Solution for Chrome Passwords Disappeared And Missing

One day you open your Chrome browser and your passwords are gone! Either nothing is being filled into the login field on your favourite websites or all the passwords are gone from the Chrome Password Manager. Well there are a few simple solutions that you can try and one should fix your problem!

Fix #1: Did You Recently Clean Your Temp Files or History?

First things first: did you recently delete your temp files or history either using the built-in Chrome took or a third-party program like CCleaner? If you did and your passwords are missing then chances are that you accidentally clicked the “passwords” checkbox when you were asked what you wanted to wipe.

If this is the case then the good news is that there is nothing wrong with your computer. The bad news is that you’ll have to re-enter all of your passwords one by one from memory so that Chrome can remember them again.

And next time you’re wiping your history or temp files make sure you un-check passwords!

Fix #2: Are You Logged Into Chrome?

In the top right corner of your Chrome browser do you see your google account name (usually your name)? Or do you see a little grey head and shoulders? If it is the latter then click on the grey person icon and sign into your google account. Your passwords should re-sync to your browser.

Fix #3: Restart Chrome And Your Computer

Some users have reported that this problem could occur when Chrome is in the middle of installing an update. I have no idea why is happens but apparently sometimes it does. So close Chrome and restart your computer. Once it powers back up open up Chrome and check to see if your passwords are back.

Fix #4: Make Sure Chrome Hasn’t Created A New Profile And You’re Not Browsing As Guest

Click on the hamburger settings icon in the top right corner (looks like three horizontal lines) and click on Settings. Scroll down to “People” and make sure that there is only one identity there. Delete the one that you’re not using if more than one is there (unless a friend of relative has an account).

Also make sure that you’re not browsing as a guest.

Fix #5: Reset Your User Profile

Sometimes your user profile might become corrupted and you need to create a new one. Follow these instructions (from the google website) on how to reset your user profile.

For Windows:

  1. Exit Google Chrome completely.

  2. Enter the keyboard shortcut Windows key  +E to open Windows Explorer.

  3. In the Windows Explorer window that appears enter the following in the address bar.

    • Windows XP%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\
    • Windows Vista/ Windows 7/ Windows 8%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\
  4. Locate the folder called “Default” in the directory window that opens and rename it as “Backup default.”

  5. Try opening Google Chrome again. A new “Default” folder is automatically created as you start using the browser.

For Mac:

  1. Quit Google Chrome completely.

  2. In the Mac menu bar at the top of the screen, click Go.

  3. Select Go to Folder.

  4. Enter the following directories in the text field, then press Go.~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/ 

  5. Locate the folder called “Default” in the directory window that opens and rename it as “Backup default.”

  6. Try opening Google Chrome again. A new “Default” folder is automatically created as you start using the browser.

Fix #6: Reset Your User Profile

User Tim Peoples contributed this solution that worked for him. As always I’m not responsible for what happens when you try these fixes. They are here for educational purposes only.

Okay… I was actually able to solve this myself.  Here’s how I did it.

In order to do this, you MUST have a valid backup of your sync data.  On a mac, it should be stored in “~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Sync Data/” (on Windows, I don’t know where it is).  I restored a 4 day old copy that was backed up via Time Machine.  On my machine there were two files: “SyncData.sqlite3” and “SyncData.sqlite3-journal”.

OK… here goes:

0) Check your “Google Dashboard” (see link at top of Chrome Settings page) and verify that your synced passwords are really gone (in the “Chrome Sync” section you should see a line for “Passwords:”. the number is probably very low (or maybe zero))
1) Restore the sync data files mentioned above (restore to some other, temporary location than where it normally lives)
2) Quit Chrome (and then wait a few seconds to make sure it’s really dead)
3) Copy the restored data files into place (see file path above for Mac or maybe someone will reply with Windows info)
4) VERY IMPORTANT: Turn off WiFi and/or disconnect from the Internet (you need to make sure Chrome cannot talk to Google’s servers for a little while)
5) Start Chrome
6) Insure that your previously lost passwords have come back to life (look in Settings -> Manage saved passwords) They may take a few seconds to appear.
7) Once you’ve seen that all your passwords have returned, tell chrome to not sync passwords (Under “Settings -> Advanced sync settings…” uncheck “Passwords”)
8) Quit and restart Chrome again
9) Insure all your passwords are still there
10) Turn on Wifi and/or reconnect to the network (so chrome can talk to google again)
11) Restart chrome again
12) Re-enable password sync (back to “Settings -> Advanced sync settings…” check the box for “Passwords”)
13) Restart chrome one more time (why not? It don’t hurt nothin’)
13) Wait about 60 seconds or so then check your “Google Dashboard” and verify that the number of stored passwords is now at a more acceptable number (mine went from 3 to 214 to prove that I’d fixed it)
14) Reward yourself with a frosty beverage :-)

I hope these instructions aren’t too confusing and that someone actually finds them useful.

