SAFE MODE

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes

In Firefox Safe mode these changes are effective:

• all extensions are disabled (about:addons)
• default theme is used (no persona)
• userChrome.css and userContent.css are ignored (chrome folder)
• default toolbar layout is used (file: localstore-safe.rdf)
• Javascript JIT compilers are disabled (prefs: javascript.options.*jit)
• hardware acceleration is disabled (Options > Advanced > General)
• plugins are not affected
• preferences are not affected

TEST

Please Refresh but do this 1st:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/export-firefox-bookmarks-to-backup-or-transfer
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/back-and-restore-information-firefox-profiles

then

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/refresh-firefox-reset-add-ons-and-settings

TEST....... If no issues then Extensions which need to be added back in 1 at a time and tested ..... Or it is your Profile : Make a new one and test ...:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/profile-manager-create-and-remove-firefox-profiles

If is your Profile :

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/recovering-important-data-from-an-old-profile
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

Note: Any customization will revert back to default, you will also need to reinstall Extensions.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

Well, it is safer that way...

Normally, after you enter the extra authentication, Google will set a persistent cookie so that you do not have to do it again on the same device -- until that cookie is cleared.

There are many ways for this not to go according to plan:

• Using a private window for Google, cookies are dumped when all the private windows are closed
• Using session only cookies
• Setting Firefox to clear cookies when it closes
• Using an add-on that clears cookies
• Using external software that cleans browser data

The only thing that seems to work is to untick "Clear history when Firefox closes" but I'd rather not do that.

Sorry, my mistake. What I meant was by allowing Firefox to retain cookies I can then open Firefox and then gmail without passwords.

A detail like a website remembering you (log you in automatically) is stored in a cookie.

You can use these steps to make a website recognize and remember you:

• you can create an "Allow" exception to keep specific cookies, especially in case of secure websites and when cookies expire when Firefox is closed.
• Options/Preferences -> Privacy & Security -> Cached Web Content: "Clear Now": Exceptions

In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history.

• do not clear the Cookies, but let the cookies expire when you close Firefox
• do not clear the Site Preferences

• Options/Preferences -> Privacy & Security -> Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history": [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" -> Settings
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-browsing-search-download-history-firefox

• clearing "Site Preferences" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exception for password and other website specific data
• clearing "Cookies" will remove all selected cookies including cookies with an "Allow" exception you may want to keep

Thanks everyone for your help.

It appears that the only option is not to clear cookies when closing Firefox

ceeceeo said

Every time I open Firefox on my Mac and go to Gmail I have to enter Google username, password and 2-factor Authentication every time. I have created a new Firefox profile however the problem is the same. I have done a thorough search on this however it seems that I am the only one with the problem. Would anyone have any suggestions?

FYI this is something Gmail is doing now whether or not one likes it they are implementing this type of security login. What I did was download the Google authentication and use my dashboard and scanned the icon and create the login PIN on Google authentication and when I log in I input the PIN to long in. If you don't use this method logging into your account is going to be harder and harder from here on out.

Thanks WestEnd. I may have to do what you say as I'm unsure of the consequences of not clearing my cookies

ceeceeo said

I'm unsure of the consequences of not clearing my cookies

It means... they will still be there when you start Firefox.

Or I should clarify. Sites can set either:

• persistent cookies with a future expiration date
• session cookies intended to expire when you shut down Firefox

You can override this on the Options/Preferences page. As cor-el mentioned: set the selector to "Firefox will: Use custom settings for history" and then change the cookie expiration policy from:

Keep until: they expire

to

Keep until: I close Firefox

Now whether sites request a persistent cookie or a session cookie, Firefox will set a session cookie.

To make an exception for sites you want to be able to set persistent cookies, you can use the Exceptions button on the Options/Preferences page, but sometimes it is hard to get the addresses formatted correctly that way. It is easier to:

Use the Permissions panel of the Page Info dialog. While you're on the site whose cookies you like, you can call that up using any of these:

• right-click (on Mac, Ctrl+click) a blank area of the page and choose View Page Info > Permissions
• (menu bar) Tools menu > Page Info > Permissions
• click the padlock or "i" icon to the left of the site address, then the ">" icon, then More Information > Permissions

Scroll down to "Set Cookies" and uncheck the "Use default" box, and then select the permission you prefer ("Allow" in this case).

Firefox saves changes as you go, so after that, you can close the dialog.

This may not take effect until your next session because Firefox already accepted the site's cookies as session cookies and may not change that until the cookie is cleared and needs to be set again.

Thanks jscher2000

Followed all your instructions and finally in Preferences ticked to clear all cookies but I'm back to the original issue.

Steps I followed: 1. In Preferences changed from Keep until they expire to Until I close Firefox 2. On my Mac with Gmail open I used the Permission panel, scrolled to Set Cookies and changed from using default and then selecting Allow (I see that this is now listed as an exception cookie) 3. On Preferences ticked to clear all cookies 4. Have closed and reopened Firefox twice but back to where I started

Why this:

ceeceeo said

3. On Preferences ticked to clear all cookies

Uh-oh, no, you want to let session cookies expire naturally and let persistent cookies carry over to the next session. Do NOT do #3.

Ok, sorry. I had assumed that the aim was to be able to clear cookies but still enable me to login to gmail. I'll untick the box again

Firefox will clear all of the session cookies automatically when the session ends. And you have set Firefox to only allow session cookies EXCEPT for the sites you create an Allow exception for. So that combination should take care of it, and you do not need to use the Clear history when Firefox closes feature (that feature doesn't honor exceptions). Does that make sense?

Yes, thanks, but by not ticking the Clear History tab it will mean it won't clear my cache. On the other hand Firefox may work faster that way so perhaps I'll do what you suggest.

You can still clear your cache when Firefox closes, but click the Settings button for that feature and make sure you are only clearing the cache, not the cookies.

If you have a high speed connection, the cache may not save much time, but maybe it will save a little.