Dropbox sync stops for days at a time

Tom Harrington

On one of my Macs, sync with Dropbox often stops for days at a time. I added a password yesterday on my iPad. Today it's synced to my iPhone and to one Mac, but the other one says "Last synced: 3 days ago". There's no way to tell it to sync. Quitting and relaunching 1P doesn't trigger a sync. It just sits there saying "3 days ago". Dropbox works fine on this Mac, and aside from syncing, so does 1P.

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1Password Version: 7.7
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: 10.13.6
Sync Type: Dropbox

ref: LKA-35247-343

ag_ana

Hi @Tom Harrington!

If you lock and unlock the 1Password app once, does that trigger a sync?

Tom Harrington

Hi. Locking and unlocking, or quitting and relaunching, does not trigger a sync. It syncs eventually, but there's no telling when that will be and I don't see any way to tell it to sync.

GoodStuff

Any further update on this issue? On the Mac version of 1P, there use to be a force sync button in the Preference>Sync panel but that seems to have disappeared. I’m having the same problem (last sync 12 days !). I sync to iCloud and the syncing is seamless on 1P for iPhone and iPad but not on 1P for Mac.

GoodStuff

Here’s a work-a-round. I changed a password on 1P on the Mac (rather than on an iDevice) and 1P on the Mac synced. Restarting 1P on Mac doesn’t.

ag_ana

@GoodStuff:

If this happens again to you, I would like to ask you to generate a diagnostics report from your Mac and email it to us to support+forum@agilebits.com, so we can take a closer look at why this is happening to you.

After you have sent the email, please feel free to post the ticket number you received so we can locate your message and connect it with this forum discussion.

Looking forward to your message!

DenT

This is how 1P is forcing its users to subscribe to their service. This is cheating and looks like fraud. The sync button is gone, and they occasionally prevent sync for days and weeks so that you will move to their subscription model. The last what I found to sync 100% - rebooting MacBook and launching 1P - gives you sync - but this is awful - dirty game.

1P team, if you have fair and transparent people inside, you have to raise this issue and return the sync button ASAP or make detailed explanations (not this BS in your FAQ about poor Dropbox sync function, as we all know Dropbox works goods with other applications).

toccata_bespoke

@GoodStuff thank you for that workaround. I'm having a similar issue with syncing to Dropbox and this triggered a sync for me.

I'm also troubled that this is how we're seemingly supposed to trigger a resync?

ag_ana

@DenT:

If you don't see the Sync tab in the Preferences, it means that you are syncing your data through 1Password.com because you have a 1Password Membership. With a Membership, sync is automatic so you don't need to configure anything manually :)

Normally it's not necessary to use multiple sync method unless you know what you are doing, so to make sure we are on the same page: may I ask why you are trying to sync a vault with an external sync method when you have automatic sync through 1Password.com already?

ag_ana

@toccata_bespoke:

A quicker way to trigger a sync is to lock and unlock the 1Password app, or to switch to another vault and then back to the first one ;)

DenT

@ag_ana
1) We do not have a subscription (and get one - is not an option), that is why we are using external sync.
2) We have Sync tab, but we do NOT have any SYNC BUTTON on the tab.
3) Lock/unlock is not triggering sync, even if it is - this is not the case.
4) Auto sync should work 100% regardless of the sync method.

Once again, I and thousands of people revealed that 1P is cheating its licensed users by corrupting the external sync function and removing Sync button.

We demand to fix external sync, put sync button back, or expect external thorough explanations on the issue. Smiles can not help when people can not rely on the password manager.

So community, do you know how we can apply collective lawsuit on this case?

ag_kevin

Hi @DenT ,

I am one of the developers of 1Password for Mac. I would like to clear a couple of things up.

1. 1Password syncs with Dropbox by syncing to the file in your Dropbox folder. But after that, it's up to Dropbox to do the actual syncing with their server and your other devices. 1Password does not control when or how that happens.
2. Because of the above point, 1Password does not and did not have a sync button because it doesn't tell Dropbox to sync. Syncing is done automatically by your Dropbox software.