There may be another, easier way to do this… however, this is how *I* was able to restore my lost, synced passwords.

 

 

How To Remove and Uninstall Firefox Hello

With the newest version of Firefox being sent as an update to everyone you’ll notice a brand new icon at the top of your browser. This is for Firefox Hello, Mozilla’s competitor to Skype. While it’s nice that Mozilla is working on new projects that might turn out cool it’s not that great that they’ve forced everyone into adding the “Hello” program and icon to their Firefox browser without asking permission.

Here’s how to remove it:

  1. Click on the “Hamburger” icon (looks like three horizontal lines near the address bar)
  2. Click Customize.
  3. Now drag the Firefox Hello icon to the “Additional Tools and Features” section

And bam! Your firefox is back to normal. No more annoying new software you never agreed to installing.

 

How to Block a Website in Safari

I received this question from a reader:

I run a business and I don’t want people going on youtube or Face Book, is there any way I can block these sites for cheap? I have a mac and Safari.

Do you work in a retail store? I see teenagers on Facebook at the local mall or Best Buy all the time. Hilariously enough the employees at these stores are either annoyed…..or on Facebook themselves!

Onto your question. There is a simple way of blocking websites on a Mac. Simply modify a file called “HOSTS”. This file allows you to add as many websites to it as you want. You can either block the websites outright or have them redirect to whatever site you want. The procedure is ridiculously easy.

Here’s how:

1) Click on Finder in your Dock.

2) Click on Go at the menu bar at the top of your screen.

3) In the Menu scroll down to Utilities. The Utilities folder will open. Double-click on the Terminal icon in the utilities folder.

4) A Terminal window will open. Type in the following:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Press Enter.

5) You will be asked for a password. Type it in and then press Enter.

6) The HOSTS file will open in a special text editor. There will already be lines of text in the file. Add the two lines to the file like so:

127.0.0.1 www.google.ca

127.0.0.1 google.ca

Replace “google.ca” in both lines with your website. As you can see you will need to add your website twice. Once with “www” in front of it and once without.

7) Repeat for as many websites as you have.

8) Press Control-O (the letter not the number) on your keyboard and then press Enter to save the HOSTS file.

9) Press Control-X to close the text editor and return to the terminal interface.

10) Type in:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache

Press Enter.

And you’re done! Now whenever someone tries to get to that website the computer will be unable to load it. If you want to unblock the website you can simply open the HOSTS file using the steps above and delete the two lines that you added.

If you have any questions ask them in the comments below.

 

 

How To Fix The WiFi Out Of Range Problem On A Chromebook

Are you getting a WiFi “Out of Range” error message on your Chromebook? Well so are a large crowd of other users. Fortunately this appears to be a solvable software issue rather than a hardware issue which means you can solve it easily yourself!

Go through the following fixes in order until your problem is resolved.

Fix #1: Restart your devices

This seems obvious but sometimes the obvious works and can save you a lot of time and trouble.

  1. Turn off your Chromebook completely.
  2. Unplug your modem and your WiFi router.
  3. Wait twenty seconds.
  4. Plug in your modem and your WiFi router (it will take them a few minutes to boot back up).
  5. Turn on your Chromebook.

Check to see if the problem is resolved. If not move onto Fix #2.

Fix #2: Change your WiFi Router Settings

Your WiFi settings might be incompatible with the Chromebook or causing problems. You will have to log into the administration panel of your WiFi router. Each router is different so you’ll need to hunt around or check your router manual for where the setting options are located.

  1. On your Chromebook type in the web address of your WiFi router (check with your router manual if you don’t know).
  2. Login (if you don’t remember your router username and password then check your router manual or online for the default username/password of your router model).
  3. For your WiFi security make sure that your encryption is set to WPA2-PSK with AES Encryption. Make sure that you Disable TKIP if it is enabled.
  4. Disable WPS.
  5. Disable WMM/QoS

Restart your Chromebook.

