Browser Privacy: Enhanced Tracking Protection & Cookies and Site Data have conflicting issue
Issue summary: I lost over 100 sites listed in the Cookies and Site Data section when I simply removed a few websites in the Enhanced Tracking Protection section.
Under the Browser Privacy section, the two subheads, "Enhanced Tracking Protection" and "Cookies and Site Data" serve two distinct purposes—as I understand. Enhanced Tracking Protection will automatically add the URL of a webpage (that you currently have open) to the Enhanced Tracking Protection screen whenever you disable the shield in the search bar. This will turn off tracking for that website until turn you it back on. You can also manually add websites to the Enhanced Tracking Protection screen if you have mulitples to add. This whitelist will stay active until you delete them or click on the shield to turn it back on.
The Cookies and Site Data section further down, allows you to create a list of sites that you want to BLOCK, ALLOW FOR SESSION, or ALLOW cookies and site data to be used, and retained or not. This differs from the Enhanced Tracking Protection section.
Today, I wanted to delete one of the websites listed in the Enhanced Tracking Protection, and did so manually. But since there were only a couple listed (I rarely add to this screen), I simply clicked on "Remove All Websites" instead of "Remove Website." Unfortunately, when I went down to the Cookies and Site Data list (which I use all the time) to add a new URL today, my entire list was gone! I did not remove or enter anything in the Cookies and Site Data screen today, prior to using the Enhanced Tracking Protection screen.
As you can guess, I am sick because I had over 100 sites listed in the Cookies and Site Data section, and lost them all when I removed the few websites in the Enhanced Tracking Protection section. I don't know why or how this happened, but it is worth noting that I did just update Firefox this morning to vs 125.0.2 (from 124.0.2). My list is gone, but does anyone have a reason why it happened and is there a way to prevent that in the future? Or is it some kind of bug with the latest release or an earlier one. (I haven't opened the Enhanced Tracking Protection screen for a long time, so it could be from any past release.) Sorry I don't have more info than that. Any solutions would be appeciated.
All Replies (6)
Exceptions are stored as part of the "Site settings" (permissions.sqlite) just like the ETP exceptions, so it looks that in your case the Site settings got cleared.
- clearing "Site settings" clears exceptions like for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation (permissions.sqlite) and exceptions for passwords (logins.json) and other website specific data (content-prefs.sqlite)
This sounds like a bug. I'm searching to see whether it has been filed.
Meanwhile, do you have any backups of your profile folder? I believe this data would have been in a file named permissions.sqlite and presumably it took a long time to build up the list, so even a copy of the file from several weeks or even months ago probably would be better than nothing.
The profile folder is stored under the
C:\Users\your-username
path in the hidden AppData folder. The following article has more information: Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data.
And actually, please make a copy of the current permissions.sqlite file in a separate location in case Firefox has marked the records for deletion in a companion file but not comitted the deletions yet.
Search didn't turn up a bug.
I tested in a separate profile and did not encounter the problem you experienced. Using "Remove All Websites" for either category had no effect on the other (in Fx125.0.2 on Windows).
I wonder whether there was a random glitch with the permissions.sqlite database file?
What security software do you have?
Sorry for my slow response to your helpful comments!
To cor-el and jscher2000... Thank you both for your helpful input, and, yes, I do back up my profiles on a regular basis. But I had no idea what profile would be connected to this particular issue. Thank you both for pointing me in the right direction to the permissions.sqlite file!
To jscher2000... I do occasionally swap out older profiles for newer versions when I'm having an issue, or in the case of the "sudden death" of a computer that catches me off guard. But I am very careful not to proceed if I am in doubt of my capabilities. But, as you suggested, I do always back up my current profile that I am swapping out in case I need to revert quickly. In this case, my backup profiles are only a month old. So if your suggestion works, I will recover most, if not all, of my list! I will let you know if swapping out the permissions.sqlite file worked as soon as I get a chance to test it out.
To cor-el... In the past, I had used Norton or McAfee antivirus and security software. But in recent years, I stopped using a separate app since the newer Macs have robust built-in security and malware protection. And I also experienced a slowdown in the computer's processing when I used those other apps. I realize no system protection is foolproof, but I have never had any issues regarding security (knock on wood), so I have continued to rely on the Mac's built-in protection.
This particular event didn't seem related to anything regarding security, and I still want to think it is some kind of bug or glitch in the Firefox app. I hope that someone out there can determine if that is the case and, if so, get it resolved quickly. But, as mentioned in my first post, I rarely use the Enhanced Tracking Protection section but, instead, keep a complete, ongoing URL list in the Cookies and Site Data section.
Thank you both for your very helpful responses and giving me hope in recovering my long list!
To jscher2000 and cor-el...
I finally got back to testing out your suggestion for replacing the permissions.sqlite file in the Firefox profile folder with a backup version of said file. (Life got in the way, in a big way.) But I'm happy to report that IT WORKED! Got back all 100+ sites I had listed in the Cookies and Site Data section. Thanks for your advice! Still wondering if some kind of bug occurred in the app.
Although I assume you both are using Windows OS (or maybe Linux as well), I really appreciate your responses and advice even though I'm using a Mac. I migrated back and forth between Windows and Mac in job positions, so your responses always provide a link to solutions. And since newer apps have similar hierarchical file structures on both platforms, that's a big plus too. I always, and will continue to, search Mozilla for answers when I'm stuck with a problem. Thanks for all the help you provide.