Cannot get 1Password to work on PC

brandall33

I have a client who is trying to share her 1Password vault with me who is on a MAC. She sent me the zip file and I keep getting an error when I try to access on my PC. I have Dropbox on my computer. See the image attached.

I have read the help guide and cannot figure out what I am doing wrong.

I really appreciate any help you can give me. :) Thanks!

AGAlumB

@brandall33: Sorry for the confusion! What you're seeing there is actually 1PasswordAnywhere, which is a web interface to 1Password. Currently this will only work from a local file using Safari on Windows, since other major browsers restrict webpages from having local file access -- which is why you are getting this error in Chrome.

Your client can actually use 1Password's built in sharing feature to securely share either single items directly, or an entire vault (by storing it in a shared Dropbox folder).

If you are already using Dropbox to sync your 1Password data between multiple devices, or want to, this might be a good fit. And as a side benefit of storing your 1Password data in Dropbox, you can actually use 1PasswordAnywhere by logging into the Dropbox website and viewing 1Password.agilekeychain/1password.html in the browser, since this is not affected by local file access restrictions. I hope this helps! :)

brandall33

Hi -- still having trouble...I am getting this error message -- "a key data file could not be loaded" after she sent me the Dropbox link. How do I proceed? Very frustrating. Thanks for your help!

AGAlumB

@brandall33: Just to make sure we're on the same page, the entire 1Password.agilekeychain will need to be present in Dropbox for that to work, not just part of it, since it includes the encryption keys, index, and all of the items in the vault (each is a separate file).

Also, you will need to access the 1Password data through the Dropbox website. If you are attempting to access it from the computer's local storage (it will say file:// at the beginning of the URL), you will receive that error.

Let me know what you find. I look forward to hearing back from you!

brandall33

Thanks again for your help. Here is what I am looking at in Dropbox, but none of the files will open. Is there a particular one that I need to download to get this to work?

This is the URL that gets me no where: file:///C:/Users/Brandi/Downloads/data/default/encryptionKeys.js

RichardPayne

Go up two folder levels and you should see 1Password.html. This is the file to you need to view on Dropbox.

brandall33

Thank you -- I have clicked on the 1Password.html link. I continue to get this error:

RichardPayne

Are you actually doing it from Dropbox or are you still using your file:// link? It will not work with a file:// link; it must be done from a webserver.

brandall33

I am actually doing it from Dropbox. I am logging into my Dropbox account and clicking on the 1Password.html link. From there it takes me to this screen.
I hit ok and then put in my password and I get the error that I noted above. I know I have to be doing something wrong but cannot get this figured out. :/ Is there anyone I can call to walk me through this? THANKS

RichardPayne

Can you screenshot and post your agilekeychain folder like I did.

brandall33

Is this helpful?

RichardPayne

Notice the missing config folder? This is what a new blank vault looks like:

Get your client to resend a copy of the working vault and try again.

brandall33

My client is telling me she does not have that and has sent me the correct thing. She says the config folder comes when I set it up. Is that not correct?

RichardPayne

That config folder that I screenshotted was create the instant I create the vault in the 1Password application...oh hang, I'm on Windows that's why.
I wonder if the Mac version does create a config folder. @Megan can you check?

I think the next thing to do is to assume that her Dropbox copy is corrupt in some and to re-create it. Again, @Megan, can you confirm that the correct procedure it to simply delete the keychain from Dropbox and then re-run the sync from 1Password for Mac?

svondutch

@brandall33 Here is something you might want to try:

File > Repair 1Password Vault

/cc @RichardPayne

RichardPayne

@svondutch I assume the Repair Vault option is available on the trial version of 1Password for Windows which @brandall33 would have to download and install to use that option?

AGAlumB

@RichardPayne, @brandall33: That is correct. Downloading 1Password for Windows from the AgileBits site gets you a free 30-day trial of the full version, no strings attached. :)

MikeT

Hi @brandall33,

If your client has Dropbox, you might want to ask her to follow this guide on how to share the vault via Dropbox that should work better: https://support.1password.com/dropbox-share-vault/?mac

brandall33

Thank you, all. I have tried the repair function -- it says my 1Password is healthy and no errors found. At this point, I feel I have exhausted all options, even went to my tech support center yesterday and they couldn't get it to work either. I sent an email to the client this morning letting her know that I don't feel I have any other options, and as such, will probably have to resign with working with her, as a working 1Password program is a key function for us to have. Disappointing. I will be sticking with LastPass as I feel that works better on my PC. Thanks again for the help.

MikeT

Hi @brandall33,

If the client wishes to keep going, please have her contact us at support+forum@agilebits.com and we'll explain the proper procedure of sharing the vault. We have a lot of users (including our own team) sharing vaults across different platforms and devices without any issues, so this isn't normal.

As long as that vault is not shared properly, it won't work on any other computers either. It is not an issue with the application but the way the file itself is being shared.

I'm sorry you had difficulties, hopefully, you'll reconsider and we'll be here to help with anything you need.

AGAlumB

@brandall33: Indeed, troubleshooting indirectly can be problematic. If she contacts us directly, we can get this sharing issue sorted out at the source, so to speak. I hope she reaches out so we can give her the help she needs. :)