Error "The encryption keys file does not exist" with 1password mac 3

Folkwin Emaar

I am a happy user of 1password. But i have some problems now.

I am using:

• 1password Version 3.8.22 (build 32010) for mac os
• 1password firefox browser extension 3.9.20
• 1password app for iPhone version 3.6.5

I have my agile keychain in a dropbox folder.

Since a few weeks my 1password application on my mac (os x version 10.9.5) is not working anymore. It gives the error message: Data File 'file://localhost/Users/femaar1/Dropbox/1Password.agilekeychain' is incorrect or damaged. Please choose another file.”

I also get this message “Database backup failed – database exists but is invalid."

And if i follow 1 tip from the discussion forum to double click on the agile key chain and after that i restart 1 password i get this message: “Exception: The encryption keys file does not exist at 'file://localhost/Users//Dropbox/1Password.agilekeychain/data/default/1password.keys'”

I tried all kind of tips and solutions of the discussion forum, but don’t seem to get it fixed. I tried to delete and install 1password 3 and 4 over again but every time i get this massage that the keychain is incorrect or damaged.

I attached a 1password diagnostics report i made.

Could you please help me?

By the way: the browser extension and iPhone app are still working and i can find my passwords. But i am afraid to lose all my passwords if i upgrade these. Can i export/backup the passwords from the browserextension or iphone app?

littlebobbytables

@Folkwin Emaar‌

You have you tried disabling Dropbox sync on all devices, ensure the offending keychain in Dropbox is moved somewhere else and have 1Password rebuild the Dropbox version from scratch? If that stops the error messages than you can re-enable Dropbox sync on the rest of your devices.

Folkwin Emaar

thanks for your help. if i move the keychain then 1password mac asks to start a new or existing file.

i can choose new and choose dropbox again. then i have a clean working mac app. but then i loose all my old passwords (more then 200 i guess).

if i could export my old passwords from the firefox extension and after import it to 1password mac app then i would be helped. but i don't see any export function in the firefox extension.

in another discussion (https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/13379/firefox-add-in-has-newer-data-than-desktop-app) i see a export link for the extension (https://agilebits.com/extension/test/export_data), but this page does not exist.

littlebobbytables

Hi @Folkwin Emaar‌

It's been a while since I've ran 1Password 3 and trying to do so launches my copy of 1Password 4 so I'm working a little more in the dark than normal.

What do you see in ~/Library/Application Support/1Password? That's where I'd have expected to see your local keychain, which is why I'm surprised removing the keychain in Dropbox has 1Password 3 believing it's doesn't have a vault. If there isn't a copy of your vault in that location are there backups? (something 1Password should have been doing in the background).

Here's a link to a page about 1Password 3's backup and how to restore one. Maybe this would be a way to achieve what your goal.

Megan

Hi @Folkwin Emaar‌

Thanks for taking the time to write in - I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with 1Password 3.

(I've moved your post to the 1Password 3 legacy forums, just so we can keep things organized)

The solution that @littlebobbytables‌ provided is a great way to re-generate the 1Password.agilekeychain file in 1Password 4, but things are a bit different in version 3. Let's take a closer look at your system to see if we can determine where things are getting tangled up:

I'd like to ask you to create a Diagnostics Report from your Mac:
https://guides.agilebits.com/kb/1password4/en/topic/diagnostics-report#mac3

Then attach the entire file to an email to us: support+forum@agilebits.com

Please do not post your Diagnostics Report in the forums, but please do include a link to this thread in your email, along with your forum handle so that we can "connect the dots" when we see your Diagnostics Report in our inbox.

A short note here once you've sent the Report in will help us to keep an eye out for it. :)

Once we see the report we should be able to better assist you. Thanks in advance!

Folkwin Emaar

Thanks littlebobbytables‌ and Megan.

it's working now again. i completly removed 1password from my mac (had 2 different users on my mac with 1password files, maybe that confused the app finding the right keychain). i re-installed 1password 3 for mac. and i imported an old backup of the keychain. it seems to work now.

for somehow the mac app and the browser extension lost sync a few weeks ago.

could you explain where the browser extension keychain is stored or how i can export this from the extension in the future?

thanks a lot!

Megan

Hi @Folkwin Emaar‌

I'm glad to hear that you were able to get things working again!

could you explain where the browser extension keychain is stored or how i can export this from the extension in the future?

Technically the browser extension doesn't have a separate keychain. It does have a database available for storing Logins temporarily before they are synced to the main app. Unfortunately, if the Helper (the connection between the main app and the extension) is blocked or becomes disconnected somehow, then the browser extension could end up with several Logins saved that are not in the main app.

In 1Password 4 we completely re-designed the interaction between the main app and the browser extension to ensure that this sort of thing doesn't happen anymore.

If you're content to remain with 1Password 3, please let us know if you see this again and we'll get that Diagnostics Report from you and help you get those items exported. :)