "Sync Now" it says "Sign In To Sync." After I hit the sign in button, it does so automatically, and syncing begins again. But after I shut down the browser, the next time I start it it goes back to not being signed in.

Firefox doesn't sync automatically. This is on a Windows 10 computer; it doesn't happen on two other Windows 10 computers nor on my Android phone. Under Tools, instead of "Sync Now" it says "Sign In To Sync." After I hit the sign in button, it does so automatically, and syncing begins again. But after I shut down the browser, the next time I start it it goes back to not being signed in.

All Replies (9)

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Hi MedievalGuy, usually your Sync credentials will be saved in Firefox's Password Manager. After saving the login, and also the next time Firefox doesn't log in, could you check here:

  • Windows: "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Options
  • Mac: "3-bar" menu button (or Firefox menu) > Preferences
  • Linux: "3-bar" menu button (or Edit menu) > Preferences
  • Any system: type or paste about:preferences into the address bar and press Enter/Return to load it

In the left column, click "Privacy & Security".

Then on the right side, click the "Saved Logins" button.

My general question is: is there a problem retaining this information between sessions, or is the information retained but not used during the next session?

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Actually, if you can sign in without having to re-enter your username and password, the information is being retained but not used automatically. Hmm, why would that be?

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jscher2000 said

Actually, if you can sign in without having to re-enter your username and password, the information is being retained but not used automatically. Hmm, why would that be?

Yes, it's very puzzling to me. I'm just hoping that somebody more knowledgeable about the inner workings of FIrefox can come up with an explanation of how such a thing is possible! (And more importantly, of course, how to fix it!)

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Do you use Firefox's Password Manager for anything else? If so, does it have the same behavior of not signing in automatically? There is a setting to prevent automatic signons you could check:

(1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk.

(2) In the search box above the list, type or paste signon and pause while the list is filtered

(3) If the signon.autofillForms preference is bolded and "modified" or "user set" to false, double-click it to restore the default value of true

If that keeps getting set, possibly some security software is doing it.

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jscher2000 said

Do you use Firefox's Password Manager for anything else? If so, does it have the same behavior of not signing in automatically? There is a setting to prevent automatic signons you could check: (1) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button promising to be careful or accepting the risk. (2) In the search box above the list, type or paste signon and pause while the list is filtered (3) If the signon.autofillForms preference is bolded and "modified" or "user set" to false, double-click it to restore the default value of true If that keeps getting set, possibly some security software is doing it.

No, signon.autofillForms is as it should be.

I have a few entries in the Password Manager, but I'm not sure how often it gets used since I depend on LastPass for most of my password-filling.

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MedievalGuy said

I have a few entries in the Password Manager, but I'm not sure how often it gets used since I depend on LastPass for most of my password-filling.

Try disabling the Last Pass extension and see if your login to Sync then works as it is designed to work.

If it then OK, make sure that Last Pass is the latest version or contact Last Pass support for answers.

There have been a couple of fairly recent changes to Sync and the makeup of Sync login credentials security "keys"; maybe Last Pass hasn't been updated to reflect those changes.

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the-edmeister said

MedievalGuy said
I have a few entries in the Password Manager, but I'm not sure how often it gets used since I depend on LastPass for most of my password-filling.

Try disabling the Last Pass extension and see if your login to Sync then works as it is designed to work.

If it then OK, make sure that Last Pass is the latest version or contact Last Pass support for answers.

There have been a couple of fairly recent changes to Sync and the makeup of Sync login credentials security "keys"; maybe Last Pass hasn't been updated to reflect those changes.

Disabling LastPass has no effect...

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Still don't know what caused it, but I was able to brute-force fix it by using MozBackup to transfer the settings from my office computer to the home one. So I lost everything that was unique to the home computer (especially browser history, i.e., followed links), but it's now working as it should.

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I have the same problem, I must login every time. The only working way is delete al the data about sync and then sign in again. Is there a solution for this problem.