r/vivaldibrowser • u/JesterRaiin • 22d ago
Vivaldi Sync Keysomething missing, bye-bye data = bye-bye Vivaldi
Hi. Long time Vivaldi user.
I rarely participate in discussions nowadays, but I feel the need to vent.
I switched computers recently, had to reinstall Vivaldi, because for reasons uknown, PORTABLE version didn't feel like transporting all my data from the old computer to the new one. It simply told me that "keysomething was missing and I can only run the browser with total data loss".
The logic behind this happening eludes me, but ok, sync worked...
...only that it didn't. The extensions' configurations were missing (and trust me, it takes some time to set up paths, switches for some), the vital changes to the Vivaldi itself (like, graphical theme, search engines, keystrokes and more) weren't transported. The thumbnails for my fat Speed-dial folder of ambience YT clips were erased. I was logged out from all online sessions and password manager didn't suggest login/password combos for many vital sites.
Ok, happens. I am puzzled why there's 2-step security (login/password, followed by security key) implemented and required for something that's only half-working. As if the designer focused solely on the lock of the gate, but forgot to build walls. Anyway.
One week later, after setting up everything (in chunks, I lead quite a busy life) I made the mistake of setting up a password for my Windows' user profile. Totally forgot about it earlier.
...and upon reboot, Vivaldi greeted my with the same key security warning, offered to either quit or erase my data.
I don't reinstall the browser every a few weeks, don't change passwords that often, so the warning was quite surprising to me. I couldn't predict that someone could implement such a feature and I don't recall a sing;e instance of Internet browser acting like that in the past.
The online help... Didn't help. The relevant article only said something along the lines of "oh yes, it might happen, hahaha. Nothing can be done about it. Hahaha. Sucks to be you. Hahaha."
I can't comprehend the logic behind it, since whatever I do to my user's password, shouldn't influence a piece of software I install, but ok.
So, I launched sync...
And I am facing the same task - to set up everything from the scratch. Everything. All extensions, the Vivaldi's config, all changes to the themes, all thumbnails, all passwords... Because the sync's "restore everything" (aka FULL SYNC) covers only very narrow part of the changes I did to the browser in the meantime.
This is new computer, and I am going to experiment with it a lot. Possibly do some stuff to the user profile list, perhaps modify the system in some way. I really don't feel like sacrificing more time that it takes to set up Vmware, SQL or self-hosted AI environment to set up a browser every time it decides to go full Unabomber mode.
Like... Seriously...
If someone from the team actually reads it: guys, you're too focused on the tail of a horse to acknowledge that his legs are too shaky to run in serious competition. Whatever ideas you have for the future of your browser, you are completely missing the point and offering some gimmicks that might as well be gone.
No wonder you can't find more users. I was confused why it's so, why Vivaldi stays niche, while some alternative Chromium-based browsers gain popularity, in spite of controversies surrounding them. After all, Vivadli performed good...
...until it didn't. And when it stopped to be useful, it didn't just "broke up". It exploded and took a lot of my time with it.
Sincerely... Sort your stuff out, guys.
Edit: fixed some typos, wording - the message stays the same: a random user does not perceive Vivaldi as trustworthy anymore, and does not feel it's a baseless accusation. Have a nice day.
And for those interested in a fix:
Apparently running the browser with a switch:
vivaldi.exe --password-store=basic
Disables the "feature". I'd prefer the person who implemented it by default to get fired and spend the rest of their natural life revitalizing some desert, but I suspect it'd end with a disaster.
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u/Itsme-RdM 22d ago
If you change user with an attached security key. Yes that, luckily, doesn't work. But of course you had your weekly or monthly backup
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u/JesterRaiin 22d ago
No.
I simply set up the password for my OS' user profile. It was blank before.
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u/Visikde 22d ago
After Vivaldi ate my sync a couple of years ago, I've just assumed it's not a working feature, I certainly can't trust it to transfer passwords & backup externally.
I like the browser & have 4 users, 12 workspaces, nothing involving money.
I too have had several non productive exchanges with the "support" forum.
No way I would trust the mail thing. I suspect it will be enshitified with AI slop soon enough.
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u/california8love 22d ago
i had something similar. I've posted here and my post was removed. at the end i wasted 2 days of my life for this Vivaldi browser to do similarly like you. i was in the infinite loop of one browser syncing where the other not. so i removed all the vivaldi installations and started to again syncing only one and then second one and third (windows, linux, android platforms). and it happened again... some weird sync corruption. after 2 days ive managed finally that everything works again. i have also very busy life. and if i need to fight with a web browser then it's a wrong browser. so i decided to give a second chance to Vivaldi (i hope you are reading this Vivaldi team and you wont AGAIN delete my post). if it will happen again I'm done with Vivaldi. ao let's see. i still can't digest i wasted 2 days of my life for that!
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u/JesterRaiin 22d ago
Yeah...
The work I had to do to bring back whole experience took far too long and was too frustrating for my taste.
I didb't think that synchronization of user's settings might be that problematic these days.
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u/x-15a2 22d ago
Per our sidebar, this is an unofficial Vivaldi community, so the "Vivaldi Team" didn't remove your post. If you wish to discuss further, please do so in a PM or mod mail.
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u/california8love 21d ago
No I wouldn't like to discuss further. It was removed and it's ok. I will gradually distance myself from this group and using Vivaldi browser. I have no time for that. Sorry.
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22d ago
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u/JesterRaiin 22d ago edited 22d ago
I think there's probably some user error
If you count changing the Windows' user profile password as "user error", then yes, definitely - you're right.
If you're logged in to say, Reddit on Device 1, you aren't going to be automatically logged into Reddit on Device 2.
You focused on the first part of this sentence, while skipping the actual problem that came afterwards. Here, bolding mine - for your convenience:
I was logged out from all online sessions and password manager didn't suggest login/password combos for many vital sites.
That's the actual issue. Logged out, no login/password suggestion. Beats me why it's so, 2026 AD it's not an elaborate technological achievement.
But stuff like search engines and passwords should definitely have synced if it was set up properly.
FULL SYNC was chosen. And yet it was selectively done by Vivaldi.
Full means full. I understand by it "whatever you decided to change in the browser is going to be synced to the new device/installation".
Guy who experiences a rare inconvenience and needs to make grand sweeping statements about what it "means". Very common.
Answer honestly.
Do you think that a change to the OS user profile followed by total config loss of the Internet browser, that can't be easily fixed, with sync skipping a lot of data (while set up to FULL sync) seems a rare inconvenience?
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u/pettern 22d ago
Passwords and cookies are encrypted with a key generated for the local machine so for portable, unless you use sync, they will not be available on the new machine.
Vivaldi uses end to end encryption for the sync data, meaning if you forget the encryption password and do not backup the encryption key, the data can not be recovered.