I am completely lost as to how to use this program. I need help!
Signed up for one password and do not know how to enter my passwords for the programs I use and I do not know how to even set this program up.
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Referrer: forum-search:I am completely lost as to how to use this program. I need help!
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Suggest you first get your existing (browser) password manager(s) cleaned up and working. Doing so will give you a firm understanding of the basics. Then, both you and your data will be in good shape for the migration to 1Password which has quite a bit more capability, flexibility, and (alas) complexity than the others. I found the FireFox/Lockwise combo the best to operate, modify, synchronize, and convert (import) my bookmarks and passwords to 1Password (at least compared to the iCloud/Keychain nightmare and the fathomless Google maze). Good luck.
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Hi @nancylandt! Welcome to the forum!
In addition to the suggestions by williakz (thank you for the assist!), if you want to let us know exactly at what step you are getting stuck, we can send you some specific instructions :)
Otherwise, I recommend starting from our Get started with 1Password article which offers a good introduction.
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Hi @ag_ana,
As with most "Get started with..." guides, 1Password's takes the approach that the user is starting from scratch (aided by a handy hardcopy of all their bookmarks/sites/usernames/passwords). In the real world, this rarely (never) occurs.
As I discovered, my family members have their bookmarks, sites, logins, and passwords spread over different machines, browsers, and storage "clouds" (including paper and pencil ones). IMO, it is necessary to get at least SOME of those horses properly corralled before taking on the setup of 1Password, likely using some sort of import utility. Otherwise, what can and should be the solution to haphazard and insecure password management can quickly become just another problem adding to the mess.
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Likewise it almost never happens that one sits down for a session and "sets up" 1Password, to a state in which all of their accounts are recorded and passwords are secure and unique. That just isn't how most people approach it. Most folks tend to fix things as they need them. E.g. next time they go to buy something on Amazon they realize they haven't added those credentials to Amazon yet. They log in, save the current credentials, and then ideally update the password to a secure unique one.
Does that make sense?
Ben
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You know your software. I know how at least 2 "new" users dealt with migrating from a decade-old mishmash of access links: some functional, many less than, some obsolete, some on one machine via browser with one OS, some on other devices with dedicated apps on completely different OSes. Tossing 1Password into such an environment, throwing the switch to put it in control of storing and retrieving ALL passwords from its initially empty storage, and expecting users to "fix things as they need them" will end up putting users through needless MP&A for no good reason I can divine.
You're a believer in metrics—you have to be in your business. Here're some new ones for you: 75-80% of the time and effort to "set up" 1Password was spent in rationalizing the messes that had accumulated in other software (browsers, clouds, synching, PDF files, scratchpads of access info, etc.). Only after those were straightened out (while maintaining and even improving the status quo ante) was 1Password fired up. The transition to 1Password, complete and fully functional across all devices and platforms launched using spiffy new bookmark trees took less than 5 hours in a single day.
I know it sounds strange to hope (let alone expect) that select 1Password support personnel would choose to spend time recommending customers first get Firefox/Lockwise, Google Chrome, etc. working in near-perfect synch, but IN MY EXPERIENCE that's the only way to ensure a smooth and fully functional transition to your fine product. Sure it takes some work but the end result, as you well know, richly rewards the efforts made by the user before, during, and after the migration. Hopefully, some of your folks will want to come along with us for the ride. Perhaps a "Migrating to 1Password" forum section...
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@williakz: Yeah you make a lot of good points. That's certainly a complex situation -- the " decade-old mishmash of access links: some functional, many less than, some obsolete, some on one machine via browser with one OS, some on other devices with dedicated apps on completely different OSes" part, I mean. I don't think it would be reasonable for even the most tech-savvy human being to quickly and easily sort that out, and even less so to expect that one app can do it. Depending on what's involved exactly, there isn't actually a way for 1Password to "put it in control of storing and retrieving ALL passwords", given that most browsers and even many other dedicated password managers do not offer any kind of interoperability or even basic export functionality in some cases (Safari/Keychain, for one example). To be clear, there is no "switch" to throw to have 1Password take over stuff the way you seem to be suggesting, partly because of what I just mentioned -- technological reasons -- but also philosophically we don't want 1Password doing stuff with people's data without their consent, whether that be filling into webpages (requires user interaction to initiate) or capturing data (requires user to click save, which allows them to confirm that is correct and what they want to do).
Anyway, I can certainly believe that an inordinate amount of time would need to be spent sorting out all the existing stuff someone in that situation has. I'm just not sure you can lay that at the feet of 1Password. That would be the case if someone had been using Lightroom, the old iPhoto, Google Photos, Flickr, and any number of other photo sharing/album/management apps that have existed over the course of many years and then wanted to migrate to the new(ish) Photos app from Apple, whatever they have on Windows now (I lose track), etc. It's like blaming the new house that your stuff isn't organized and easy to move there. Anything like this is always going to be a function of what you're starting with and where you want to end up, as far as how difficult or time-consuming it will be. It's great that you were organized enough that it was a bit easier for you, but that's not everyone. My transition to 1Password back in the day was somewhere in between. But on the other hand, most people tend to fall into the category of either not having saved this stuff at all previously (hence the prevalence of password reuse), or having done so in their app of choice (could be their browser, another password manager, a spreadsheet app, or, perhaps even more common, a note app). So, a more focused from-A-to-B scenario. While that's not everyone, it's the vast majority, so we do our best to help with the most likely scenarios, as far as functionality and documentation, where possible, but also to scoop up others as well where we can.
