Closed Bug 272083 Opened 20 years ago Closed 20 years ago

migrating password file from win 98 to winxp pro sp2 does not work

Categories

(SeaMonkey :: Passwords & Permissions, defect)

Product:
SeaMonkey
Component:
Passwords & Permissions
Platform:
x86
Windows XP
Type:
defect
Priority:
Not set
Severity:
major

Tracking

(Not tracked)

Status:
RESOLVED INVALID

People

(Reporter: painterengr, Assigned: dveditz)

Details

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20040910
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20040910

in setting up a brand new computer, i wanted to start with a clean mozilla suite
instalation of 1.7.3.  i created a new profile and entered the mail
configuration and browser preferences.  then i wanted to carry over the old
password file from a previous win98 mozilla 1.7.3.  this would not work.  the
password manager showed none of the many entries in the password file.

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:

1. install mozilla 1.7.3 on clean win xp rp sp2
2. start profile manager
3. delete default user profile
4. create new user profile located it in non-default location
5. exit profile manager
6. start mail
7. edit details of e.mail setting for new profile
8. enable master password and enter password
9. exit mail
10. copy 1234567.s from win98 computer to win xp computer's new profile
11. edit prefs.js for the 1234567.s
	user_pref("signon.SignonFileName", "1234567.s");
12. start mail
13. open the password manager and see it is empty
Actual Results:  
the password manager shows no saved passwords

Expected Results:  
show all the previously saved passwords from the win98 mozilla 1.7.3 profile

the faq for copying profiles between computers is so poor that it does not
specifically address this.  the mozilla suite faq (written for 1.5)
http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.5/faq/profile.html#transport indicates to
completely copy over the entire profile directory.  many times, this is not wise
since over time (especially on an older system like win98) a lot of swill
accumulates from many uses of previous version of netscape such as several
versions of netscape 4 and numerous verions of mozilla.  copying over specific
profile components after a clean setup is more desirable.  none of the many
mozilla resources address this.  i have spent several days of reading all the
resources i can find on the web to determine how to do this.  i could find
nothing.  if there is a reliable procedure for copying over just the master and
stored passwords then tell me and add it to the faq.

i originally tried to use thunderbird on win xp but could not get anything to
cary over correctly from win98.  i abandoned this and settled on the same
mozilla version as i used on win98 (1.7.3) expecting the password copy to work.
 it did not.
Probably due to design change for encryption of saved data.

".s" and ".w" files are listed in "Files Created or Used" section of Release
Notes of 1.8a4 in addition to tree db files. 
> somenumber.s  Password data
> somenumber.w  Fill Form data
> cert7.db      Client Certificate database
> key3.db       Key database
> secmod.db     Security module database
My Mozilla 1.8a4 has all above files.
But my Firefox 1.0 and Thunderbird 0.9 does not have ".s"/".w" files even though
password manager displays saved passwords.
This indicates some design changes in password data saving.

I'm sorry but I don't know how to copy password data manually after the change.
I want to know too.
> 10. copy 1234567.s from win98 computer to win xp computer's new profile
> 11. edit prefs.js for the 1234567.s
	user_pref("signon.SignonFileName", "1234567.s");

I do it the other way, and it works:

1. Run new installation using new profile
2. To create a 7654321.s file, you must use a password somewhere, and allow
password manager to save it.
3. quit Mozilla
4. Rename 7654321.s to 7654321.s.new to remember the name, delete it later
5. copy 1234567.s from the old to the new profile
6. Rename 1234567.s to 7654321.s
7. you may delete 7654321.s.new

You can do the same for wallet, 13572468.w, after it is created.

(In reply to comment #2)
Oh, it's my usual way.
A kind of registration seems to be required before start to use.
Copying of *.db files is also required when manual password file migration? 
i have also done the following and the password manager still has no entries:

1. start browser
2. turn off "remember passwords" and "encrypt passwords"
3. reset master password
4. exit browser
5. restart browser
6. turn on "remember passwords" and "encrypt passwords"
7. change master password and set it
8. exit broswer
9. copy old xxxx.s file to new yyyy.s currently used
(In reply to comment #4)
> i have also done the following and the password manager still has no entries:

Possibley due to lack of next step(see comment #2) in your procedure.
> you must use a password somewhere, and allow password manager to save it.
This is not master password.

Another possibility.
If master password is used, copying only is not sufficient.
You'd better to try complete same procedure as comment #2. 

Are your passwords set to encrypted or merely obscured? If obscured this should
have worked. If encrypted you need to copy the crypto databases used to encrypt
the passwords along with it.

Options:

1) copy entire profile as instructed
2) switch passwords to obscured in both installations;
   copy password file;
   switch both installations back to encrypted passwords;
3) copy password file AND the crypto databases (see comment 1)

You blew a manual partial migration. This is not a Mozilla bug.
Status: UNCONFIRMED → RESOLVED
Closed: 20 years ago
Resolution: --- → INVALID
Product="Tech Evengelism" is appropriate for this bug?
A. in reply to comment 5- i also did enter passwords other than the master. 
this did not change the outcome.

B. in reply to comment 6- original (on win98) config was 1) use encryption, 2)
remember passwords, 3) a master password was set.

also, i had tried copying the following files in addition to the xxx.s file (and
its proper renaming): 1) cert8.db, 2) key3.db, 3) secmod.db and this did not
help either.  you suggest to "copy password file AND the crypto databases (see
comment 1)" but this i have tried AND it specifies cert7.db- what about cert8.db
or both?  i have done this too but it did not cure.  simply stating "You blew a
manual partial migration. This is not a Mozilla bug." is a cop out.  where are
the "partial migration instructions" documented to which you refer and why are
they not in the FAQ?  those specifics are what should be in your comment.

it is critical for you to understand that many times it is NOT acceptable to
simply copy the entire profile over.  this is exactly my case.  i only want the
passowrds copied over and all the other profile stuff to be newly set up.

hence, it is critical that proper instructions, explicitly defining the
procedure AND the COMPLETE list of files be deliniated.  no where has this been
done, including in your responses here with.  just look at the responses and you
will see incomplete, disjunct and contradictory instructions.  you have proven
my point and they just don't work.  i have suggested that those in the know
update the FAQ with these specifics to update profile protions but this has not
been forthcoming.

C. in reply to comment 7- i have no clue what "Product="Tech Evengelism" is
appropriate for this bug?" means.

i challenge all of you to write definitive instructions for a partial profile
migration and TEST IT because what you have proffered does not work.  i have
tested all of them.

clearly this is NOT resolved in any fashion and thinking otherwise is
dillusional and detrimental to the progress of mozilla!
(In reply to comment #8)
> also, i had tried copying the following files in addition to the xxx.s file
> (and its proper renaming): 1) cert8.db, 2) key3.db, 3) secmod.db and this did
> not help either.  you suggest to "copy password file AND the crypto databases
> (see comment 1)" but this i have tried AND it specifies cert7.db- what about
> cert8.db or both?

Sorry I missed that. Yes, in current versions cert8.db is what it should be. If
any cert7.db files exist they are left from an earlier version. That was my
option 3).

It's always worked for me. Ok, so try my option 2.

> simply stating "You blew a manual partial migration. This is not a Mozilla
> bug." is a cop out.
  ...
> clearly this is NOT resolved in any fashion and thinking otherwise is
> dillusional and detrimental to the progress of mozilla!

This bug is a request for tech support and as such it's not appropriate for
bugzilla. Try http://www.mozilla.org/support/#community
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