Use sync to get my profile (Without a key--Without reseting my sync account)
I recently, setup Firefox Sync, or so I thought. I went through and completed what I thought was getting my profile stored. I wasn't aware I was given a recovery key. But apparently I had been. At the end of the day I backed it up, and when I go to the online portion of the sync, it shows I have information stored. I'm kind of a loop here.
Because for one I can't get to the manage my account option that it says to try if you've lost the recovery key, because it won't let me sync. So basically I'm confused as to how I should get my information from my profile.
To make this more clear.
Steps I took.
1. Setup firefox sync
2. Wiped computer and reinstalled firefox
3. Attempting to sign on to firefox sync -- good
4. Attempting to sync (no key) -- bad
Also if there is anyway to generate a new key without wiping all my information on sync I'd be greatly appreciative as it was years and years of bookmarks/add-ons etc.
I'm really pretty desperate right now, as my computer barely functions and now I can't even get the bare minimums to work. =(
தீர்வு தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டது
Sorry, without the original Recovery Key your Sync data is useless. That "key" is the encryption key, without that key your data can't be decrypted.
Do you have another device using that Sync account?
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தீர்வு தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டது
Sorry, without the original Recovery Key your Sync data is useless. That "key" is the encryption key, without that key your data can't be decrypted.
Do you have another device using that Sync account?
Unfortunately... No. I wasn't aware that this was part of the setup, I'm used to a more streamline username & password protocol as opposed to also this.
Had I known I would have either set something else up.
So I am basically beginning fresh with this? Seems a little inane for Mozilla to store the information, and have it account accessible but not sync-able. I mean is there any other means I can get the raw data from it?
No, because that "raw data" is encrypted when it is off your devices, like when it is traveling across the internet and while sitting on the Sync servers. About the only service out there when the original Weave was being developed was Foxmarks / Xmarks and Mozilla provided greater security for its' users than the one existing and the newer "cloud" services provided, with the 3rd authentication factor.
Sync isn't meant to be used as a "cloud" service, its' purpose it synchronizing a user's Firefox data between multiple devices. This problem comes about when users use Sync improperly and don't read the final setup page completely - and don't realize the importance of the Recovery Key, and don't save it.
A new version of Sync is being developed for Firefox 30 (or 31) which doesn't require this type of "recovery key". It looks (to me) that Firefox will be creating the "key for encryption" from the account name (email address used) and probably the password used initially for that account. Hopefully this situation of the user not saving the Recovery Key will be solved, just as 3-factor authentication comes into greater usage for security purposes on the web.
Well it was worth a shot. I should have slowed down to read it, but it's just unfortunate because it's not that I am too "busy" or "important" to go back and set up all the things I had it's just frankly I don't remember half of the things I had either installed for convenience or bookmarked.
But I guess as it goes if you don't notice it, then you don't need it.
Frankly I get the "emphasis on security", but to be honest, it's a completely unnecessary, waste, of a step. Here's to hoping they do away with it in the next update and I can get my info back.
Cheers for the helpful info btw.
Are you using the Time Machine?
If that is the case then you can try to recover the two files signons.sqlite and key3.db that store the passwords.
You can find the sync account password and the sync (recovery) key in the password manager on computers where a sync account with a specific e-mail address has been set up.
- Firefox > Preferences > Security: Passwords: "Saved Passwords" > "Show Passwords"
Look for:
- chrome://weave (Mozilla Services Password)
- chrome://weave (Mozilla Services Encryption Passphrase)
This would be helpful cor-el, and normally I do, but since I was having some User-specific issues, I just transferred the most important files to a external HDD, performed the wipe, and started new--restoring the files as new, as opposed to Time Machine. =/
This is good info for anyone in a somewhat similar situation though. So kudos to you.
Also Mozilla, if you're listening, it doesn't make any mention of the recovery key need in the process once you've completed your first sync.
Maybe make it more obvious if you want people to write it down.
I'm loosing my mind with this same issue and it would seem helpful if this info could just be part of our MY ACCOUNT on Firefox. In other words, as account holders, we should be able to manage devices and recovery keys (that don't exist in any real form thus far) from our account panel.
Any chance this is going to happen??? *insert hopeful-face*
I FINALLY HAD SUCCESS and not even sure how I made it work, but best recollection is when I opened the SYNC option on my laptop and re-followed the instructions for I've Lost My Device, it allowed me to generate a NEW KEY (that I could then SAVE) but ONLY AFTER I had my account id and password filled into the dialog box.
The FIRST zillion times I tried it, I simply CLICKED that link ("I've lost my other device" and the link took me NOWHERE. It had no response. But when I input the id/password and THEN clicked it, it worked, generated the new key and now all my stuff is happily synced again.