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can i retrieve lost passwords for websites from 4 weeks ago ?

Jon-Paul.Barden replied
Jon-Paul.Barden

Hello,

I had been using Firefox as my default browser for a few years ... around 4 weeks ago i had some updates on my work's laptop and somehow i have lost my saved passwords for websites that i use regurlarly.

is there a way of accessing them again ?

Kind Regards

Jon-Paul

Hello, I had been using Firefox as my default browser for a few years ... around 4 weeks ago i had some updates on my work's laptop and somehow i have lost my saved passwords for websites that i use regurlarly. is there a way of accessing them again ? Kind Regards Jon-Paul

All Replies (2)

Chosen Solution

Hi Jon-Paul,

Let’s try to get your passwords restored!

Method 1: Check for an Alternate Firefox Profile (Easiest) Firefox often isolates data by creating a clean profile after a major software update. You can swap back to your old profile with just a few clicks! - Open Firefox, type about:profiles into the address bar, and press Enter - .You will see a list of profiles (e.g., default, default-release, or a string of random letters). - Look for any profile that does not say "This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted.” - Scroll to that alternative profile and click the Launch profile in new browser button. - Check if your saved websites and passwords appear in that new window. - If they do, go back to the about:profiles page and click Set as default profile under that specific name.

Method 2: Look for an "Old Firefox Data" Folder If your IT department "refreshed" Firefox during the laptop update, it automatically creates a backup folder on your desktop. - Minimize all windows and look at your laptop's Desktop. - Look for a folder explicitly named Old Firefox Data. a If you find it, open it to look for a folder with a name ending in .default or .default-release. - Inside that folder, check for two files: logins.json (your encrypted passwords) and key4.db (the key to decrypt them). -!Copy both files, open your current Firefox profile (via about:support -> Open Folder), close Firefox completely, and Paste them there to overwrite the empty files.

Method 3: Restore the Hidden Backup FileFirefox sometimes keeps a redundant log file in case an installation disrupts your primary database. - Open Firefox, type about:support in the URL bar, and hit Enter. - Look for the Profile Folder row and click the Open Folder button next to it. - Close Firefox completely before doing anything else. - In the folder window that opened, look for a file named logins-backup.json. - If you see it, right-click and delete the existing, empty logins.json. - Right-click logins-backup.json, select Rename, and change it simply to logins.json. - Reopen Firefox to see if your credentials return.

Let me know if that works for you!

Hello,

it worked .. Thanks Mariam !!

took me a couple of attempts, but worked for me in the end.

Many Thanks

Kind Regards

JP

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