Windows Update Changed Local State File - Passwords Lost

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Description of the issue:

Windows decided to update & restart (while I wasn’t even on the laptop).

Once logged back in, opened Brave using the same profile (I even got the same 20 tabs that were open), it seems that all saved passwords are lost.

Upon further checking, login data file under “Default” profile exists, and contains all my logins (except PWs).

Tried decrypting it using some python codes, assuming that I’m using the very same device, login username, and PW, but didn’t work.

I discovered that Local state file creation date appeared to be today, while I’ve been using this profile since 2023.

For my bad luck, when I used the sync code I had saved years ago, it says that code is expired.

No Windows backup for %AppData% folder, so I can’t get a recent version of local state file.

Tried uninstalling last updates from Windows, nothing changed, restarted the device, nothing.

Brave Version:

Brave 1.79.123 (Official Build) (64-bit)

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@omardabbas

Similar situation - an update results in Brave Browser “lost data”:

@Mattches - among several posts, I have figured / found / guessed that the Local State file is clobbered, for as yet unknown reasons other than

a) a Brave Browser update
b) a Windows OS update
c) a data sync somehow interrupted
d) a Restart of a Windows OS
e) a Shut Down, then overnight pause, then next day Startup (during that span, some update is probably installed)

In order to improve the chances of data recovery:

Perhaps Brave Browser could produce a continuous 7-day backup (snapshots) of the Local State, to a sub-folder, of the container-folder, of the Local State file?

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