What happened to the browser extension for 1P4 Windows!?

spronkey

I just downloaded 1Password 4 today to upgrade from 1.0.whatever I was on previously on Windows.

With 1Password 1.0 my browser extension looked as follows, and didn't have annoying pop-up windows, integrated nicely with the browsers:

With 1Password 4 my browser extension uses annoying pop-up windows to unlock vault, add entries etc, and doesn't integrate nicely with the browser at all:

What gives!? Can we get the old extension back???

To be clear, I'm specifically referring to:

• the popup dialog using what looks like basic standard windows controls unsuited for the purpose of displaying many logins (note - the windows cascading menu design is considered a UI anti-pattern these days - i strongly recommend against using it)
• not having inline search
• using ridiculous numbers of dialog boxes, this is hugely disruptive UI design, especially when using sites where you don't want to use 1password
• on a further note, it appears that you've attempted to reduce modal disruption by hiding the save new password dialog if you click elsewhere - again, this doesn't follow platform conventions, and is actually counter-intuitive for the times you do want to save a password
  • ...which is yet another reason not to use the dialog model
• hiding the lock function in a second level of menu

I did a bit of a search on these forums trying to find anything else about the extension - in the beta forums it looks like a number of people are unhappy with the new design (tbh I couldn't find anyone that was praising it vs the older mode), and that the reason for change appears to be accessibility-related. I'd be very interested to see what the issues with accessibility were, because I've got quite a bit of expertise in this field and can't really understand the need to stick to standard windows controls, even for visually impaired users.

svondutch

not having inline search

When the popup menu appears, you can immediately start typing. The popup menu will then re-appear, showing only those items that match your search criteria.

using ridiculous numbers of dialog boxes

Not sure what dialog boxes you're referring to. Assuming you're referring to auto-save, we're trying to be consistent with the Mac version:

hiding the lock function in a second level of menu

Good point. I have moved this to the top level.

I'd be very interested to see what the issues with accessibility were

The old (JavaScript-based) UI was inaccessible for the visually impaired.

can't really understand the need to stick to standard windows controls

Standard (windowed) controls work much better with screen readers (and other accessibility tools).

Zr40

When the popup menu appears, you can immediately start typing. The popup menu will then re-appear, showing only those items that match your search criteria.

It's not clear at all that it's possible to do this. The extension UI looks like a context menu, and context menus are not expected to behave like a search box. There's even an explicit 'Search...' menu item, suggesting that if you want to search, you have to click Search first.

RichardPayne

+1 @Zr40‌

svondutch

It's not clear at all that it's possible to do this.

Agreed. But unfortunately, WS_POPUP (the standard windows popup component we are using for this) does not support in-line (search) input.

RichardPayne

Agreed. But unfortunately, WS_POPUP (the standard windows popup component we are using for this) does not support in-line (search) input.

It really shouldn't but it bugs the hell out of me when say that WS_POPUP doesn't support it. WS_POPUP is a window style, not an implementation. It's the standard Windows popup menu that doesn't! :grrr:
:P :\">

Gilligan3816

I have to agree with this. I support the program in general and the team behind it but I cannot stand the new version. In fact, I can't even get it to work at all. I have uninstalled V3 and installed V4 like 3 times and the browser extension keeps locking and won't open up at all or send passwords. Also, I completely agree that the new UI is way off in terms of usability. I sincerely miss the old version. All that was necessary to add extra vaults or favorites would have been additional buttons on the left side of the small box. It all worked so well and now nothing works at all. Paid $50 for this product I feel like it's unusable now. Please revert back to the previous user interface and fix the bugs which are preventing the Chrome extension from functioning...

_CH_

@spronkey agreed, the old browser extension was MUCH better than the current version in pretty much all aspects (disruptive unlock, unlock not unlocking the vault in the program - and having to unlock the extension if the program is already unlocked, overall UI, etc).

I was actually about to post a topic on the functionality - however perhaps @svondutch or someone else can help out so i dont clutter with another topic. The new extension seems to fail at logging into certain sites where there is a third (or more) field required. I wish I could give you a site to test on - but one I just experienced the issue on a moment ago is here where company ID user ID and password are all required.
This login worked with the previous browser extension, but I thought perhaps there was something 'funky' with my saved login, so i deleted it and re-added it (allowing 1P to save it when I submitted the form). When I did it saved at least one field with the wrong value (no big deal, a 2 second edit to fix) Im still unable to login without manually adding at least one of the required three.

_CH_

I should mention that I _have___ tried the instructions https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/26109/saving-a-login-that-won-t-cooperate to no avail.

also - is it now considered normal behavior that the browser extension is in a different lock state than the app (i.e. one can be locked and the other unlocked and accessible?)

RichardPayne

also - is it now considered normal behavior that the browser extension is in a different lock state than the app (i.e. one can be locked and the other unlocked and accessible?)

Yep, although there is an option to keep the two in sync. Look for the Universal Unlock option on the Browsers tab in Preferences.
That said, there are a couple of scenarios where they can still get out of sync.

