The other side of online security

[Parsifal]

It turns out that I am now locked out of the email account I used to register for this site. The site hosting it is still around (yahoo) and I still have the correct password but now the site now tells me that for my protection I can't log in unless I enter a security code sent to my "recovery" email. Problem is that I don't have access to my recovery email. It's a work email for an previous job. They offer no other way to get in.

This email isn't so important to me, I mainly use it for registering at web sites when I don't want notifications to clutter my main email, but it is an inconvenience. Now I have to check whether this list email account is a recovery email for other accounts. I don't want a chain reaction of lost accounts. And I must get a new secondary email account.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

I have a similar problem. I can log in to my G-mail account only on my main desktop computer at home, on which my Opera web browser has the password stored. I have forgotten the password, and the only way G-mail offers recovery (as far as I can see) is to send a code to my cellphone. The problem with that is, I bought a new cellphone and got a new number back in July. The old number is inactive, and there is no way to change the number on my acct--apparently. It wants me to log in to do this--but I'm already logged in reading my e-mail!

At this point, the only solution I can see is to try to find some way to make Opera spit out the password so I can copy it down.

Otherwise I will lose nearly 20 years of (mostly worthless) e-mail. Still, I do use it and have a few important things in there.

Any suggstions would be appreciated!

[Parsifal]

I don't use opera, but chrome, Firefox and safari all have a dialog box under settings somewhere that you can use to display saved passwords. I'd be surprised if opera doesn't have something similar.

[North Star]

I don't use opera, but chrome, Firefox and safari all have a dialog box under settings somewhere that you can use to display saved passwords. I'd be surprised if opera doesn't have something similar.

I use Opera, and there's a section under the settings for that. Also, if you create an Opera account, you can synchronize the passwords to your account, and when you login on another computer, you can choose to move the passwords, bookmarks, even history along with you.

[Gurn Blanston]

I thought everyone used LastPass. All of my online passwords are in it, and all I ever have to remember is one password. So if I went to visit Scarpia and wanted to check my email, I could log onto Last Pass on his computer (which he graciously allowed me to do) and from there check my mail, or get onto GMG or buy something on Amazon etc.

It's free, works with any browser (it's an extension) and probably not hackable unless you really worked at it with your Crays cascaded together like the spies do.

Of course, this doesn't resolve your problem of how to get the ones you can't get to, sorry...

[North Star]

I thought everyone used LastPass. All of my online passwords are in it, and all I ever have to remember is one password. So if I went to visit Scarpia and wanted to check my email, I could log onto Last Pass on his computer (which he graciously allowed me to do) and from there check my mail, or get onto GMG or buy something on Amazon etc.

It's free, works with any browser (it's an extension) and probably not hackable unless you really worked at it with your Crays cascaded together like the spies do.

Of course, this doesn't resolve your problem of how to get the ones you can't get to, sorry...

That's handy (or you could just use Opera ). Paper is a good way to store passwords, too.

[Gurn Blanston]

That's handy (or you could just use Opera ). Paper is a good way to store passwords, too.

Tried it, wasn't too keen. I use Chrome now, it actually works better for me than every other browser I've tried (which has been many!!).

Paper is fine if it is sitting on my desk and I am sitting in my chair. It isn't worth a damn under other circumstances, and I am very frequently IN other circumstances. If alternatives worked well, we sort of wouldn't be here right now, you know?   

[kishnevi]

I have a similar problem. I can log in to my G-mail account only on my main desktop computer at home, on which my Opera web browser has the password stored. I have forgotten the password, and the only way G-mail offers recovery (as far as I can see) is to send a code to my cellphone. The problem with that is, I bought a new cellphone and got a new number back in July. The old number is inactive, and there is no way to change the number on my acct--apparently. It wants me to log in to do this--but I'm already logged in reading my e-mail!

At this point, the only solution I can see is to try to find some way to make Opera spit out the password so I can copy it down.

Otherwise I will lose nearly 20 years of (mostly worthless) e-mail. Still, I do use it and have a few important things in there.

Any suggstions would be appreciated!

Can you log in from your desktop with that saved password?

If you can, you change the password and make other security changes, as long Opera has saved the password.

Your post made me realize I have potentially the same problem, so I just did it with Chrome on my tablet (currently the only device I use).  Chrome supplied the old password as needed.

[drogulus]

I have a similar problem. I can log in to my G-mail account only on my main desktop computer at home, on which my Opera web browser has the password stored. I have forgotten the password, and the only way G-mail offers recovery (as far as I can see) is to send a code to my cellphone. The problem with that is, I bought a new cellphone and got a new number back in July. The old number is inactive, and there is no way to change the number on my acct--apparently. It wants me to log in to do this--but I'm already logged in reading my e-mail!

At this point, the only solution I can see is to try to find some way to make Opera spit out the password so I can copy it down.

Otherwise I will lose nearly 20 years of (mostly worthless) e-mail. Still, I do use it and have a few important things in there.

Any suggstions would be appreciated!

    On your computer open Opera and on the upper left go to Options>Settings>Privacy & Security>Manage Saved Passwords>Show

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Thanks. I just tried this, and it listed a few, but not g-mail. I searched for google and g-mail, but nothing came up. Now it says, "you have no saved passwords". 

[drogulus]

Thanks. I just tried this, and it listed a few, but not g-mail. I searched for google and g-mail, but nothing came up. Now it says, "you have no saved passwords". 

     If you can log in to your account you can change the password and tell Opera to save it.

[Parsifal]

Thanks. I just tried this, and it listed a few, but not g-mail. I searched for google and g-mail, but nothing came up. Now it says, "you have no saved passwords". 

And you use Opera, why?

Google uses the same password for all of their services, and in my browser it seems to be stored under "accounts.google.com." Searching g-mail (or gmail) won't turn anything up, searching google should.

[Scion7]

WRITE IT DOWN.  Put in in your sock drawer.

I knew the fall of the British Empire would lead to such carelessness.