How to get settings back? Suddenly EVERYTHING (bookmarks, passwords, addons,..) is gone!
Hi everyone,
Recently I was cleaning some malware/viruses/spyware/worms and all other nasty files located on hard drive of computer. Actually I still have them but this is NOT the purpose of my message. The problem is that I lost everything in Firefox. All my bookmarks that I cannot live without are gone. ALL. Each and every bookmark is gone. Saved passwords are gone. Addons are gone. Online banking certificate is gone. Also when I click CTRL T to add new tab in same window I get extremely annoying squares (3 lines and each line with 5 squares) which are graphically showing websites I have visited. Please if someone could help me to get everything back, particularly bookmarks are extremely important.
I tried to do three possible tasks but neither of them worked.
TASK ONE:
Usage of about:<wbr>profiles command in address bar but it is reporting error message saying The address isn't valid.
TASK TWO (consisting of multiple steps):
step 1: finding old firefox profiles I could manage to find. I hope they are NOT all otherwise I am in huge trouble. Hopefully something was overlooked and you will see why in upcoming steps.
step 2: clicking Open menu icon on the left hand side of firefox consisting of three horizontal lines and click Open Help Menu icon and then click Troubleshooting Information
step 3: clicking about:profiles in section Application Basics. Here I then added every single profile I am aware of via button Create A New Profile
step 4: for each of profile I got listed, I clicked on Launch profile in new browser and my bookmarks, together with other settings (online banking certificate, saved passwords, addons,...) were NOT ( !!! ) there. In neither of profile. I pray that I overlooked some saved profile...
TASK THREE:
Bookmarks menu\Show All Bookmarks\Import And Backup\Restore. However, In this submenu Restore there is nothing to be restored.
Someone please help me as I really need to get, particularly but not only bookmarks, back.
Waiting extremely anxiously for your reply...
Thank you in advance a billion times!
Modified by SadPerson0
Chosen solution
Delete that file as soon as you can. It has your private information.
In the folder; Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414 you only have the Key3.db file. Not good.
Folder Profiles\tb7y8mdi.Default User2 has nothing.
Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670 has both the Key3.db and the logins.json files. With Firefox closed, Copy both to your current profile.
Read this answer in context 👍 0All Replies (7)
Analyzing entire folder Profiles located on the following path:
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles
The following files are old enough (note: old enough means 20th July 2017 and before when i still had the settings including bookmarks):
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\gmp-gmpopenh264\1.6\gmpopenh264.dll
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\gmp-gmpopenh264\1.6\gmpopenh264.info
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\gmp-widevinecdm\1.4.8.903\LICENSE.txt
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\gmp-widevinecdm\1.4.8.903\manifest.json
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\gmp-widevinecdm\1.4.8.903\widevinecdm.dll
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\gmp-widevinecdm\1.4.8.903\widevinecdm.dll.lib
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\qlgg77nz.default-1500678382414\logins.json
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\bookmarkbackups\[A lot of files here and I don't know which one and HOW and where to choose but all those files are JSONLZ4]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\copyurlsexpert\urls.templates
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\datareporting\archived\2017-06\[Same thing with JSONLZ4 files]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\datareporting\archived\2017-07\[Same thing with JSONLZ4 files]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\datareporting\state.json
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\extensions\[Many XPI files inside]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\features\{a5c45b6d-3997-4cff-a586-d6139f5ee862}\followonsearch@mozilla.com.xpi
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\features\{a5c45b6d-3997-4cff-a586-d6139f5ee862}\shield-recipe-client@mozilla.org.xpi
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\gmp-eme-adobe\17\eme-adobe.dll
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\gmp-eme-adobe\17\eme-adobe.info
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\gmp-eme-adobe\17\eme-adobe.voucher
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\gmp-gmpopenh264\1.6\gmpopenh264.dll
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\gmp-gmpopenh264\1.6\gmpopenh264.info
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\gmp-widevinecdm\1.4.8.903\[4 files inside - i am simplifying those and not naming every single file]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\healthreport\state.json
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\healthreport\state.json
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\minidumps\[3 files inside]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\storage\[several files inside]
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670\webapps\webapps.json
For the files directly inside the following folder:
C:\Users\Uporabnik\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\t4vp2qx6.default-1446832988670
is screenshot link here:
Regarding logins.json and key3.db files: I already copied them to the current profile according to FredMcD's instructions above - please see his message. If you are referring to any other file with same name or even different source/destination then kindly let me know.
You also said I should use in Run full math to firefox.exe. I did so and I didn't get error message anymore but this full path actually opened firefox browser and NOT ( ! ) Profile Manager window.
JSCHER2000: I tried all three with using button Launch Profile In New Browser but it didn't get my settings back
SadPerson0 said
JSCHER2000: I tried all three with using button Launch Profile In New Browser but it didn't get my settings back
In my testing, that button does not work: it opens a new window in the currently active profile. You need to use the method I mentioned in order to test other profiles.
jscher2000 said
SadPerson0 saidJSCHER2000: I tried all three with using button Launch Profile In New Browser but it didn't get my settings backIn my testing, that button does not work: it opens a new window in the currently active profile. You need to use the method I mentioned in order to test other profiles.
Hmmm this basically partially solved a problem but lets go one by one:
Squares/thumbnails: fortunately they are gone. When i press ctrl T i don't have them anymore which is surely good.
Certificate: it wasn't restored but fortunately due to security reasons I had its backup on external hard drive. I had to import it and it is now back (manually imported by me).
Bookmarks (most important!): all of them are fortunately back. Each and every bookmark, I was so much worried for, is finally, thanks to God and to you a million times, back.
Saved passwords: this is now the biggest problem. I don't have backup as i had (and still have) for certificate. Neither of passwords are restored and I am still unable to log in into those relevant websites. I tried to guess that file logins.json is correct one and i copied it from previous profile to this current one and passwords are NOT restored. How else do I get them back?
These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.
These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/febe/ FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension)
FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backups of files that you choose.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/opie/ OPIE
Import/Export extension preferences
You need to copy the matching key3.db as well since this file stores the encryption key that is needed to decrypt the passwords and without this file no access is possible.
For the certificates there is the cert8.db file.
See also:
When this is all over;
These can't get your data back, but will help in the future.
These add-ons can be a great help by backing up and restoring Firefox
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/febe/ FEBE (Firefox Environment Backup Extension)
FEBE allows you to quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions, history, passwords, and more. In fact, it goes beyond just backing up -- It will actually rebuild your saved files individually into installable .xpi files. It will also make backups of files that you choose.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/opie/ OPIE
Import/Export extension preferences
Ok thank you. Passwords are back too via your mentioned file key3.db.
Thank you very much for your assistance. Much appreciated!