If you have a Ubee modem/router then Chromebook user Davey Alexander has reported that the following sequence of steps (which are similar to the steps above) may resolve the issue:

  1. Type in your Ubee modem IP. (192.168.0.1)
  2. Click Login on the left. Username and password is “user”
  3. Click on Wireless on top and then click Primary Network on the left.
  4. I click Disabled under Automatic Security Configuration and it seemed to solve the issue. Make sure Primary Network is enabled and your WPA2-PSK is enabled too. I would enable WPA only but it wouldn’t let me. Underneath, there is WPA/WPA2 Encryption. Make sure it says AES.
  5. If that doesn’t work, click on WMM on the left toolbar. Turn WMM Support and No Acknowledgement off. Keep Power Save Support on.

Fix #3: Perform a hard reset of your Chromebook

You can find instructions for performing a hard reset of your Chromebook model here: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/3227606?hl=en

Fix #4: Completely reset your chromebook

This step will completely wipe your chromebook so you need to backup all of your data first. Again: this will erase EVERYTHING and bring your chromebook back to the state it was when you bought it.

  1. Click on your account picture in the lower-right corner of your screen.
  2. Click on Settings. A window will appear.
  3. Click on Show Advanced Settings at the bottom.
  4. Find the “Powerwash” label and click Reset.
  5. In the window that opens click Restart.

Once the chromebook restarts you will be presented with the setup window. Go through the setup and enter your google account information.

Have any more ways to fix the WiFi out of range issue on the chromebook? Let us know in the comments below.

 

What operating system is Chromebook?

The Chromebook runs Google’s Chrome OS a brand new type of operating system designed to interface with the internet and the cloud.

Chrome OS is different from other operating systems like Microsoft Windows or Apple OS X in the sense that it doesn’t care much about storing files on the laptop itself or running programs from the hard drive. Instead the focus is on storing data in the cloud and on browser extensions. The benefits of this approach are that large hard drives are not needed nor is high processing power, everything is done and stored on large computers at Google’s headquarters and then sent to you when you need it.

The Chrome OS is basically a web browser. When you buy a Chromebook you’re buying a web browsing machine. Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X programs will not run on the Chromebook.

 

Can You Get A Virus On A Chromebook?

The quick and simple answer? No.

Chromebooks are a new form of personal computer that work so differently from regular computers that viruses simply can’t penetrate them. Due to their browser-centric design no virus can even launch on a Chromebook. So you don’t have to worry.

Do you need an antivirus? Nope. Technology has moved on. Antiviruses are a relic of the past on the chromebook.

However that doesn’t mean that you can become relaxed about your online security. Your chromebook will protect you from viruses but that doesn’t mean that it will protect you from every scam and phishing attack. Always be careful about what websites you provide your data to. This means that you shouldn’t give just any website out there your credit card number and information.

You should also be careful about what extension you install and always research what these extensions do before installing them. Reading the reviews on the Chrome Store is an excellent way to do this. Once you install an extension you give it access to your computer and your data.

But the bottom line is that if you’re looking for security and safety online it doesn’t get much better than the chromebook.

 

How to Fix Laptop Mouse Cursor Moving And Jumping Around

If the cursor on your laptop is jumping around and you can’t stop it then this article will provide the solution to your problems. Many users have reported this issue in regards to the HP Pavilion DV Series and other brands and models of laptops and it’s undoubtedly frustrating. Try these solutions in the order listed until your cursor displays correctly.

Fix #1: Update the TouchPad Driver

The simplest solution is to ensure that you are running the most up to date software for your touchpad.

If you have an HP then the company seems to be aware of the issue of the cursor jumping around and has released a driver update.

  1. Click here: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02445227
  2. Follow the instructions to download and install the correct driver for your machine.
  3. Restart your computer.

If the problem persists even after the update you should also run Windows Update just in case an update there solves your problem.

If you have a non-HP computer then you should check the manufacturers website for your model to see if there is a driver update for the touchpad. Run Windows Update as well.

Fix #2: Power Cycle your Laptop

A power cycle of your laptop may clear any improper settings or issues and might solve the problem. It is a very simple procedure and could solve your problem in just a few seconds.

  1. Shutdown your laptop.
  2. Disconnect the power cord and remove the battery.
  3. Press and hold the power button down for ten seconds.
  4. Put the battery back in and re-connect the power cord.

Check if the issue has resolved.

