How to delete empty Primary vault under On My Mac?

jj0b

All the instructions I have found to delete my Primary vault don't work. The delete option is always greyed out. :-/

I have a 1Password account and use a Personal vault on my account for everything, but on my Mac I also see an empty (redundant!) Primary vault under On My Mac. I'd like to delete that so that I never accidentally put anything into that vault (which has happened in the past).

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1Password Version: 1Password 7 Version 7.7 (70700015) 1Password Store
Extension Version: 4.7.5.90
OS Version: MacOS 10.15.7
Sync Type: 1Password account

ag_tommy

@jjob

On your Mac,

1. Open 1Password, and unlock if necessary. * Keep 1Password the front most application.
2. From the Menubar select > Vault > Switch to Vault > finally selecting one of the Primary.
3. From the Menubar select > Vault > Delete Vault.
4. Enter the Master Password to delete it.

• The Primary cannot be removed if you have additional standalone vaults. The would need to be removed prior to removing the Primary. Do you have any additional standalone vaults?

jj0b

Hi, thanks for getting back to me. :)

These are the same instructions I keep finding but the Delete Vault option is greyed out for me.

My main vault is the one associated with my 1Password account. I also have a separate vault in Dropbox for my work. The only other vault I have is the empty one I am trying to delete, which is the one named Primary in On My Mac.

Are either my 1Password account vault or the Dropbox vault considered "standalone" and should either of them be blocking my ability to delete this one?

ag_tommy

@jj0b

Yes, the Dropbox vault would be blocking the removal as it's a standalone vault and not part of a membership.

jj0b

Ok. So I'd have to delete the Dropbox one, then I could delete the Primary, and then re-add the Dropbox one?

What is the reasoning behind requiring that there be no other standalone vaults before being allowed to delete the one On My Mac?

Thanks!

ag_tommy

@jj0b

Yes. If you go that route the Dropbox vault will become the new Primary vault when you set it up again. The Primary vault is the first vault that you use. It has more to do with how 1Password was first conceived all those years ago and unlocking.

The way 1Password unlocks is:

1. If a Primary vault exists then unlock using the Master Password for that vault, regardless of what, if any, memberships are signed in. (or additional vaults)

2. If a single 1Password membership is signed in then unlock using the Master Password for that membership account.

3. If multiple memberships are signed in then unlock using the Master Password of the first added membership.

These are each exclusive scenarios. For example, if multiple memberships are signed in, you cannot unlock 1Password using the Master Password of the second account that was added.

You could try also setting your desired save location and leave the Primary vault intact. 1Password > Preferences > Vaults.

jj0b

For now I've gone with your last suggestion but now I'm wondering, is there a way to make my 1Password vault, the one in the Cloud through my 1Password account, be my Primary vault? The one I have in Dropbox is temporary for me, I'll be deleting it in a few weeks, and the empty "Primary" vault isn't one I will ever use. Not a big deal if I can't have just one single vault, but just thought I'd check. Thanks for all your help!

ag_tommy

@jj0b

If I am following you correctly, that can be done.

When you remove the Dropbox vault, remove the Primary too. Then your membership account vault will be the main vault, aka Personal/Private. If at a later time you add another standalone type vault, it would become the Primary. Such as if at some point down the road, you rejoined the Dropbox vault.

It can get a bit confusing at times. The Primary is related to standalone vaults only. The Personal/Private vault is related to memberships only. I hope I have not confused you.