Sync is not meant to be a means of storage or backup, it is used to transfer or better yet sync your browsing preferences, history and bookmarks, across devices. If you've wiped your PC without backing up and thought that Firefox Sync was a mean of backup, I'm sorry but that data is gone.

Andrew said

Sync is not meant to be a means of storage or backup, it is used to transfer or better yet sync your browsing preferences, history and bookmarks, across devices. If you've wiped your PC without backing up and thought that Firefox Sync was a mean of backup, I'm sorry but that data is gone.

Andrew, while I do appreciate you taking the time to answer my question, you make no sense at all. Where did you get the idea I wanted it to do anything more than what's written on the label?

I have been using sync successfully since it was introduced. Using the sync key (former method) I imported tabs, bookmarks, passwords, history, addons and preferences. I am not expecting anything different this time around. Consider this my 'new' device. Why isn't it syncing with my old one?

Are you having trouble syncing across devices or are you trying to grab data on a device you were syncing but did a new os installation in which you're trying to sync data on the old os?

Andrew said

Are you having trouble syncing across devices or are you trying to grab data on a device you were syncing but did a new os installation in which you're trying to sync data on the old os?

Again, this isn't reaching for something I didn't do before.

What I did before: Had my Sync set-up with the key. Did a new OS installation, reinstalled Firefox, entered the sync key and got all my previous stuff (history, pass, marks etc). Guess what? It worked!

What I'm doing now: Same damn thing except now, after the 'sync update', IT'S NOT WORKING.

Simple as that.

Mozilla no longer uses sync keys rather than it's Firefox Accounts now (email and password). Unfortunately, I'm not following what you're explaining. Please provide me, step by step or elaborate on what you did so I can I better assist you.

Andrew said

Mozilla no longer uses sync keys rather than it's Firefox Accounts now (email and password). Unfortunately, I'm not following what you're explaining. Please provide me, step by step or elaborate on what you did so I can I better assist you.

I know it doesn't use sync keys anymore, that's not the point.

Anyway, here it is: Up until yesterday, I had Firefox installed. I was always connected with my e-mail address and had checked everything to be synchronized (Tabs, Bookmarks, Passwords, History, Add-Ons and Preferences). Before I closed Firefox, I made sure to press the sync button.

Then I closed Firefox and did a fresh installation of Windows 7. After that, I reinstalled Firefox. Went to the option screen, then clicked on Sync, then logged in with my E-MAIL and PASSWORD. After I signed in, the notification - Sync will start momentarily- appeared. I waited for some time, yet nothing was synced. I hit the SYNC button, still nothing. No Tabs, Bookmarks, Passwords, History, Add-Ons or Preferences were 'imported'.

Last time I did this, was about 6 months ago when Firefox Sync was using a sync key. Same story. Reinstalled Windows, reinstalled Firefox, used my sync key and voila! History, Passwords.. everything was back!

Now, planning on saying AGAIN that Firefox doesn't do that (i.e. it doesn't restore the history, tabs, passwords etc.) please check out this link: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1000440 And this: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-do-i-set-sync-my-computer ..and all the other

Baseline, Firefox didn't do shit for me and it hasn't synced ONE THING. I've been loyal to Mozilla for a decade, but maybe moving on is the best thing to do in this situation. I expected them to update not to break things. If it proves to be something on my end, I'll admit and apologize, but I doubt that's the case.

Like I've mentioned Sync is not a backup service, it is not intended to be one nor should it be treated as one. I understand that you've had this working in the past, unfortunately there are many things that could've affected sync this time. I understand that you've synced right up to and before the os installation but since sync is connected to Firefox, there is the possibility that sync recognized that Firefox was being erased so the data associated might have been lost. The link you've posted to is an old version of Firefox, which is not applicable since we are on versions higher than 40. In all cases, Firefox is primarily to sync across devices and not to backup browser data.

Andrew said

Like I've mentioned Sync is not a backup service, it is not intended to be one nor should it be treated as one. I understand that you've had this working in the past, unfortunately there are many things that could've affected sync this time. I understand that you've synced right up to and before the os installation but since sync is connected to Firefox, there is the possibility that sync recognized that Firefox was being erased so the data associated might have been lost. The link you've posted to is an old version of Firefox, which is not applicable since we are on versions higher than 40. In all cases, Firefox is primarily to sync across devices and not to backup browser data.

You do realize that it should've synced my data, right?

Or at least SOMETHING. And I didn't uninstall the old FF, I formatted the SSD. I got FF by surprise. ;)

It will sync your data only if the data is still on the original/ main device the data was on, Firefox can recognize if it was the same device being synced in the past, but now that the data is gone as the data is overwritten because original data was deleted by you. Hence, it is the same device, and Firefox recognizes that the data was deleted on the same device, it sees it as you no longer needed the data so the newer installation of Firefox on the same device means that you are now on a new/ fresh profile so... any new browsing, bookmarks, history will now be synced, the old data will NOT be synced. As I keep reiterating, Sync is not used to back up data, it is not to hold data, it is to transfer data from one device to another, not from one device back onto the same device.

"Last time I did this, was about 6 months ago when Firefox Sync was using a sync key."

The 'new" 1.5 version of Sync was part of the Firefox 29 update, which was released on April 29, 2014. So unless you were using Firefox 28 or older when you last formatted 6 months ago, something doesn't 'add up'.

Also, the old sync servers have been officially turned off in the last two weeks.

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-sync-upgrade-frequently-aske...