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This page last modified: Aug 25 2009
keywords:thunderbird,master,password,software,security,device,upgrade,fedora,bug,
description:Reset and clear the master password for Thunderbird email
title:Thunderbird password reset


After upgrading from Fedora 10 to Fedora 11, running Thunderbird 3.0b3.

When starting Thunderbird, I was prompted by a dialog box (utility
window) with the text below and titled: Password Required

--
Please enter the master password for the Software Security Device.
--

I didn't have a master password, so I just had to cancel. This worked
because after canceling the master password dialog box, Thunderbird
prompted me for my email password as usual. It is only an issue
because I'd have to cancel the master password dialog box everytime I
started Thunderbird. I never, ever allow software to remember my
passwords.

The solution comes from here:

http://www.fedoraforum.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1235213

Here are the steps:

Tools -> Error Console

Paste the text below into "Code:", then click Evaluate.

openDialog("chrome://pippki/content/resetpassword.xul")

I was prompted:
--
If you reset your master password, all your stored web and e-mail
passwords, from data, personal certificates, and private keys will be
forgotteon. Are you sure you want to reset your master password?
--

Cancel/Reset

Click Reset.


--
Your password has been reset.
--

As far as I can tell, my master password was removed and disabled. (It
was not reset which implies that the password was set to some
default.)