Only a month ago I lost all my saved passwords. Today I logged into windows and the brave icon is blank on the desktop. I cant open brave any way other than “new window”. It deleted all my cookies and logged me out of every platform.
Brave is becoming very unstable.
Seems to happen with Brave Browser updates.
Your previous posts:
For as-yet-unknown reasons - for some Brave Browser (Windows OS) users - Brave Browser updates seem to cause the loss, or apparent loss, of some parts/portions/segments of Brave Browser user data.
Some Brave Browser (Windows OS) users are NOT prepared to recover from data loss → by their maintaining routine, chronological backups of the User Data folder:
C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data
My consolidated notes re the problem:
‘Brave deleted all my active tabs and favorites - #2 by 289wk’
They include:
Enable System Protection
Press Win + R, type SystemPropertiesProtection, and press Enter
Under the Protection Settings list, enable protection for your system drive (usually C:) and allocate ~5-10% of space for restore points.
Create a PowerShell script to generate a restore point
Open Notepad, paste the following:
Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Automatic Restore Point" -RestorePointType "MODIFY_SETTINGS"
Save that as:
C:\Scripts\CreateRestorePoint.ps1
Schedule it
Open Task Scheduler → Create Task
Name: Automatic Restore Point
Triggers: Everyday at a convenient time
Actions:
Program/script: powershell.exe
Add arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Scripts\CreateRestorePoint.ps1"
Under Conditions, uncheck “Start the task only if the computer is on AC power” if you want it to run on laptops.
Under Settings, choose “Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed.”
You now have an automated Windows OS System Restore Point created daily.
This just happened to me too.
After wasting 2 hours trying to fix things I decided to use WaterFox to download and reinstall the latest version of Brave.
It fixed the problem
It did it again. Shut down. Start up machine, log into Windows. Brave is broken, cookies deleted. logged me out of everything and icon is missing. Can’t launch brave other than searching for it and choosing “new window”. may need to move to Chrome ?
passwords not deleted yet !
Brave specifically deleted the X and Facebook passwords and left the rest. I had yet backed up a new account password. Gave me no time. Is brave hacked ? It looks like it.
brave refuses to save password for facebook
“Brave specifically deleted the X and Facebook passwords and left the rest.”
Any chance, you have Brave Sync enabled?
Have you reviewed your On exit settings at brave://settings/clearBrowserData?
‘Brave.exe’ is usually at one of the following paths:
C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exeC:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exeC:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exeSo . . .
brave.exe file and select Show more optionsBrave_Test_RunSource: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/create-desktop-shortcut-windows-10
See if that Brave Browser icon lasts.
Create and use AN ADDITIONAL Brave Browser user Profile (Menu --> More tools --> Add profile) - only ← meaning: Do not have any other Brave Browser user Profile tabs/windows open.
When creating this new Brave Browser user Profile for test purposes
IF this test Brave Browser user Profile does not present your problem, then possibly, the profile that you have been using, has a problem . . . and that might be caused by one or more extensions, or too many tabs ← complex/conundrum.
Detailed info about testing - IF, in regard to memory and performance issues:
Please establish a daily routine for backing up your data:
User Data folder‘Where Brave Browser Profiles Are Located’
Scrolling down the webpage at:
https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018185951-How-do-I-use-the-built-in-password-manager
A note states:
“Export Passwords - Selecting Download file will export all credentials you’ve saved in your browser as a
.CSVfile onto your system. Note that anyone who has access to your system will be able to open and view this file, so it is recommended that you delete this file once you’ve used the file for its intended purpose.”
Tips on how to encrypt that .CSV file:
Be sure to safely store a copy of that CSV file on an external drive.
Two ways to get to the Bookmarks Manager.
One way:
Bookmarks --> Bookmarks ManagerExport and choose where you want to store the exported file.Another way:
brave://bookmarksThe exported file name: “bookmarks.html”
Be sure to safely store a copy of that HTML file on an external drive.
Enable System Protection
Press Win + R, type SystemPropertiesProtection, and press Enter
Under the Protection Settings list, enable protection for your system drive (usually C:) and allocate ~5-10% of space for restore points.
Create a PowerShell script to generate a restore point
Open Notepad, paste the following:
Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Automatic Restore Point" -RestorePointType "MODIFY_SETTINGS"
Save that as:
C:\Scripts\CreateRestorePoint.ps1
Schedule it
Open Task Scheduler → Create Task
Name: Automatic Restore Point
Triggers: Everyday at a convenient time
Actions:
Program/script: powershell.exe
Add arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Scripts\CreateRestorePoint.ps1"
Under Conditions, uncheck “Start the task only if the computer is on AC power” if you want it to run on laptops.
Under Settings, choose “Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed.”
You now have an automated Windows OS System Restore Point created daily.
There is nothing checked for on exit. All the shortcuts have no target and a blank icon. I had my passwords deleted only for those two sites. Brave deleted all the passwords a month back. I shouldn’t have to backup daily but I back up the passwords when I make them normally but I wasnt give a chance this time.
My cookie for Discord was not deleted so the login is active. Brave is targeting only some domains deleting cookies.
Now the autocomplete is showing the actual passwords in the form. For other domains other than the one I am using.
I would take the time to run through several steps:
Disable Brave Sync.
Disable and Remove all extensions.
Restart the computer.
Be sure to back up your passwords → the exported .csv file ← store that file in a safe location, preferrably on an external USB drive. In one of your replies at another topic, you mentioned that file.
Run both of the following (DISM and then System File Checker ‘sfc’) in an elevated Command Prompt (Right-click → Run as administrator).
First: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth (Takes a while to run . . .)
Restart the computer.
Second: sfc /scannow (Takes a while to run . . .)
Restart the computer.
Thoroughly Uninstall Brave Browser:
First: The Brave Browser application brave.exe etc., follow the directions at:
‘Every time I open the browser it closes again directly - #20 by clifton’
Second: The Brave Browser updater, BraveUpdate.exe, follow the directions at:
‘Have to re-install Brave multiple times per day on Windows11 - #24 by mherrmann’
Restart the computer.
If you find it, Delete the BraveSoftware folder at:
C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware
If you find them, Delete the BraveSoftware folders at:
C:\Program Files\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe
C:\Program Files(x86)\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\Application\brave.exe
Restart the computer.
Install Brave Browser Stable Release
‘https://brave.com/download/’
DO NOT import anything during the initial setup.
Import bookmarks and passwords, later, after Restarting the computer.
I havent imported passwords for a while. Only a month or so ago when they were all deleted. Some passwords were missing with this fault for certain domains only. X and Facebook and AWS. My AWS password in the password manager was reset to an old one by brave it seems.
I will uninstall and reinstall again. And see if the fault happens again. May have to create a new profile ?
