passwords are not saving
With the new update to Firefox (v.39), my passwords are no longer saving despite having all the appropriate preferences in the Security tab checked. I have checked multiple times and it just never works. What happened to all the passwords saved in my previous version?
All Replies (6)
Start Firefox in Safe Mode {web Link} by holding down the <Shift>
(Mac Options) key, and then starting Firefox. Is the problem still there?
Type about:preferences#security<enter> in the address bar.
Under Passwords, select Remember. To check the passwords you have listed, press Saved Passwords.
In the event that the passwords information is lost, you should record all information in a separate text file somewhere else on your hard drive, or written down. You can easily copy and paste if you need to do so. If you are concerned about someone else looking at that file, you can compress it using a password.
I started the application in Safe Mode and there are no passwords saved. When I open a new page that requires passwords it no longer asks if I would like Firefox to remember the password. I have a TXT file that I always kept for passwords but that defeats the real purpose of "Remember passwords for Sites" doesn't it?
It could be the password file was corrupted. Try these in turn;
Places Maintenance {web link} Allows to run Maintenance tasks on the database that drives Places, the bookmarks and history module behind Firefox.
Old Password Files
Firefox 32 and later builds store the passwords in the logins.json file in the profile folder and no longer use the key3.db and signons.sqlite files. You can force Firefox to reimport the passwords from the signons.sqlite file.
- reset the signon.importedFromSqlite pref on the about:config page to the default value via the right-click context menu
- delete the logins.json file in the Firefox profile folder with Firefox closed
When you restart Firefox then you should have the signon.importedFromSqlite pref with the value set to true and you should have the passwords imported in the Password Manager unless there may have been errors.
You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder: Help > Troubleshooting Information > Profile Directory: Show Folder (Linux: Open Directory; Mac: Show in Finder)
Delete the logins.json file, and restore the passwords manually.
Type about:support in the address bar and press enter.
Under the page logo on the left side you will see Application Basics. Under this find Profile Folder. To it’s right press the button Show Folder. This will open your file browser to the current Firefox profile. Now Close Firefox.
Locate the logins.json file. Then rename or delete it. Restart Firefox.
Make sure that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode (Never remember history).
- Firefox > Preferences > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history"
- Deselect: [ ] "Always use Private Browsing mode"
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:
- Create a cookie 'allow' exception to keep such cookies, especially in case of secure websites and when cookies expire when Firefox is closed.
- Firefox > Preferences > Privacy > "Use custom settings for history" > Cookies: Exceptions
In case you use "Clear history when Firefox closes" or otherwise clear history.
- do not clear the Cookies
- do not clear the Site Preferences
- Firefox > Preferences > Privacy > Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history": [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" > Settings
- https://support.mozilla.org/kb/remove-recent-browsing-search-and-download-history
- Clearing "Site Preferences" clears all exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, software installation, passwords, and other website specific data.
- Clearing Cookies will remove all specified (selected) cookies including cookies with an allow exception that you want to keep.
The "Use custom settings for history" might be the solution. I will keep an eye on it and let you know.
Thanks for your assistance FredMcD and cor-el
The "Use custom settings for history" selection allows to see the current history and cookie settings, but selecting this doesn't make any changes to history and cookie settings. Firefox shows "Use custom settings for history" as an indication that at least one of the history and cookie settings is not the default to make you aware that changes were made. If all History settings are default then the custom settings are hidden and you see "Firefox will: (Never) Remember History".