Best practice to recover license key for 1Password after a clean install of new macOS

DrJJWMac

I will do a clean install of Mojave soon. I want to be clear first about the best practice to follow to recover 1Password completely after the clean install.

• I have a Time Machine backup to an external drive
• I have a copied my entire drive to a second external drive (not bootable)
• I do NOT have a 1Password account
• I am using iCloud to backup my main vault
• I am using Dropbox to backup a second vault

I believe that I am covered for the data but ...

I am compiling a database for all my apps of user name + S/N + license key in advance and I have no idea where to find/get my license key???? I wish for example to have the equivalent of a "Recover license key" button in the License menu display for 1Password (feature request perhaps).

What is the recommended approach to recover a license key in this (and other) cases?

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JJW

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1Password Version: 7.2.5
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: 10.13.6
Sync Type: iCloud, Dropbox

Lars

@DrJJWMac - If you have a standalone setup with both iCloud (for Primary) and Dropbox sync (for other vaults), you shouldn't need to do anything but (re)-install 1Password for Mac and re-establish sync with first iCloud and then Dropbox for your additional vaults. These are not "backups," specifically, they are sync keychains. However, if you'd like to be certain, 1Password does also make daily backups for you, which can be found by clicking the Show Files button in Preferences > Backup. You could take the most-recent backup and transfer it to a USB Flash drive for safekeeping, should you need it. You won't likely need it, however. Just (re)install 1Password after the clean install, and re-establish sync. That should take care of it.

In terms of a licenses, have you tried using the Software License category in 1Password? That's what it's explicitly designed for: I'd hate to see you doing extra work to create a separate database for licenses when you've literally got a purpose-built way to do that right in 1Password.

With regard to a 1Password 7 for Mac license, you would have purchased that from our FastSpring store, and received an email with your license information. Do you have that? If so, you can use it to license 1Password on the new install just as you did on the previous one. If you click "About" in the 1Password menu, however, and the info window says you installed from the Mac App Store instead of from us, then you won't have a license key. What does the "About" window say?

DrJJWMac

Thank you for the detailed clarification. This is all most helpful.

I will transfer the backup files in my process of creating a "Should You Ever (Again) Need a Fresh Install" folder.

I had forgotten about the license category in 1Password. Great idea!

I purchased from FastSpring (AgileBits Store) not from MAS. With a Spotlight search, I found the email from FastSpring, clicked on the link inside it, and recovered the password license. I'll store that with everything else above.

I'll still suggest this as a feature request -- Have a button to "Recover License Key" in the License dialog.

Thank you again!!

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JJW

Ben

Thanks for the update and for the feedback on this. :)

Ben

DrJJWMac

Update ...

I did the clean install of Mojave. I then inadvertently installed a MAS version of 1Password. Although I was able to recover my iCloud files, I was totally confused as to why my license was not being recovered. After I discovered my mistake, I downloaded 1Password directly and installed it anew. I did not even delete the existing installed MAS copy of 1Password. My 1Password license was directly recovered from iCloud, and my 1Password is registered for the AgileBits version rather than the MAS version.

As an aside, I have two login IDs on my machine, one for work and one for personal use. I have a second 1Password vault that I store in Dropbox for my personal passwords. I will recover that vault at some point in the coming weeks. It is still visible on my iOS devices.

FWIW, why the details of the recovery path were so important ... I am doing a "nuke and repave" type of clean install on a second (larger + faster) SSD for my MBP. Rather than recover app "stuff and fluff" from a Time Machine backup, I am rebuilding each app that I need one at a time from scratch. I am in no rush to get this done. It is a one-weekend-at-a-time adventure. At each point, I just swap back to the old SSD on Sunday evening and go back to work.

As to the use of 1Password versus a spreadsheet for the passwords, I prefer the spreadsheet now because I can do oversight on the contents as a crude database. Once I am done, I'll import the critical information to 1Password.

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JJW

DrJJWMac

Well, as it is, I forgot my password to get access to the other vault (Family) in Dropbox. I did the reset as stated in this post.

https://support.1password.com/starting-over/

That process however did not remove the need to have a password to import the contents of the previously existing Family Dropbox vault in to a newly created New Family vault.

(sigh) So much for storing a cryptic hint phrase to a password vault and then forgetting what it meant a year or so later. :|

To resolve the problem, I used my iPad app to move the Dropbox Family vault contents back to the Primary iCloud vault. I deleted the vault in Dropbox. I now have one Primary vault only in iCloud.

This is not a problem. My initial plan was to share the Family vault with my spouse, but that idea never did catch on. I'm back to being the chief manager of all passwords for joint accounts as well as for my own. I suspect this will work out better for other reasons too.

In summary, when you are doing a clean install and when you have vaults also stored on Dropbox, remember that each vault will have its own password and that those passwords are not the same as the master password.

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JJW

ag_ana

Hi @DrJJWMac,

Thank you for the updates!

In summary, when you are doing a clean install and when you have vaults also stored on Dropbox, remember that each vault will have its own password and that those passwords are not the same as the master password.

This is correct :+1:

I would be happy to help you configure your Families account if you want though, if you have one :) Alternatively, please let me know if you would like to have it deleted so it doesn't cause any confusion.

If there is any way we can help, please let us know!