Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

SYNC PROBLEM ON NEWLY REFORMAT PC

more options

I just reformated my PC, im having my problem now. After logging in my firefox account, it doesn't automatically sync my old bookmarks,passwords, and history.

I synced my history last time so im not really sure why its not syncing now. Please help thanks.

I just reformated my PC, im having my problem now. After logging in my firefox account, it doesn't automatically sync my old bookmarks,passwords, and history. I synced my history last time so im not really sure why its not syncing now. Please help thanks.

All Replies (2)

more options
more options

Do you have any other devices connected to that Sync account? If so, is your Firefox data still present on those devices?

If not and only one device was connected to Sync - Sync was never intended to be used as a backup medium.

By far the biggest support issue that we see with Sync is with users trying to use Sync to back up a solitary device when they reformat their computer or reinstall their Windows operating system.

Unfortunately, when used in that manner if the user should reset their Sync password before they recover their data via the Sync their data is gone. The original password was used to encrypt their data and a new / different password is useless - it just can't decrypt that data thus rendering the data worthless. For maintenance purposes when the Firefox Account password is reset the worthless data is cleared from the Sync server to allow the user to continue using that Sync account, and not need to setup a new account using a different email address.


So if another device was connected to that same Sync account simply logging into Sync would "restore" the Firefox data to the Sync server and then that data could be sent to the reformatted device.