How do I set up Folder Sync from 1Password Windows DEMO?
I am evaluating 1Password as a replacement for LastPass. I would like to use Folder Synch using a USB Key between my Mac Running 1Password 5.4.1 and 1Password for Windows version 4.6.0.592 (DEMO). I have successfully created a synch USB key from the Mac, and I installed 1 Password for Windows and created an empty vault with my master password. I have been digging around in Preferences and the documentation and the forums for about 45 minutes and I can't find a way to set up Folder synch on the Windows version. Is this a documented but unimplemented feature (see: https://guides.agilebits.com/1password-windows/4/en/topic/sync-options which seems to say that I can do Folder synch for both versions). I do not want to use DropBox synch if I can avoid it.
1Password Version: 4.6.0.592
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Windows 8.1
Sync Type: Folder
Referrer: forum-search:folder sync windows
Comments
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@ferthalangur - You can use the Open option in 1Password for Windows to open that vault on your USB key -
Run 1Password on your Windows PC.
Click on File > Open New 1Password Vault - select the 1Password vault on your key.Please let us know if this helps.
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Hi @LauraR. Thank you for your response.
So the synchronize functionality is not yet implemented in the Windows version?
Opening a synch. file from the Mac on the USB key (or in Dropbox for that matter) is not the same thing, but I can work with it for now.
Can you put in a "feature request" to include proper file synchronization in the Windows version? I would prefer not to leave the USB key in he computer all the time ... just use it to synch. the Mac and the Windows databases when needed.
Thanks.
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I have been digging around in Preferences and the documentation and the forums for about 45 minutes and I can't find a way to set up Folder synch on the Windows version.
@ferthalangur: Sorry for the confusion! 1Password for Windows writes directly to the vault on disk, so there's no need to 'sync' for it to save the data to a location of your choosing (as is necessary in 1Password for Mac). The reason for this is that the Mac version maintains an internal SQLite database in its support folder, so if you want the vault anywhere else at all (Dropbox or otherwise), it needs to be sync'd. On Windows, your vault is your vault is your vault.
Honestly, I haven't heard this request before, but we can certainly consider adding a way for 1Password for Windows to write data to multiple locations. Thanks for bringing this up! Keep in mind that even if 1Password for Windows worked the same as the Mac version, it wouldn't actually be able to 'sync' the vault to the USB drive when you disconnect it. In the mean time though, it's simple enough to copy the vault over to the USB drive when you connect it. Cheers! :)
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Thanks @brenty.
So I work as a systems administrator, and one of the things that I'm always thinking about is how these tools can be scaled to be used in business. We're fleeing from LastPass because of bad experience with their new parent corporation.
Here's an attempt to describe the rationale for doing sync the same way on all desktop platforms (I can't talk intelligently about mobile):
In a fully distributed model, you have multiple copies of the data on different workstations, and the data in each of them is synchronized by using some kind of comparison / merge / deduplication operation. This can be done with a "master" copy in the cloud, with a backing store on each workstation that is used locally on each workstation. Periodically (either timed, or triggered by changes, or both), each local copy is synchronized with the "master". What is important is that each workstation has full access to the data in case of network unavailability, and that there is enough metadata that the synchronization algorithm can ensure that simultaneous changes to the same data object in two places does not lead to "clobbering" ... if there is a conflict, keep them both, mark them, and let the user figure out how to resolve the conflict. Think about a Dropbox or iCloud folder shared between two or three workstations with multiple people working at the same time. Of course, when the data is encrypted, and the synchronization algorithm does not have access to the unencrypted data, it is much more difficult.
