1473979 - Resetting password when signing in to FxA erases server data

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Cloud Services :: Server: Firefox Accounts, defect)

Description

[Alastor Wu [:alwu][PTO, back on 12/15]]

I just updated my firefox to 61, and then all my bookmarks *LOST*!!!!

Firefox also asked me to enter the account and password of FirefoxSync again. It seems Firefox took me as a new user. But before updating, I've already login FirefoxSync for a long while.

It lets me feel super bad..... I lost all of my bookmarks :(

Comment 1

[Lina Butler (ex-Mozilla)]

Sorry, Alwu. :-( Do you see a `bookmarkbackups` folder in your profile directory, or any `.jsonlz4` files inside it? (You can also check Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and backup your bookmarks, and see if there's anything under "Restore"). Do you also see a `places.sqlite.corrupt` file in your profile folder?

Sync kicking you out at the same time seems odd, though...maybe Firefox switched to a different profile on accident? Did all your prefs get reset, too? Does the profile manager show any other profiles?

Comment 2

[Alastor Wu [:alwu][PTO, back on 12/15]]

Ah! Thank for your help!

I found that my bookmark lose is because Firefox switch my profile to another one. After I switched it back,  all my bookmarks are back!!

But it seems little weird, I thought that FirefoxSync would keep all my data even I change profiles.

Comment 3

[Lina Butler (ex-Mozilla)]

(In reply to Alastor Wu [:alwu] from comment #2)
> I found that my bookmark lose is because Firefox switch my profile to
> another one. After I switched it back,  all my bookmarks are back!!

Awesome, glad that fixed it and you got your bookmarks back! :-)

> But it seems little weird, I thought that FirefoxSync would keep all my data
> even I change profiles.

Did you reset your password when you signed in on the new profile?

If not, would you mind checking if you have any logs in the `weave/logs` folder in both your profiles, and either grepping for `Old engine data`, or zipping the logs up and attaching them to this bug?

Comment 4

[Alastor Wu [:alwu][PTO, back on 12/15]]

Yes, I had changed my password at that time.

I have seen 'weave' folder on my profiles, but there is no any log data.

Comment 5

[Lina Butler (ex-Mozilla)]

(In reply to Alastor Wu [:alwu] from comment #4)
> Yes, I had changed my password at that time.

Ah, that'll do it. Sync encrypts your data with a key that's derived from your password, so, unfortunately, resetting your password destroys your data. (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/ive-lost-my-firefox-sync-account-information explains a bit more. Changing your password when you're already signed in, from https://accounts.firefox.com/settings/change_password, doesn't do this, since you know the old password in that case).

In the meantime, I know `INVALID` isn't a satisfying answer ("can't fix" would be more accurate, given how FxA/Sync work today), but there's not much else we can do until we make the reset UX better (https://github.com/mozilla/fxa-features/issues/70 has some context).

Thanks for filing the issue!