Storing, viewing your Firefox passwords

Passwords

Location: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/passwords.htm
Home page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/firefox.htm [View without Frames]

Storing passwords in Firefox (#how)

Passwords can be remembered by Firefox, see Tools, Options, Privacy, Passwords, [x] Remember Passwords.

In Firefox 2.0, Tools, Options, Security, Passwords, [x] Remember Passwords.

Where are Firefox passwords stored (#where)

Passwords are kept in a separate file have an extension of “.s” in your firefox profile folder, and the file is encrypted if you choose encryption and a master password, so be sure to set up the master password for forms and passwords.

<number>.s (passwords), <number>.w (forms), key3.db, cert8.db (certificates), signons.txt (no longer present) //needs more review//

View Passwords (#view)

You can view your Firefox passwords using:

Tools, Options, privacy, passwords, view saved passwords,
- Passwords saved (tab), show passwords
- also note there is a tab for "Passwords never saved"

In Firefox 2.0, Tools, Options, Security, Show Passwords, Show Passwords and supply your Master Pasterword both times. When finished use Hide Passwords button there.

Be sure to encrypt and use a master password to protect your passwords from others that have access to your computer.
Tools, Options, ~~Privacy~~ Security (tab), Passwords (section): Change Master Password
It goes without saying that you must not forget your Firefox Master Passwords.

Summary (Backup, View, Print) (#summary)

Posted 2009-05-08

For backing up passwords you should be backing up your entire profile so you can retrieve any file. The two files for passwords in Firefox 3 are signons.txt and key3.db More information in
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Transferring_data_to_a_new_profile_-_Firefox

To view passwords
Tools, Options, Security (tab), Saved Passwords, Show Passwords

For a printed copy of your passwords see
http://the-edmeister.com/firefox_info/articles/List_Firefox-3_Passwords.htm

Use File, Save to save that file on your local drive, use Ctrl+J to view downloads, and click on the last downloaded file to run it.

You should get
A script from "file://" is requesting enhanced abilities that are UNSAFE and could be used to compromise your machine or data:
Run or install software on your machine [Allow]

If you replied "Deny" to one of those with remember then you've set a policy change and will have to remove these from prefs.js while Firefox is down and then to restart Firefox, and try again. (those items will NOT show up in about:config)

user_pref("capability.principal.codebase.p0.denied", "UniversalXPConnect"); 
user_pref("capability.principal.codebase.p0.id", "file://"); 
user_pref("capability.principal.codebase.p0.subjectName", "");

To sort table on a column in the HTML listing into alphabetical order, install the following extension, then click on the URL column.
TableTools :: Firefox Add-ons
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2637

Specific Information on securing and using Firefox passwords (#links)

Securing Firefox Passwords (firefoxtutor), useful information on this topic with screen images.
Navigation to additional topics on the site at first appears to be a waste of time until you realize that the large blue font next to dates is a link to the information for a topic. Many bloggers do this so I guess it is possible to get used to a poor link interface.

Using the Password Manager (Indiana University)

What is Firefox Password Manager? - Knowledge Base (mozilla.org)
also see Encrypting Stored Sensitive Information after topic on Forms.

Improving Firefox password saving (mykzilla), mostly lookng forward to when the password interface will be improved, currently if multiple id and password combinations are used at a site Firefox ignores all of the choices.

Firefox customizations (Notes), my main Firefox page
Form Bookmarklets, use "remember> password" bookmarklet to allow password to be stored in Firefox passwords, https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/forms.html
Stephen Ostermiller's Password Bookmarklets, bookmarklets on storing passwords on different browsers and how it works, http://ostermiller.org/bookmarklets/password.html
Google search for passwords at Support.mozilla.org (79 items)
Google search for passwords at kb.mozillazine.org (77 items)

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Main Firefox pages (on-site): [Customizations, Extensions], [Tabs], [Bookmarks], [Keyword shortcuts], [Context and other menus] [Passwords]