Fix #3: Uninstall and then reinstall the touchpad and keyboard

Beyond looking for a newer driver for your touchpad sometimes uninstalling and then reinstalling the touchpad can fix any issues of software or device corruption. We will also uninstall and reinstall the keyboard since it is so linked with the touchpad and could be responsible for the problems.

  1. Open the Start Menu.
  2. Type device manager into the search box. (On Windows 8 opening the Device Manager is a bit different.)
  3. Open device manager.
  4. Expand Mice and Other Pointing Devices
  5. Right-click on the touchpad.
  6. In the menu click Uninstall.
  7. In the dialog box click Ok to start uninstalling.

Do the same thing with the keyboard:

  1. Expand Keyboards
  2. Right-click on the keyboard.
  3. In the menu click Uninstall.
  4. In the dialog box click Ok to start uninstalling.

Restart the computer. When Windows boots back up it should automatically reinstall both the keyboard and touchpad. See if the issue is now resolved.

Fix #4: Install the Touchfreeze Software Utility

If the other solutions have failed then you can install a software utility that will monitor and “freeze” your touchpad and cursor to stop it from moving around when you’re doing other things like typing. And when you want to use the touchpad it will work normally. This utility runs in the background.

You can download this utility free of charge here: https://code.google.com/p/touchfreeze/

If Touchfreeze doesn’t work then you can also try Touchpad Pal which is a similar program. You can find it here: http://tpp.desofto.com/

Note: Mandatory legal disclaimer. Both Touchfreeze and Touchpad Pal is not software made by me and I am providing a link merely as an information service to you. I am not responsible for any damage the software might do nor am I responsible for providing support. You use that software and click those links at your own risk. 

Fix #5: Disable the touchpad

You also have the option of disabling the touchpad entirely and using an mouse. This isn’t the most convenient but if you are okay with using a mouse then this should entirely stop the cursor from jumping around.

  1. Open the Start Menu.
  2. Type device manager into the search box. (On Windows 8 opening the Device Manager is a bit different.)
  3. Open device manager.
  4. Expand Mice and Other Pointing Devices
  5. Right-click on the touchpad.
  6. In the menu click Disable.
  7. Click Yes in the box that appears.
  8. Restart your computer.

Your touchpad is now disabled and will not work at all. You can now use your external mouse in peace.

 

Solution: Spotify Search Not Working On Desktop App

If you’re trying to search using Spotify and nothing happens when you type into the search field then the solution can be very simple.

The Fix:

Simply log out of the Spotify app and then log back in. The search function should work now.

 

How To Login To Twitter When It Says: “An error occurred when signing in. Please try again later.”

It’s always frustrating when you’re trying to do something on your phone and instead you run into trouble. Follow the steps below in order if you are trying to login to the Twitter app and you’re getting the error message “An error occurred when signing in. Please try again later.”

Fix #1: Login using your email instead of your username

Instead of using your username to login instead put in your email. Then put in your password like usual. If this doesn’t work then move onto Fix #2.

Fix #2: Uninstall and then Reinstall the App

  1. Uninstall the App completely.
  2. Then reinstall the App.

Fix #3: Make sure that your Time and Timezone settings are correct

If Using Android:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Go to Date and Time
  3. Make sure that your phone has the correct time.
  4. And make sure that your phone is in the correct time zone. If it isn’t then correct it.

Fix #4: Login using the Web Browser

Sometimes the Twitter system may be asking you to change your password of something and the Twitter app is confused.

  1. Open your phone’s web browser.
  2. Navigate to www.twitter.com
  3. Login
  4. If you’re prompted to change your password then do it.
  5. Then close the web browser and try to login using the Twitter app again

 

 

How To Fix the “CSRF verification failed” Error Message

You might be getting this error message in a variety of applications and webpages. It’s especially popular in commenting platforms like Disqus. You can solve it by using one of the fixes below:

Fix #1: Check to see if your HTTP Referrer is enabled

In Firefox:

  1. Type about:config in the address bar
  2. Press Enter.
  3. Read the warning the press the button to go ahead.
  4. In the Filter bar type: network.http.sendRefererHeader
  5. The listing should appear in the results. Right-click on it and click Reset.

Fix #2: Check to see if any extensions are causing a problem with your HTTP Referrer

Disable all of your extensions in your web browser temporarily in order to see if one of them is causing the issue. If the problem is resolved then re-enable extensions one by one each time trying to reproduce the error in order to find out which one is causing the problem.