_CH_

Yep, although there is an option to keep the two in sync. Look for the Universal Unlock option on the Browsers tab in Preferences. That said, there are a couple of scenarios where they can still get out of sync.

that would seem to be the case for me - ive got universal unlock turned on (currently im on 494) but the extension doesn't seem to respect it (at all - even when closing the desktop application and or locking the desktop)

DBrown

@Gilligan3816‌, we can't get the old extension back. I'm sorry about that, but the new extensions are working great for most people, and we want to make sure they're working for you, too...even if you prefer the older one in many ways.

So, please start threads with specific problems you're encountering, so we can address them right away.

Thanks so much for using 1Password!

DBrown

@_;CH_, when you say you've tried the instructions in that forum thread, do you mean you've tried the steps in the Troubleshooting browser extensions topic in the user's guide?

There's no known reason for the browser key to be unresponsive, so we'll appreciate your help in our getting that straightened out for you.

Thanks!

dazzlebit

Standard (windowed) controls work much better with screen readers (and other accessibility tools).

Then please give us the choice to use the Windows-like pop-up thing or a version of the old extension!
I really don't like these sub-sub-sub-menus I have to hover through now until I get to the entry I was looking for.

But unfortunately, WS_POPUP (the standard windows popup component we are using for this) does not support in-line (search) input.

That is very unfortunately - I would like to see what I am typing - in an input window - and the popup when clicking on "Search..." is very unhandy. And if the Windows popup component won't support in-line input either give us back the old extension or please find another way to do it.

DBrown

The browser and main program lock/unlock statuses (stati?) were always separate.

In 1Password 4 for Windows, there's only one scenario in which you'd have to enter your master password for both:

1. Lock the main program.

2. Unlock the browser extension.

3. Unlock the main program.

I don't recall the details, but @svondutch has explained it in other threads as an intentional design decision made in order to protect your data.

RichardPayne

Basically, the caveat to the lock sync is that the app and the browser helper always start locked. So in these cases they will get out of sync:

1) You restart the help from the app's help menu. This will result in an unlocked app and a locked helper.
2) You close the app. The helper will remain open and unlocked but when you next start the app it will be locked.

Basically Agile have said they will not change this.
See here for previous discussion: https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/comment/114127

_CH_

@DBrown ; no its a few interrelated issues. None of them are the end of the world, but taken together they paint a negative picture of the new extension for me. The instructions I used - provided here were provided in this thread by @OldDawg and clarified (to me anyway) by @RichardPayne .
It's not that my extension is out of sync or disconnected - the sync I mentioned referenced the lock state of the app and extension. It may be that im just used to the behaviour on osX if indeed it is different (tho I believe the old browser extension stayed in sync for me)?
Rather, its that the new version seems to be having issues filling some sites for me. After a bit more looking, it is not all sites with additional fields (for example https://manager.paypal.com/ works with auto fill for all four fields) - but some that worked previously (such as https://cashproonline.bankofamerica.com/AuthenticationFrameworkWeb/cpo/login/public/loginMain.faces ) do not seem to any longer.

While I preferred it in most ways, I understand that as you and @SVondutch have mentioned going back would be counter productive to homogenization, and design guidelines .... not to mention a waste of all the time put into the new version! That said, it's quite frustrating that the old version worked with sites that the new one doesn't seem to like.

I just read thru what @Svondutch said in the other thread (thanks @RichardPayne ) - and while I understand (to at least an extent) his point about the security of the master pw, the practical result is that ALL the secured data could be accessed even when the user 'thought' it was secure. But i think it could be an easy fix by toggling the default on a check box
For example:

Lets say I was referencing something (a wallet item, or secure note, router pw, etc) in the main app.

I obviously had to unlock it to access that data.
I want to be secure, so I close the app.
If I havent gone into the security settings and chosen lock on exit the browser extension will still be unlocked. Now you could argue that if youre using 1P youll probably lock your windows desktop before walking away - and im most cases Id agree - however I think the real (better) solution would simply by have 'lock on exit' turned on by default.

Again, you could say to disable universal unlock .... but (maybe its just me) I prefer to have universal unlock on and have the equivalent 'universal lock' happen on an exit. For my self Im sure I can figure it out - but not sure where the line is in terms of convenience, and security.

svondutch

ive got universal unlock turned on (currently im on 494) but the extension doesn't seem to respect it

@_;CH_ Are you running Kaspersky (or other anti-virus software) maybe?

clicking on "Search..." is very unhandy

@dazzlebit When the popup menu appears, you can immediately start typing. After half a second or so, the popup menu should reappear, displaying only those items that match your search string (the latter is reported to you in a balloon near the tray icon).

_CH_

CH Are you running Kaspersky (or other anti-virus software) maybe?

@svondutch on windows im running eset

DBrown

@_;CH_‌ , have you tried the steps in this article in our knowledgebase?

We're trying to keep that "troubleshooting extensions" section up to date, so let us know whether it helps. Thanks!