Disable auto sign-in from browsers and "managed by your organization"

Mutang

Installing 1Password standalone on my MacBook and iPhone, I've now got about 250 items, nearly all with passwords strongly upgraded from the weak and repetitive ones previously used. I've gone through my 12 page Excel file's list of old passwords and have culled a couple dozen more from passwords recorded in the six browsers installed on my MacBook, which are: Safari, MS Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Brave, and Opera. I've turned off the "save passwords" function in all of them and I've deleted all passwords previously saved in Opera, Chrome, MS Edge, and Firefox. Some passwords still remain listed in Safari and Brave, to be culled into 1Password.

Despite turning off the "auto sign-in" options, I've still seen some interference with 1Password's automated entries of passwords when logging into a site through the Brave browser. If I accept the entered password, it is rejected. So I open the 1Password menu icon and manually copy-paste the password from the relevant entry, and it is typically accepted. This interference is apparently related to an option called "manage passwords" that appears in a drop-down menu below the login bar. When I opt for that, it shows the page full of Brave's listed passwords. In Brave settings, I have actually turned off the "Offer to save passwords" and "Auto sign-in," but the "manage passwords" option still appears. So, I now suppose that the only way to remove the "manage passwords" option's interference is to manually remove all those password entries in Brave. And maybe also in Safari.

Another vexing issue that came to my attention is the wording "managed by your organization" that appears in Chrome. After much trial and error, I've come to see that this is apparently adware, which has surreptitiously installed a browser called "Search," linked to the eight or so .plist files with names involving "searchmine.net." I ran the free Malwarebytes, which found a couple of files that it quarantined, but it did not remove the searchmine.net files. I've been through the ~Library/LaunchAgent and ~Library/Launch Support folders (my computer doesn't seem to have a ~Library/LaunchDaemons file), but haven't found any files with those names. So, my next question is: what is the recommended way to get rid of this adware and to keep the MacBook free of this kind of invasion, without interfering with 1Password? Is it worth installing one of the standard AV apps for Mac? If so, which is preferred?

I am the sole user of my MacBook and iPhone, working at home almost entirely. In the pre-covid days, I might also occasionally work through the network of a nearby university. In my case, would a subscription bring particularly useful benefits; I assume it costs more.

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1Password Version: 7.7 beta
Extension Version: 4.1.6
OS Version: OS X 10.15.6
Sync Type: iCloud

Ben

Hi @Mutang

The malware situation is a bit outside out scope, but I was able to find this article that may be of use to you:

How to remove Searchmine.net [Chrome, Firefox, Safari]

As for Brave... It sounds like you've got the right of it. I'd recommend removing those entries to be sure they aren't unintentionally conflicting with 1Password.

In my case, would a subscription bring particularly useful benefits; I assume it costs more.

Membership is the way forward with 1Password. You can read about the benefits here:

About 1Password membership

If you're interested I'd recommend reaching out to our billing team at support@1password.com to see what they can do for you in terms of pricing. :)

I hope that helps!

Ben

Mutang

Thanks. By deleting Chrome from my computer then installing a fresh download, the default search page when first opened is now Google. However, the Settings still say "your browser is managed," and the default search engines list still shows the two "searchmine.net" files. I worked with Chrome fairly intensively for ten minutes then, minimized it but did not quit; when I opened it again to a new page, the search engine displayed was SEARCH. So I quit Chrome and reopened it; result: it showed Google again as the default opening page.

Actually, I wonder if the SEARCH page is really so bad. On one occasion which I've not been able to repeat yet, when I entered the name of a target university that I often interact with, a dropdown menu showed over a dozen specific sites within the university's network from which I could choose. Anyway, for the present, I'm using MS Edge most often, which is not infected by searchmine.net. One thing I like about Edge is that it offers the option of deferring all password saving to 1Password, which of course I selected.

As to the the level of my purchase, in 2017 I paid $35.88 for what I understand is called a subscription then. I failed to renew the payment a year later, so it was close. In August this year I reopened the subscription and sales gave me a $10 discount, apparently in consideration of my previous lapsed subscription (?). I understand that I'm due to pay $35.88 again in August next year. So, my question is: do I have a "membership"? I'm now using 1Password 7.7 beta. Can I upgrade (if that's the right word) to 1Password X now?

Ben

@Mutang

I would recommend against using Chrome until you're able to get that cleaned up. Perhaps a local computer repair shop can help? It sounds like Edge is a good workaround for you in the meantime.

That does sound like a membership; yes, and 1Password X is included with membership. 1Password X is not an 'upgrade' per se, though. It is a different solution. 1Password X is going to provide a very different experience from your current setup. For example, it is a browser extension only. It does not integrate with 1Password for Mac. You're certainly welcome to try it and see if you like it better, but it was created for a different use case than what you're currently using.

Ben

Mutang

I see the 1Password extension that is now installed in my MS Edge looks and functions differently from the extensions that I installed earlier in Chrome, Safari and Firefox. In particular, the one in Edge allows me to create a new item. Is this 1Password X? If not, now do I get it?

Ben

@Mutang

This page gives an overview of 1Password X, and at the bottom has a link to install it:

1Password X

I hope that helps!

Ben