A usage model of a password manager for one human who works with multiple workstations is as follows: I am logged in to machine A (let's say that is my home workstation), and I surf the net, do some transactions, create a few new accounts. I would like to have access to all my known secured data, and I will probably add to that secure data store, and edit it. Now I log in to machine B (let's say that is my work laptop computer). I would like to have access to all my known secured data, and I will probably add to that secure data store. So after these two sessions, the local copy on A and the local copy on B will differ. They need to be synchronized, and copying A's copy over B's copy will clobber the changes to A, and vice-versa. Assuming that A and B are not simultaneously visible to each other (i.e., establishing a peer-to-peer network connection between A and B, which gets really messy and may be impossible for "air gapped" workstations), it is necessary to have an intermediate copy that can be used for synchronization. If A's copy of the data is D(A) and B's copy of the data is D(B), you must have another copy of the data, D(X), that can be compared to D(A) and synchronized, and then compare D(X) to D(B) and synchronize them. In most cloud models, where D(X) lives is "in the cloud", and synchronization can be achieved in near real time when A and B are both connected to the Internet. However, if either is disconnected, it has a complete copy of all the most recently synched copy of D(X).
For those of us who don't wish to trust our most sensitive data (even if it is strongly encrypted with a really good password) to the cloud, we need D(X) to be some removable media. For those workstations that are not connected to the Internet, it is also necessary that D(X) can be on removable media. Yes, there is extra work involved in physically carrying the USB key containing D(X) to workstation A, then workstation B, to do the synchronization, but security is always inversely proportional to convenience.
Let's take this one step further .. to an SMB scenario. We have a group of administrators who work on multiple machines. Hundreds of passwords are involved. Each administrator has their own workstation (let's say there are four: A, B, C and D) and they all work independently, changing passwords, creating new ones, storing secure documentation, etc). In a cloud model, periodically, D(A) syncs to D(X), D(B) synchs to D(X), D(C) synchs to D(X) and D(D) synchs to D(X), and repeats continuously. There is always the possibility of a collision (two people changing the same element between synchs), but that is where the conflict identification that requires manual resolution has to be accomodated. Again, using Dropbox as the example, if there is a collision, you end up with multiple copies labeled as a conflicted copy. So, regardless of whether D(X) lives in the cloud, or on removable media (or a shared drive on an internal network), what is key is that it is not the actual vault of any of the workstations.
What I'm suggesting, in order that 1Password can support better synchronization, is that the Windows version store a local copy of the vault, as the Mac does now, and then File Synch. is used to identify where D(X) should be. This is very different from making the data store of the Windows version be on the shared media. By implementing this, 1Password will be a much more robust product that can be used in more ways. That's what the competition is doing, using the cloud for storing D(X). I prefer the 1Password philosophy of allowing users to decide whether to trust the cloud with their data, but that means that File Synch really has to be a synchronization function using the shared medium only for synching ... not for storing the vault.
I hope this makes some sense. I'm happy to discuss further, either in the forum, or if someone wants to contact me directly to discuss further.
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By the way, I wanted to comment separately that I think the level of support that Agilebits provides in these forums is amazing.
Most support forums are customer-to-customer oriented, which is fine, but I don't think I've ever seen a support forum that has company staff being so active in helping customers online.
This is excellent, and I think the quality of support is the deciding factor that I'm going to purchase the product.
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By the way, I wanted to comment separately that I think the level of support that Agilebits provides in these forums is amazing.
@ferthalangur: Wow! Thank you so much! We're not perfect, but I'm always glad to hear when we're able to meet (or, dare I say exceed?) expectations. We have awesome customers, so we strive to match that level of awesomeness. I'm very grateful to be able to make a living doing what I love, and I know my AgileBits teammates share this feeling. :chuffed:
I hope this makes some sense. I'm happy to discuss further, either in the forum, or if someone wants to contact me directly to discuss further.
That absolutely makes sense! I just hadn't heard this particular request previously — at least with this level of specificity. It's clear that you know exactly what you're looking for!
Indeed, we frequently receive requests for the Mac version to treat vaults the way the Windows version does, and vice versa, but for more user-facing reasons (vault management, security, etc.) 1Password was designed from a user standpoint, rather than for an enterprise/multiuser environment, but these are definitely things we're looking at as 1Password's userbase diversifies, and as we improve it to meet more and more peoples' (and companies') needs.
Folder Syncing can be confusing from an end user perspective, but in a distributed environment like the one you describe, it's the most practical solution. I really appreciate you taking the time to not only reach out in the first place, but to enumerate your request so eloquently. I hope we'll be able to offer a solution that takes all of that into consideration in the future, and for that your feedback is invaluable. Thank you! :blush:
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