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How to access passwords from old profiles?
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AndyHancock
Apr 14, 2013, 7:34:25 PM4/14/13
to
I have forgotten a password to an online account, and it turns out
that it's an account that slipped through the cracks when I was
consolidating my accounts' authentication info in a few places. I'm
hoping that the password is stored in my Firefox profiles from the
past. I'm at Firefox 20 on Windows 7, and these profiles are from
some time back (Firefox version unknown, Windows version could be
Windows 7 or XP). At that time, Firefox used signons.sqlite and
key3.db. These files don't seem to be recognized by Firefox 20. I
tested this as follows:
* Created and ran a new test profile
* Fully exitted Firefox and erased all the contents of the test
profile's directory
* Copied the files from the old profile into the empty directory for
the test profile
* Started Firefox under the test profile
The result is as if I ran Firefox for the first time. No password
info.
I downloaded SQLight Manger 0.7.7 to attempt to access the password
info (http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sqlite-manager).
Unfortunately, I am not database savvy. Would it be simple to
describe a procedure for searching for a password based on key words
in the site domain/URL or username? Also, how would I use the key3.db
file to retrieve the information?
At this point, I want to avoid installing an older version of Firefox
if possible.
Thanks.
that it's an account that slipped through the cracks when I was
consolidating my accounts' authentication info in a few places. I'm
hoping that the password is stored in my Firefox profiles from the
past. I'm at Firefox 20 on Windows 7, and these profiles are from
some time back (Firefox version unknown, Windows version could be
Windows 7 or XP). At that time, Firefox used signons.sqlite and
key3.db. These files don't seem to be recognized by Firefox 20. I
tested this as follows:
* Created and ran a new test profile
* Fully exitted Firefox and erased all the contents of the test
profile's directory
* Copied the files from the old profile into the empty directory for
the test profile
* Started Firefox under the test profile
The result is as if I ran Firefox for the first time. No password
info.
I downloaded SQLight Manger 0.7.7 to attempt to access the password
info (http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sqlite-manager).
Unfortunately, I am not database savvy. Would it be simple to
describe a procedure for searching for a password based on key words
in the site domain/URL or username? Also, how would I use the key3.db
file to retrieve the information?
At this point, I want to avoid installing an older version of Firefox
if possible.
Thanks.
goodwin
Apr 15, 2013, 5:55:17 PM4/15/13
to
»Q«
Apr 15, 2013, 6:14:16 PM4/15/13
to
On Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:34:25 -0700 (PDT)
AndyHancock <andymh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have forgotten a password to an online account, and it turns out
> that it's an account that slipped through the cracks when I was
> consolidating my accounts' authentication info in a few places. I'm
> hoping that the password is stored in my Firefox profiles from the
> past. I'm at Firefox 20 on Windows 7, and these profiles are from
> some time back (Firefox version unknown, Windows version could be
> Windows 7 or XP). At that time, Firefox used signons.sqlite and
> key3.db. These files don't seem to be recognized by Firefox 20. I
> tested this as follows:
>
> * Created and ran a new test profile
> * Fully exitted Firefox and erased all the contents of the test
> profile's directory
> * Copied the files from the old profile into the empty directory for
> the test profile
> * Started Firefox under the test profile
>
> The result is as if I ran Firefox for the first time. No password
> info.
Try again, but don't erase the files in the newly created profile
AndyHancock <andymh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have forgotten a password to an online account, and it turns out
> that it's an account that slipped through the cracks when I was
> consolidating my accounts' authentication info in a few places. I'm
> hoping that the password is stored in my Firefox profiles from the
> past. I'm at Firefox 20 on Windows 7, and these profiles are from
> some time back (Firefox version unknown, Windows version could be
> Windows 7 or XP). At that time, Firefox used signons.sqlite and
> key3.db. These files don't seem to be recognized by Firefox 20. I
> tested this as follows:
>
> * Created and ran a new test profile
> * Fully exitted Firefox and erased all the contents of the test
> profile's directory
> * Copied the files from the old profile into the empty directory for
> the test profile
> * Started Firefox under the test profile
>
> The result is as if I ran Firefox for the first time. No password
> info.
directory. Just copy key3.db and signons.sqlite into the directory,
overwriting what's already in there. <http://mzl.la/LOAFED>
Ron K.
Apr 15, 2013, 6:16:18 PM4/15/13
to
goodwin on 4/15/2013 5:55 PM, keyboarded a reply:
Suggest getting a portable version of the older FF to place on a thumb
drive along with the profile to be recovered. Since the portable version
would be standalone, it should not interferer with the OS installed
version. Go through Tools > Options > Security > Show Saved Passwords
--
Ron K.
Who is General Failure, and why is he searching my HDD?
Kernel Restore reported Major Error used BSOD to msg the enemy!
drive along with the profile to be recovered. Since the portable version
would be standalone, it should not interferer with the OS installed
version. Go through Tools > Options > Security > Show Saved Passwords
--
Ron K.
Who is General Failure, and why is he searching my HDD?
Kernel Restore reported Major Error used BSOD to msg the enemy!
MiLi
Apr 17, 2013, 2:44:54 AM4/17/13
to
http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable#legacy
AndyHancock
Apr 19, 2013, 12:57:24 AM4/19/13
to
Thanks for all that. I shall look into this on the weekend.
AndyHancock
Apr 19, 2013, 12:57:37 AM4/19/13
to
AndyHancock
Apr 21, 2013, 2:51:25 AM4/21/13
to
files. I shall try the thumbdrive FF approach.
»Q«
Apr 21, 2013, 4:12:39 PM4/21/13
to
those files.
Message has been deleted
AndyHancock
May 19, 2013, 7:01:33 PM5/19/13
to
On Apr 21, 4:12 pm, »Q« wrote:
>On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:51:25 -0700 (PDT) AndyHancock wrote:
>>On Apr 19, 12:57 am, AndyHancock wrote:
Sorry for this re-send. I modified some details. Please ignore the
immediately preceding response posting. Reply to this one if
necessary. Thanks.
My bad about FF not using key3.db & signons.sqlite, Q. I was looking
in /c/Users/accountname/AppData/Local/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/
randomAlphanumericString.default
I should have been looking in /c/Users/accountname/AppData/Roaming/
Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/randomAlphanumericString.default
Found this from Help->TroubleShooting->ShowFolder
Will try your suggestion re. copying in key3.db and signons.sqlite
into new profile before trying thumb version of old FF. Just juggling
a few other must-do items for now. Thanks.
>On Sat, 20 Apr 2013 23:51:25 -0700 (PDT) AndyHancock wrote:
>>On Apr 19, 12:57 am, AndyHancock wrote:
immediately preceding response posting. Reply to this one if
necessary. Thanks.
My bad about FF not using key3.db & signons.sqlite, Q. I was looking
in /c/Users/accountname/AppData/Local/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/
randomAlphanumericString.default
I should have been looking in /c/Users/accountname/AppData/Roaming/
Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles/randomAlphanumericString.default
Found this from Help->TroubleShooting->ShowFolder
Will try your suggestion re. copying in key3.db and signons.sqlite
into new profile before trying thumb version of old FF. Just juggling
a few other must-do items for now. Thanks.
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