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How to batch remove login/password entries - Still not possible.

  • 11 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 11 views
  • Last reply by gh12113

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Before you reply, look at the last lines if you do not want to make fools of yourselves (by answering a question that was not asked).

Two or three years ago, a number of people complained about the lack (loss of possibility) of removing many login/passwords entries. I believe you could do that a few years back, before the infamous Lockwise.

As of today (14 Feb 2021), you have to delete unwanted entries ONE BY ONE, confirming each with a click. Typically designed for tablets and phones, forgetting that the desktop-rest-of-us still can use a keyboard shortcuts and such.

For example, if you want to remove cookies that relate to SITENAME, you just have to go to the Manage Data section of cookies, type in SITENAME, select all, then remove the selection. Done in 1'.

Currently, solutions that are still recommended are:

- reset the key password, hence deleting ALL passwords - remove the logins.json file

I do not want that, because (as for the requests I have seen on this topic https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1276054), I have around 950 logins stored in there (yes, been using firefox for more than 15 years, and Netscape before that).

So, no, I don't want to remove everything ; no, I do not want to spend even 30' clicking.

G.

Before you reply, look at the last lines if you do not want to make fools of yourselves (by answering a question that was not asked). Two or three years ago, a number of people complained about the lack (loss of possibility) of removing many login/passwords entries. I believe you could do that a few years back, before the infamous Lockwise. As of today (14 Feb 2021), you have to delete unwanted entries ONE BY ONE, confirming each with a click. Typically designed for tablets and phones, forgetting that the desktop-rest-of-us still can use a keyboard shortcuts and such. For example, if you want to remove cookies that relate to SITENAME, you just have to go to the Manage Data section of cookies, type in SITENAME, select all, then remove the selection. Done in 1'. Currently, solutions that are still recommended are: - reset the key password, hence deleting ALL passwords - remove the logins.json file I do not want that, because (as for the requests I have seen on this topic https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1276054), I have around 950 logins stored in there (yes, been using firefox for more than 15 years, and Netscape before that). So, no, I don't want to remove everything ; no, I do not want to spend even 30' clicking. G.

All Replies (11)

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It's still a pain point.

Since the last thread you mentioned, Export and Import have been added to the Lockwise UI (in Firefox 80). That creates the possibility for bulk editing in an external editor. I haven't tried it myself, but that would involve:

(1) Export to CSV (Export login data from Firefox)

(2) Edit the CSV file in a text editor to remove unwanted lines

(3) Exit Firefox and rename or delete the logins.json file (Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data)

(4) Restart Firefox and import the edited CSV file (Import login and password data from a file)

If you use Sync, though, hmm, I don't know whether Firefox might restore the deleted logins via Sync.

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Thanks Jefferson.

I will not use your suggestion - not sure what it will do - whether it is bullet proof. It's helpful though.

What I really do not understand is:

(1) I quite remember a few years back that what I suggest (editing as for cookies) was possible. Why would they design a new interface without preserving the previous one (or building on it).

(2) The old interface is there AND what has been asked before me, to have a similar one, should not be that difficult.

You probably can't tell (unless your are working for Mozilla), but would LOVE to hear from the devs.

G.

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Someone did some UI design work on this last year, but it's prioritized as a P3 feature request, so that's probably why no one has implemented -- there are more than enough P1 and P2 bugs to keep the developers busy. https://mozilla.invisionapp.com/share/QJW6R7IMKFC#/screens/407076670

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Thanks again.

I am leaving this thread open so that people can post a "me too", so that maybe it will become p2 over the next ten years. Or go to P4.

G.

Modified by gh12113

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I created an account to ask this very question. gh12113 you are not alone!

Another thread on this site had a link to a relevant ticket (https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1208194) and ended on a cheery note suggesting that interested parties should go vote for the ticket.

So I created a mozilla-bugzilla account too (BTW all this is adding to my saved-login debt) to go do my democratic duty. The ticket appears to be shelved. Perhaps it will be reactivated when its blocker ticket is delivered. There is no way of knowing. All the activity on the bug is people footling around with its status and assignment.

Is not possible to vote for the bug.

I don't think that's very good. The ticket ought really to be votable. A suggestion like jscher2000's most recent somewhere in a comment would also have been welcome, although it doesn't help me. I'm using Firefox 86 where "import logins from file" is not an option in Lockwise.

"Oh but Tim, why are you using an old version of Firefox?"

Pretty much an endless stream of UX-churn issues like this, is why. I only recently moved up to 86, and have just recovered the ability to have my tab-bar next to the page content. I absolutely ph33r the latest insanity where tabs no longer even look like tabs.

IMHO (you will find no opinion humbler) it's time for the dev team to recognise that the dwindling population of Firefox users are power users, and adjust their priorities to that reality. Or perhaps they're just held in rapt fascination by the sight of all that dwindling.

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firefox1490 said

A suggestion like jscher2000's most recent somewhere in a comment would also have been welcome, although it doesn't help me. I'm using Firefox 86 where "import logins from file" is not an option in Lockwise.

You need to toggle a preference to enable it -- it is disabled by default. See the note at the end of the article I linked earlier: Import login and password data from a file.

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Firefox 79+ comes with an export to CSV feature (78 needs a userContent.css hack). Firefox 80+ comes with an import from CSV feature (may need a pref flip).

The LoginExport.jsm module is present in Firefox 78, but hasn't been enabled and you need code in userContent.css to get the export menu entry in the cogwheel menu in Lockwise.

The LoginExport.jsm module is present in Firefox 78, but hasn't been enabled and you need code in userContent.css to get the export menu entry in the cogwheel menu in Lockwise.

@-moz-document url-prefix("about:logins"){button.menuitem-import, button.menuitem-export {display:inline-block!important}}

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Thanks jscher2000 & cor-el, I'll see how that goes. Cautiously optimistic.

Since my earlier post I deleted another tranche of logins, and for some of them I also wanted to clear cookies. I think the cookie deletion model would have been a good one for Lockwise to adopt:

  • select cookies to delete -- arbitrary multiple selection is possible using Ctrl and Shift to extend
  • indicate that you want to delete them
  • they only really get deleted when you press 'save changes', and you're first shown all the selections you made.

Having the same operational interface for managing these and similar lists would be a good look for an application.

My inner pessimist thinks it's more likely that the cookie management system will be made to resemble Lockwise, though.

Even small affordances like "delete key on a selected login brings up the Really? prompt, then focus returns to the login list" and "arrow keys navigate within the list" would help, allowing logins to be deleted with just the keyboard.

Have to stop, going to get all riled up again.

Thanks again, Tim

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You can use "Forget About This Site" to remove all data for an origin (protocol and hostname) including saved logins.

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Last from me: the procedure above WFMed like a beaut. Just to recap here's what jscher2000 & cor-el said, which saw me right with Firefox 86:

  • in about:config toggle signon.management.page.fileImport.enabled to true.
  • restart firefox (the import from file option appears after restart)
  • export logins as CSV
  • edit the CSV file, deleting what you don't need
  • in about:logins use the more button at top-right to get the menu
  • check that you see import from file, but don't use it
  • instead choose Remove All Logins; convince the browser that you mean business by checking the Yes box and hitting the remove button
  • use the more button again and this time use import from file

The reason for doing remove all first is that import from file merges rather than replacing your existing logins.

\o/ Hurrah for our team!

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Thanks to firefox1490, it looks like there is a workaround.

I am still keeping the question open, because the workaround is not a good solution for the everyday user. It still requires a lot of knowledge and confidence for a user to apply it.

Gilbert