Transferring 1password data to new hard drive / OS

OKEM

Hi

I'm running the latest build on Yosemite. I'm having some issues with my Mac's OS so I plan on wiping the HD and reinstalling everything. How do I make sure my 1password data is not lost? (unfortunately I don't have the mac store version that sync to iCloud).

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1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: Not Provided

hawkmoth

Are you willing to sync, at least temporarily, to Dropbox? That will put your data where is will be simple to retrieve them.

danco

Any reasonable backup method will work. Time Machine, or a clone using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.

Or Dropbox sync.

Or just copy the data folder over (or use folder sync).

I would make sure I have two different copies, just in case. After all, a backup drive might fail too.

littlebobbytables

Hi @OKEM,

The AgileBits Store version of 1Password 4/5 for Mac stores your vault and backup files in ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/ If you were to copy that entire folder elsewhere you could safely put it back afterwards.

You might find it's prudent to ensure you have an entire backup of the entire drive before proceeding though, using something like SuperDuper! or equivalent as danco suggested. That way no matter what, you know you have a copy of everything from before the wipe. Even if you're experienced in wiping a machine it can be easy to forget something, we'll all do it at some point. This way a Doh! moment is limited to reaching for the external drive to plug it back in rather than fist in the air at the loss of something potentially important.

OKEM

Thanks all.

I back everything up on TM. I want a completely fresh install of the OS X etc, so I need to avoid automatically restoring everything from there. I wanted to check it could be done manually/individually. Thanks.

I can't find any option for backing up to dropbox..?

hawkmoth

@OKEM - Dropbox is a sync solution, not officially a backup. But if you set up Dropbox syncing before you make your fresh install, you'd be able to say, when prompted, that you've used 1Password before, then point to the Dropbox file, and your data would pulled down from there to your fresh installation. But Time Macine, etc., is a real backup.

littlebobbytables

Hi @OKEM,

Let us know if we can be of any more assistance.

OKEM

I don't see an option for Dropbox sync in the 1password 5 app anywhere. Is it included in the Mac version downloaded from the Agilebits site?

hawkmoth

@OKEM - You'll need to turn off the sync method you are currently using to see the other options. Only one sync method can be used at a time. And Yes, the version sold from the AgileBits store has Dropbox as a sync option. So does the one from the Mac App Store. And the iOS version too.

OKEM

So if I swap to syncing with dropbox, it will no longer update the version on my hard drive? So basically I want to just put a back up on dropbox, then switch it back. right?

littlebobbytables

Hi @OKEM,

In 1Password 3 the location of your 1Password.agilekeychain was where your vault was stored. In 1Password 4 & 5 it merely represents another encrypted copy of a single vault. 1Password 4 & 5 always keep a copy of all known vaults stored in an encrypted SQLite database file that is only stored locally.

One aspect to consider is if you have multiple vaults, a primary and secondaries, that each vault has to have sync set up as an .agilekeychain only represents a single vault. This is how you can share just one vault with others without allowing access to more private items stored in a primary vault.

If you copy the entire ~/Library/Application Support/1Password 4/ folder this bypasses this bump as you're copying not just your SQLite database file but all of your backup files too. It's a personal preference but I would feel more comfortable if you copied the entire folder to a pen drive or even manually copied the entire folder to your Dropbox if you prefer - everything is encrypted but a flash drive seems easier to me.

OKEM

ok. thanks for the help lilbobby

Drew_AG

On behalf of @littlebobbytables, you're very welcome! I hope everything goes smoothly with wiping & reinstalling everything on your Mac. If you need more help with restoring 1Password, please let us know and we'll be glad to help. :)

OKEM

Hello again.

I've restored everything, including 1password. I replaced the /Library/Application Support/1Password 4/ folder with the copy from my previous build and all my info / data appears in the app and works fine. Unfortunately I'm having trouble setting the folder for the vault/sync. I couldn't get it to sync with a folder on my Mac, so I had to switch to Dropbox. I would ideally like to switch back to having the vault on my Mac hard drive. Could someone walk me through it please.

Vee_AG

Hi @OKEM,

Glad to hear you were able to successfully reinstall everything!

As littlebobbytables mentioned back in June, 1Password 5 always keep a copy of all known vaults stored in an encrypted SQLite database file that is only stored locally, and your 1Password.agilekeychain sync file in Dropbox represents another encrypted copy of a single vault.

Put another way, 1Password 5 for Mac automatically saves your vaults and periodic backups on your Mac's hard drive, regardless of whether or not you have sync enabled. When you enable Dropbox sync, that just creates an encrypted copy that's stored in Dropbox.

So if you'd prefer not to have a copy of your vault synced to Dropbox, you can change your Sync setting to None in the Preferences > Sync box, and then delete the 1Password.agilekeychain file from your Dropbox. It won't affect your locally stored vault database(s) or backups. However, if you choose to do that, it's always a good idea to first do: 1Password 5 > Preferences... > Backup > Backup Now (just for funsies).

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any other questions. :)