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

How do I delete all data (bookmarks, passwords) when I disconnect my Firefox account from a computer?

more options

I'm encountering something I'd assume is a bug, though I'm not sure it is. I use a public computer at my school and utilize Firefox Sync. Every time I connect Firefox to my personal information via logging in, I would expect that upon logging out, my saved passwords, usernames, and bookmarks would be removed from that computer. Logging back in to a computer I've used, that is not the case.

Is this desired behavior? How do I completely clear my information from a public computer? I need to access these sorts of information while using the computer but upon leaving I'd like my security intact and my data private when I disconnect.


Thanks for reading,

Luna


Additional information: OS X El Capitan v10.11.6 Firefox v45.0.2 (only Admins can control updates)

I'm encountering something I'd assume is a bug, though I'm not sure it is. I use a public computer at my school and utilize Firefox Sync. Every time I connect Firefox to my personal information via logging in, I would expect that upon logging out, my saved passwords, usernames, and bookmarks would be removed from that computer. Logging back in to a computer I've used, that is not the case. Is this desired behavior? How do I completely clear my information from a public computer? I need to access these sorts of information while using the computer but upon leaving I'd like my security intact and my data private when I disconnect. Thanks for reading, Luna Additional information: OS X El Capitan v10.11.6 Firefox v45.0.2 (only Admins can control updates)

All Replies (4)

more options

Just clear all your browsing history.

more options

You would be better off using;

Mozilla Firefox :Portable Edition http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition

A fully functional package of Firefox optimized for use on a USB key drive. A specialized launcher will allow most favorite extensions to work as you switch computers.

Firefox Portable is a 3rd-party build. Support is available here: http://portableapps.com/forums/support/firefox_portable


Remember to totally remove your profile from the public computer.

more options

Hi Luna, this is not such a good idea! You can use a web-based password manager and carry your bookmarks around on a USB flash drive. That would be safer.

Anyway, I don't know what features are available to you on a public computer. I suspect that whatever users do gets wiped at regular intervals, but let's consider options based on what you are synchronizing.

First, go to the Preferences/Options page, Sync panel, and Disconnect. You don't want changes you make next to affect your account.

(A) Logins

On the Preferences/Options page, switch to the Security panel. Click the Saved Logins button and clear this out.

(B) Bookmarks

Open the Library window ("Show All Bookmarks") and in the search box at the top, enter a universal character that appears in all bookmarks like a colon (:). Once all bookmarks are listed, you can select all (Command+a) and delete them.

(C) History and Open Tabs (plus other kinds of "history")

On the History menu, select Clear Recent History, change the time range to Everything, expand the details panel if it's not shown, and check the categories of data you want to clear (probably nearly everything)

(D) Preferences

I strongly recommend not synchronizing this category with a public computer because you may then inherit strange settings not appropriate for your regular computer.

If you did anyway, I think Sync only handles preferences that are stored in the prefs.js file, so one option is to delete that file. I'll give the steps further down.

(E) Add-ons

I strongly recommend not synchronizing this category with a public computer because those add-ons may store data in diverse ways that are very hard to track down and clear.


To remove a prefs.js file, open your current Firefox settings (AKA Firefox profile) folder using either

  • "3-bar" menu button > "?" button > Troubleshooting Information
  • (menu bar) Help > Troubleshooting Information
  • type or paste about:support in the address bar and press Enter

In the first table on the page, click the "Show in Finder" (or "Open Folder" / "Open Directory") button. This should launch a new window listing various files and folders.

Leaving the Finder window open, switch back to Firefox and Quit/Exit, either:

  • "3-bar" menu button > "power" button
  • (menu bar) File > Quit/Exit (or is it Firefox > Quit?)

Pause while Firefox finishes its cleanup, then delete the prefs.js file (or if you're on Windows with file extensions hidden, a file named prefs that is of type JScript).

more options

this would be a problem your school needs to address, that when somebody finishes their session at a computer, restarting it totally wipes anything they've done or saved and restores it to a default, blank slate condition. it's a HUUUGE security risk otherwise, for both users and themselves. i don't use Sync, but i should think it would clear all that, too.

until then, FredMcD's suggestion would sound like the way to go, however, i'd seriously consider NOT using their computers until they do something about security; somebody could install anything like a keylogger or any other malware.