Switching vaults using Windows client
I use 1password on Mac, Windows and iOS. I have 2 vaults, "personal" and "work". On my Mac client, switching between vaults is simple, just drop the password icon, and choose a vault. I cannot figure out how to do this on the Windows client (4.1.0.530). If I click the password icon, it opens a windows file explorer dialog, as if I'm supposed to choose an entirely different physical file? I thought both vaults were embedded in the same set of physical files, they must be since it works on the Mac? Am I missing a step somewhere?
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Nope, that's how it's supposed to work sadly.
The secondary vault is not embedded (else you wouldn't be able to let others access it). Effectively the Mac version caches the encryption keys in local storage, encrypted with the primary vault's master password. This means that enter your primary MP gives the software access to the encryptions keys for both vaults. However, because the secondary keys are cached locally, they are not sync'd with the vault.
Windows doesn't have the concept of primary and secondary vaults and as a consequence it does not cache keys. Basically, you have to enter each vault's master password when you open it.
It's a pain in the neck and Agilebits are aware of the difference, although they show no interest in changing it.
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Thanks Richard, that's helpful. But if I can ask a follow-up question, where is my secondary vault on Windows? I don't mind typing in my master password again, but I can't even find the vault. I sync with Dropbox, so the location of my vault is C:\Users\Tim\Dropbox\Backups\1Password.agilekeychain. Under that I have an "a" and a "data" folder. I was expecting to find folders called "personal" and "work" for each vault?
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The two vaults are completely separate keychains. The second vault should be in Dropbox. If there isn't then it I'd have to guess that you're not syncing the secondary one from the Mac.
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It's a pain in the neck
@RichardPayne How is this a "pain in the neck"? The ability to switch and then open any Vault actually has a lot of advantages. For example: you can easily open a Vault from a USB stick. And then the risk of forgetting your secondary Vault master password is a lot lower :)
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where is my secondary vault on Windows?
@timmed If you're not syncing your Vault from your Mac "to Dropbox", then it isn't in Dropbox (eg. not available to Windows).
Here's another advantage of the Windows concept. On Mac, you need to tell 1Password to sync it's internal database to a Vault in Dropbox. Where on Windows, there is one Vault and one Vault only (if it happens to be in Dropbox then voila, you're set up).
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Thanks guys, you were correct I was not synching it! I WAS synching my personal vault, but I didn't realize the "work" vault had to be setup separately for sync. I followed your instructions @svondutch and it worked perfectly.
Now the only problem is I cannot seem to unlock my work vault?!? The master password for my personal vault doesn't work, blank doesn't work, what could it be set to?
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How is this a "pain in the neck"?
because if you're sharing logins with family from you secondary vault then whenever you want to switch vaults you must enter a master password. The Mac way is much better. You have access to your entire set of logins with one unlock operation.
The ability to switch and then open any Vault actually has a lot of advantages. For example: you can easily open a Vault from a USB stick.
I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of users have a small number of vault that they user regularly. Having the ability to open random vaults from USB is less useful. If you are using USB to sync then I believe that the Mac version has folder sync for that.
And then the risk of forgetting your secondary Vault master password is a lot lower
Which is nothing if you store you secondary vault MP in your primary vault.
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I cannot seem to unlock my work vault?!? The master password for my personal vault doesn't work, blank doesn't work, what could it be set to?
When you created the secondary vault in 1Password for Mac, you had to specify a master password and had the option to define a "hint" to help you remember it:
Does that look familiar? If so, did you set up the hint?
If you did, try this:
- Launch 1Password for Mac, and lock your vault.
- Form the OS X menu bar, choose 1Password > Switch to Vault.
- On the 1Password lock screen, enter ? (a question mark).
1Password should display the text of the hint.
If you didn't happen to create a hint, you can open the secondary vault in 1Password for Mac, create a new secondary vault (with a hint!), and copy all the items from the existing vault to the new one. Then you can delete the older vault, once you're sure you don't need it, any more.
I hope that helps, @timmed. Please let us know how it goes.
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Tip: Create a Secure Note item that includes the master passwords of any secondary vaults.
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I would hazard a guess that the vast majority of users have a small number of vaults that they use regularly.
@RichardPayne If that is true, then is the master password prompt on Windows really such a "pain in the neck"?
Which is nothing if you store you secondary vault MP in your primary vault
@RichardPayne I'm afraid not every 1Password customer is that careful. We do see them forgetting their secondary vault master password.
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If that is true, then is the master password prompt on Windows really such a "pain in the neck"?
yes, but the pain value is connected to the frequency with which you need to switch between them, not the number of vaults.
I'm afraid not every 1Password customer is that careful. We do see them forgetting their secondary vault master password.
I'm sure, but then surely it would be a simply modification to make the software store it automatically for you.
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@RichardPayne I agree it can be inconvenient, but calling it a "pain in the neck" is over-exaggerating the problem. Anyway, 1Password should be consistent across platforms and that is where you are obviously right. Everyone should be doing what 1Password for Windows is doing :)
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Anyway, 1Password should be consistent across platforms and that is where you are obviously right. Everyone should be doing what 1Password for Windows is doing
LOL. I await the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the 1Password for Mac users. ;)
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It's a pain in the neck and Agilebits are aware of the difference, although they show no interest in changing it.
A pain in the neck is a perfect description. I only two vaults myself but as I have to switch between them multiple times a day it's a right "pain in the neck" to have to enter the same password multiple times every day.
It's not the amount of vaults that's the issues, or the time it takes to authenticate, it's the frequency and repetitiveness that causes the irritation.
Once i've logged into 1Password once it would be great to have access to all my logins without having to continue to login each time I switch vaults.
One really nice thing about the iOS app is that regardless which vault I have a login stored when I come to a page in Safari i'd like to login to 1Password always finds the login regardless of which vault it's stored in. In other words having multiple vaults on iOS doesn't get in the way of using the app like it does in Windows.
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Are there plans on the roadmap to bring this functionality up the same level as usability as the mac version? I understand the mac uses some kind of database so users only have to login once to access all their logins?
Honestly 1Password for Mac seems like such a superior product compared to its Windows counterpart. The only downside seems to be you have to use a mac to use it :smile:
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Honestly 1Password for Mac seems like such a superior product compared to its Windows counterpart. The only downside seems to be you have to use a mac to use it :smile:
I'd call that a fringe benefit! :)
Thanks for letting us know your preference for the Mac/iOS model, @reck. We do expect to see greater similarity among the platforms, in future; what form that more uniform model will take is yet to be determined.
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