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firefox not syncing after a fresh install of windows 10

  • 13 replies
  • 8 have this problem
  • 2 views
  • Paskiausią atsakymą parašė transvin

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I usually install a new operating system when the old one gets sluggish and buggy.

Today I have installed latest windows 10 on a newly formatted hard-drive. I've also logged into my sync account (which was synced properly a couple of days ago).

Even after a few hours, i see no data synced to my browser. Can anyone tell me if the sync data of my account has been deleted? If not, what is the problem?

I usually install a new operating system when the old one gets sluggish and buggy. Today I have installed latest windows 10 on a newly formatted hard-drive. I've also logged into my sync account (which was synced properly a couple of days ago). Even after a few hours, i see no data synced to my browser. Can anyone tell me if the sync data of my account has been deleted? If not, what is the problem?

All Replies (13)

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Did you have any problems when signing in to Sync? Like maybe needed to request a new Password?

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the-edmeister said

Did you have any problems when signing in to Sync? Like maybe needed to request a new Password?

no, there was no problem at all.

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Data stored on the Sync server would only be removed if you would change the password of the Firefox account.

You can check the about:sync-log page via the location/address bar to see if there are error logs available. You can temporarily set the services.sync.log.appender.file.logOnSuccess pref to true on the about:config page to also get a log of a successful Sync. Do not forget to reset the services.sync.log.appender.file.logOnSuccess pref to false after you have finished testing Sync or you will end up with a lot of unnecessary log files once the issue is resolved. You can upload a recent log if the log is too big to put in a reply.

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I'll be careful" to continue.

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hi, here's the log copied from about:sync-log page.

https://pastebin.mozilla.org/8845243

The error I see in it is possibly about the master password being locked, or "returning partial account data as the login manager is locked."

How do I unlock the master password? I don't remember having to set any master password ever at all.

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Do you get a prompt to enter the master password?

Do you see any password in the Password Manager?

  • Tools > Options > Security: Passwords: "Saved Passwords" > "Show Passwords"

You should at least see the password entry for the Sync account (chrome://FirefoxAccounts).

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@cor-el yeah, i see the sync password in it and it's been the same since previous 2 or 3 years. I haven't changed it ever.

I also used a master password. When I installed firefox on the new machine, I first set a master password then setup the sync. Could that be the problem behind all this?

Do you think that now I should remove the master lock, then remove the sync account, then delete all my firefox history & data, and setup the sync again?

Modified by transvin

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Did you enter the master password at the start of the Firefox session or weren't you prompted?


Try to Disconnect from Sync and Reconnect to Sync again.

Delete the signedInUser.json file in the Firefox profile folder and delete the Weave folder (Sync was formerly named Weave). If that isn't enough then delete the prefs.js files to reset all prefs and maybe also delete the compatibility.ini file to reinitialize the profile.

You can use this button to go to the current Firefox profile folder:

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@cor-el

During the first time installation on the new machine, it didn't ask me for a master password.

I disconnected sync account, removed those files & folders you told me to, then tried to sync again but there was no change.

Do you think I should refresh firefox and start over?

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Did you set up Sync before you had set the master password?

You could still try to disconnect from Sync and delete the signedInUser.json file in the Firefox profile folder like I suggested above.

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i set up the sync account after setting a master password. But why should it make any difference?

I tried deleting the json file, but there was no change at all.

Modified by transvin

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Removed the "Solved" flag, as this discussion doesn't sound like a "conclusion" has been reached. Three additional question posting after the Chosen Solution flag.

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i refreshed firefox and connected my sync account, and it synced only the data from previous 2 or 3 days, not my data from 2 years.

Does this mean my old data has been replaced by the new one? Who is to blame here?

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is someone from mozilla gonna give any f to my crisis here?