Session Buddy currently stores collections, history, and settings on your computer.

This post explains the limitations inherent to this type of data storage and what you can do to guard against circumstances that can lead to data loss in some rare cases.

Extension local storage vulnerabilities

Although uncommon, data that a browser extension stores on your computer can in some cases get deleted or corrupted due to circumstances beyond the extension’s control.

Some of the factors known to contribute to such data loss are:

  • Low disk space
  • Folders where the data is stored being deleted or corrupted by an external process such as:
    • scheduled backup
    • anti-virus
    • OS “cleaner” (eg, CCleaner, Avast Cleanup)
    • Windows Restore
  • Browsing data or site data being cleared, either manually or automatically
  • The extension being reset, disabled, or uninstalled by the browser
  • Browser profile corruption, possibly caused by a browser update or power outage
  • A browser or OS crash
  • Bugs in the browser’s implementation of IndexedDB
  • The usual risk factors associated with storing data in a single location, such as hardware failure and device theft.

What you can do to protect your Session Buddy data

An opt-in cloud storage feature is currently in the works. This will, among other benefits, be the easiest and most reliable way to eliminate the risks related to storing data locally.

In the meantime, we recommend you follow the measures outlined below to give you the peace of mind of a data recovery option should you need it.

System backups

Include the local Session Buddy data folders in your scheduled system backups.

If you do not already have a process in place to regularly back up your files, either to an external drive or to the cloud, you absolutely should. Trust us on this one.

Manual backups

Although less convenient, we recommend setting a daily, weekly, or monthly reminder to manually create a backup by clicking on the Session Buddy gear menu, then clicking Export.

An export file can be used to restore a new installation of Session Buddy through the Restore feature.