Possible to restore very old (v48) password file?
I purchased a new iMac after 9 years on a MacBook running the last installable version of Firefox: v48. Passwords were not migrated, so have all been lost. All help topics address *.json topics in Profiles. But the old version only has directoryLinks.json and frequencyCap.json files. Possible to restore from such an old version? If not, sadly, I must revert to using Safari. Bye bye Firefox.
Réiteach roghnaithe
Best is to update using builtin "Firefox -> About Firefox". You likely need to update more than once to allow migration code to run and update the profile properly.
Using Sync and adding devices to Sync is optional. Your Firefox Sync account has been created when you see the page to add another device. You can close this tab if you do not want or can't add another (mobile) device. Note that Sync is not meant as a backup, but is meant to merge/share data among other devices.
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In the original profile: logins.json and key3.db [v58+]key4.db : These are the password files. Copy Both !
Thanks for your help. I DID find logins.json, though it's very odd that I can NOT see that file in Finder, even if I show hidden files. It only shows up if I search for it (on the old MacBook). But I cannot find key3.db or key4.db on the old MacBook. Any ideas?
It should be there. If you can't find it . . . .
Some information:
Firefox 31 and older store the passwords in the signons.sqlite file. Firefox 32 and newer use logins.json instead of signons.sqlite to store the passwords. Firefox 58 and newer use key4.db (SQLite) for the key file and no longer use key3.db (DBM), but can use key3.db as a fallback when key4.db is missing.
The matching key file (key4.db in current releases or key3.db used previously) is needed to decrypt the names and passwords and needs to match the logins.json or signons.sqlite file.
You can use the button on the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" (about:support) page to go to the current Firefox profile folder or use the about:profiles page.
- Help -> Troubleshooting Information -> Profile Folder/Directory:
Windows: Open Folder; Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profiles-where-firefox-stores-user-data
- ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles/<profile>/
In Mac OS X v10.7 and later, the "~/Library" folder in the Home directory is a hidden folder.
Thanks, cor-el. But it turns out that just one hour ago, Firefox changed something so that if I try to install it, the only way to manage 'Profiles' is to create a Firefox account, and upload all of my profiles to the 'Cloud' so they can be transferred between versions. FUCK FIREFOX. That is un. fucking. believable. I will suffer through Safari for the rest of the time I can bear to use Apple products, which are RAPIDLY turning into Microsoft shit! Thanks for your help.
Réiteach Roghnaithe
Best is to update using builtin "Firefox -> About Firefox". You likely need to update more than once to allow migration code to run and update the profile properly.
Using Sync and adding devices to Sync is optional. Your Firefox Sync account has been created when you see the page to add another device. You can close this tab if you do not want or can't add another (mobile) device. Note that Sync is not meant as a backup, but is meant to merge/share data among other devices.