How to set a password for the use of your electronic certificate
Skip information indexMaster password in Mozilla Firefox
The master password (also called "master password") is the password for the certificate store or manager of the Mozilla Firefox browser and by default it is not set; It is always the user who establishes it. It serves to protect saved passwords, certificates and other confidential data. Firefox will request the master password when you want to access this data.
How to set a master password
In Windows, go to "Tools" or the three horizontal stripes icon in the upper right corner, "Settings". On Macintosh, "Firefox" in the menu or the three horizontal stripes icon, "Preferences." Or in Linux, "Edit", "Preferences".
Select the "Privacy and security" option, in the "Browser privacy" section and in the "Users and passwords" section, check if you have set a master password in "Use a master password".
If it is not checked, it means that there is no master password, so if a window appears asking you to enter a master password, simply click "OK" without filling out the box.
To assign a master password, check "Use a master password". At this point, a pop-up window will open to specify the master password you want to use.
The "Current Password" field will appear disabled (since there is none saved). Type the password in "Enter new password" and then confirm it.
How to change the master password
If a master password has been set, to change it you will need to enter the current password by pressing the "Change master password..." button.
If there is a master password established and you do not remember what it is, you will not be able to use the electronic certificate. There is a way to "Reset Password" that removes the current master password and allows you to set a new one, but this action removes ALL electronic certificates that were installed , the private keys associated with them, and , consequently, any certificate requests that may be pending. Therefore, before carrying out this operation, perform the following actions:
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Check if you have a backup of the electronic certificates so you can install them again later, or you will need to request them again. The icon for a valid copy is an open envelope with a green certificate sticking out and a key, with the file extension .pfx or .p12.
If the copy is not valid, the icon is a green certificate and there is no key, and the extension is .cer.
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If you do not have a valid copy, follow the instructions in the help available in our "Computer Queries".
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Once you have obtained a copy of the electronic certificate, in the main "Master Passwords" panel, access the "Reset" option. To do this, in the browser's address bar write:
chrome://pippki/content/resetpassword.xul
Then press the " keyIntro" to get the following screen.
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To confirm the deletion of the master password, press the "Reset" button located at the bottom right of the page. The message “Your master password has been reset” will be displayed, press “OK”.
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From that moment on, there will no longer be a master password in the browser that protects private keys or data and you will have to import the certificate again, for which you can follow the instructions in our help published in "Computer Consultations".