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Need to change my password - I forgot mine. Will I get and Old Firefox data folder?

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  • Last reply by FredMcD

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I need to change my password because I forgot mine. Will I get and Old Firefox data folder like when you do a refresh?

I need to change my password because I forgot mine. Will I get and Old Firefox data folder like when you do a refresh?

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dennydean1 said

FredMcD, Thanks for your reply. It is my Firefox account password that I am missing . . . When doing a Firefox Refresh

Doing a refresh of the browser resets the settings of the browser to the default state. This creates a new profile with some data (like bookmarks passwords . . .) copied to the new profile. The original (old) profile is then moved to a folder on the desktop called Firefox Old.

When you get/create a new password for a website, this only changes the data on the website. The data in the browser is not changed. But the Password Manager may be updated.

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If you are talking about the password to access a website, All you need to do is to use the Forgot Password link and the site will send a password reset e-mail to the address they have for you.


However, if you are talking about sync;

Resetting the sync password, or changing its e-mail will remove all data from the servers. The username and password are used to create the encryption.

This is a security feature. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/ive-lost-my-firefox-sync-account-information

  • I've lost my Firefox Sync account information - What to do
  • I’ve forgotten, or don't have access to, my Firefox Account email address

Note: Only the data on the servers is cleared. The profile data is not changed or removed.

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FredMcD, Thanks for your reply. It is my Firefox account password that I am missing, and understand that I need to reset it. Here is my question: When doing a Firefox Refresh, an Old Firefox Data folder is sent to one's Desktop for use when the Refresh is complete so that bookmarks, history, cookies, etc., can be recovered --> Does this file become available when a password reset is needed? Support article indicate these data will be erased when doing a password reset, but unlike the articles about the Refesh, they make NO mention of the Old Firefox data folder. Best, Denise

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Chosen Solution

dennydean1 said

FredMcD, Thanks for your reply. It is my Firefox account password that I am missing . . . When doing a Firefox Refresh

Doing a refresh of the browser resets the settings of the browser to the default state. This creates a new profile with some data (like bookmarks passwords . . .) copied to the new profile. The original (old) profile is then moved to a folder on the desktop called Firefox Old.

When you get/create a new password for a website, this only changes the data on the website. The data in the browser is not changed. But the Password Manager may be updated.

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Excellent! Thanks very much, Fred!

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Glad to help. Safe Surfing.