You make an interesting suggestion too as far as having people first migrate all their stuff to one place before migrating it to 1Password. I'm not sure that's not just adding an unnecessary intermediate step in most cases, but I think you're right that it might be useful in some. My biggest objection would be that you still end up with a lot of pain when trying to get data out of a browser/app in many cases, so getting everything there in the first place does not guarantee smooth sailing. Something to consider on a case-by-case basis though. Cheers! :)
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@brenty Thanks for your detailed response to my post. Lots to think about there.
Evidently, I was unclear in talking about "switching on" 1Password and expecting it (or you folks) to take a mess and transform it into a secure and functional PM system. What I meant to say is that 1Password, at least according to numerous advisements from support experts here, works best when put "in charge" so that conflicts between it and other PMs are avoided. This has the effect of making the user "jump" to 1Password instead of gradually transitioning, login by login, from an existing (browser-based) PM to 1P during normal use of both. It's a kind of "can't go forward" (since 1P is not fully populated on installation) and "can't go back" (since old PM, say Firefox/Lockwise or Google has been disabled in favor of 1P).
As far as responsibility (and capability) to clean up the mess, that obviously rests with the user and the task, by its haphazard and organic nature, is surely beyond the capability of ANY software package to accomplish. My point is that the work of straightening things up MUST be done, whether in the pre-existing PM or in 1Password later on. And, importantly, the user's system MUST remain functional during the transition from one PM system to another. Cutting off the old PM cold-turkey to allow 1P an open field is simply not practical. Thus my recommendation to pick the most readily convertible form of PM for eventual migration to 1P, clean it up, export it, and import it into 1Password. As you say, that's a decision to be made on a case-by-case basis (while at all times avoiding the iCloud/Keychain debacle); in my case, I found this to be Firefox/Lockwise.
Finally, I would make a few points about your (potential) customer base:
First, those upgrading from earlier versions of 1P or switching from other dedicated full-featured PMs (your direct competitors) are exempt from my analysis here. Such folks have (presumably) already "cleaned house" and have made their decision in favor of 1P based on features, scope, support, price, etc.
Second, non-1P users without a mess are almost by definition users without a need for 1P. ANYONE with extensive login links operating across browsers, apps, devices, OSes, and versions REQUIRES password management due to the inability of humans to remember so many details and to then cover that lack by subverting password security in favor of practical operability.
Third, the impetus to move to 1Password is event-driven. People will put up with a certain level of annoyance indefinitely, but once a (near-)disaster occurs, they decide to act. In my case, my elderly father declaring he had no Apple ID and wouldn't know one if it bit him in the ..., well that decided things for me: I needed to get my family's house in order (and my own sort of went along for the ride).
The software is wonderfully functional and immensely powerful. I also find it easily understood and operable given just a few hours use—other than the arcane security stuff which doesn't interest me in the slightest—sorry! I believe my family and I have found a home with 1Password. The move, like all moves, was a bit traumatic and my comments here are intended to help you folks and those users deciding to employ your product to make the move to 1Password with confidence and efficiency.
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What I meant to say is that 1Password, at least according to numerous advisements from support experts here, works best when put "in charge" so that conflicts between it and other PMs are avoided. This has the effect of making the user "jump" to 1Password instead of gradually transitioning, login by login, from an existing (browser-based) PM to 1P during normal use of both. It's a kind of "can't go forward" (since 1P is not fully populated on installation) and "can't go back" (since old PM, say Firefox/Lockwise or Google has been disabled in favor of 1P).
@williakz: Ah, yes! I understand completely. Thanks for clarifying. Indeed, that is a bit of a conundrum.
Your following analysis is also really solid and insightful. I'd just add that organized folks can really benefit from 1Password too. I'm not sure I'd say that 1Password is "necessary" for anyone in the strict sense of the word, as there are plenty of other "solutions", whether software or otherwise. But man, some of those are pretty painful, and/or encourage bad security hygiene. Ironically, I am probably less organized now than before I used 1Password for this stuff, because I sort of don't have to be: it's all saved securely and haphazardly so I can find it when I need it, so I don't take the time to really keep things tidy. Put another way, my mess is now in a single, secure bucket, so I spend time doing other things besides making it look nice and protecting it, as 1Password does a lot of that for me -- though there are limits: garbage in, garbage out, as they say. :lol:
Anyway, I really appreciate the kind words and your perspective on all of this. Obviously it makes me feel great that you -- and your loved ones -- have found a home with 1Password, and, perhaps counterintuitively I'm glad that you don't have to worry about all the "arcane security stuff". Heck we do what we do so that you don't have to! We love our customers who geek out on that stuff with us too, of course, but in a way it's perhaps even more rewarding to hear that folks are able to protect their important data without needing to be experts in the field -- even if there is sometimes some pain getting started; we'll keep working to reduce that. Thanks for doing your part. :chuffed:
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We'll, since I am AgileBits' problem in some sense, it may be theirs indirectly as well. I do make an effort to not clutter up shared company vaults though. :lol: :+1:
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