So to determine where the fault lies, I suggest doing this:
1. Make a change on another device, and then check the modification date of your opvault file on dropbox. If it didn't update, then there is a problem with Dropbox not syncing.
2. Make a change on your Mac and then check to make sure the opvault file in the Dropbox folder has been updated. If it has, then check the date on another device. If it hasn't changed on the other device, then there is a problem with Dropbox itself.
3. Check the Sync preferences on all of your devices to make sure they are pointing to the same file. For example, if your phone is pointing to 1Password/1password.opvault and your Mac is pointing at 1password.opvault at the top level of your Dropbox folder, then they are not pointing at the same file.

Failing that, see Ana's instructions above to send in a diagnostic report.

Regards,
Kevin

DenT

Hi Kevin,
Thank you for a nice story. We have read the FAQ already.
Stories about Dropbox without screens and Dropbox (DB) support team confirmations - are not the case, as we all also know that Dropbox works fine.

1) I was buying 1P for 10+ several years and all these years DB was syncing good and started pausing only after the subscription model was presented.

2) I have attached a screen-shot of a several-day sync pause.
All these days Dropbox was successfully syncing all other files.
Look at the screenshots - The file was synced to my Mac at 3:43 PM (right at the moment I have created a test password on my 1P iPhone) and 1P is still showing old information 7 days ago!!!

The only way to sync 1P is to reboot mac or to create a new item in this particular wallet.
It is clear you have a bug.

3) I have attached the screen of my iPhone 1P and there is a button to force sync there.
Why 1P removed the same button from the Mac version?

Please fix the issue and return the sync-button.

Once again, I am calling for TRUE and TRANSPARENT dialog.
I am ready to share my screen with your engineers to demonstrate the pain people suffer every day with 1P if you care.

P.S. Excuse me for my emotions, but I am paying for the product and expect it to work the right way.

ag_ana

@DenT:

Thank you for the update! Have you sent us a diagnostics report already? If you did, please let us know the ticket number you received so we can connect this discussion with your email :+1: Thank you!

dteare

Sorry for the frustration, @DenT. Nobody enjoys sync issues. 😞 Let’s see what we can do here.

I was thinking about this one and remembered that we use file system notifications to kick off the sync. I wonder if we’re not getting that for some reason. 🤔 As Ana says a diagnostics report could help here.

Regarding your point about a Sync Now button, I’ve always personally hated those, but I can see how it would be useful here. The thing is, switching vaults, locking/unlocking should be doing that anyway. I’m very surprised that locking and then unlocking or restarting doesn’t find this changed file. You mentioned that rebooting your Mac forces things to sync. I wonder if restarting 1Password completely (including mini in the menu bar) works just as well? And I’d expect a simple lock/unlock would, too. Would be great to hear if that’s the case.

Lastly I notice your vault name has “shared” in it. It would be good to understand how this is being shared. Shared vaults have always had edge cases and I know you don’t want to hear it but these edge cases were partially responsible for creating our passion for our subscription service. It would be great to know if this sync issue is only happening with the shared vault or if it’s happening everywhere.

DenT

Hi all,

"Quit 1Password Completely" in the mini-bar icon DOES initiate the sync! - at least we do not need to reboot now.

"Quit 1Password" from the app menu does not initiate the sync.

"Lock/unlock" from the app and the mini-bar icon do not initiate the sync.

I have submitted a diagnostics report via email.

I understand that the sync function should work in "transparent" mode and that the sync button is not an elegant solution, but it gives us an option to force the sync when something external to 1Password goes wrong.
I would suggest placing the sync button in the Preferences->Sync tab and make a shortcut and a menu to force the sync when creating a password on a Mac and see it on the phone right away.

1st file is my main file - in Dropbox in my personal folder, not shared;
2nd file is my mother's file and this file - in Dropbox in my mom's folder shared with me;
3rd file is my and my wife's shared file - in Dropbox in my wife's folder shared with me;
All three files are affected by this bug.

Hope it will help to fix the bug.

Let me know if you need my help.

ag_tommy

@DenT

I was able to locate your submission. You ID # is XJA-28824-799

ref: XJA-28824-799

ag_tommy

@DenT

I'll be replying to your support email shortly. Please keep an eye on your inbox. Thanks.