1password for Windows is terribly slow across multiple PC's after conversion to opvault

snm77

I have a Mac running OSx that was barely affected by converting to opvault. On the same hardware, when I run Windows (granted with only 2 I7 cores) it takes ~9 seconds to unlock the 1password application. If takes ~20 seconds to unlock any of the browser plugins. AFTER the browser pluggin is unlocked, if I hit CTRL\, it takes at least 3 seconds to display options.

I've tried locking the Windows applicaiton in a category with only 5 entries versus the "all" which has over 5000 - no difference in unlock speed.

This FEELS like an implementation issue. I realize opvault is running more iterations and is more intense than the agilekeychain was. But on the same hardware, such a huge diffference....and running other crypto operations I don't see such a terrible slowdown. Is there anything I should be checking specific to Windows???

---

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

AGAlumB

This FEELS like an implementation issue. I realize opvault is running more iterations and is more intense than the agilekeychain was. But on the same hardware, such a huge diffference....and running other crypto operations I don't see such a terrible slowdown. Is there anything I should be checking specific to Windows???

@snm77: Indeed, OPVault is simply more complex. It will always be slower than AgileKeychain on the same hardware. Especially depending on the age of your AgileKeychain, you may have had a significantly lower PBKDF2 previously.

I've tried locking the Windows applicaiton in a category with only 5 entries versus the "all" which has over 5000 - no difference in unlock speed.

To be clear, when you unlock your vault, 1Password doesn't decrypt all of your data at once. It only decrypts data as you access it. It's hard to believe, but the unlocking is literally just the PBKDF2 iterations. Your Master Password allows the encryption keys to be decrypted, which can then in turn be used to decrypt data on demand.

We'd like to optimize it further in future versions, but this is much easier on OS X with "homogenized" hardware and a relatively homogenous install base (80% of all Macs in use are on Yosemite or El Capitan). On Windows, we have to accommodate hardware and OS versions going back nearly a decade (technically more than that, since it runs on XP as well, and Windows 7 is still more than 50%). We've already made some progress on this in our new Windows 10 app, but it has the benefit of only needing to support the current OS and relatively new hardware (along with Microsoft's latest development tools).

Long story short, OPVault is slow on Windows, and it isn't acceptable. Regardless of any technical reasons, we'll continue to work on this problem.

snm77

You missed my point. In one case, I am running both Windows AND OSx on the same machine. THAT is the identical hardware. And in OSx, the same opvault decrypts MUCH faster than with Windows on the exact same machine. MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
Proc: 2.6 Ghz Intel Core i7
16GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Since my original post, i rebooted into Bootcamp instead of running Windows as a VM in VMWare Fusion, giving Windows access to all cores, all RAM. Still was just as slow. Boot into OSx, and it's fine, speed wise.

Let's take another example -the same vault as above on a mid-2010 MBP opens quickly, but on an overclocked 2013 quad core i5 running windows it is slow as molasses in January.

In my first example, identical hardware opening the identical vault - difference being OS and 1Password version (6 on OSx, 4 on Windows).

In the second, clearly inferior hardware works BETTER than a more modern CPU, with more cores, and in this case more RAM, although I hadn't mentioned that yet. Difference there again is OS, 1Password version, and hardware, but the superior hardware performs WORSE.

MikeT

Hi @snm77,

This is an implementation issue, 1Password 4 for Windows isn't throughly optimized for handling the newer OPVault format, this is all software-based right now. 1Password for Mac and Windows do not handle the files the same way, 1Password for Mac does not use OPVault files as its primary data store but stores it in its own internal database tuned for performance, something the Windows version do not yet have.

One thing you can try is turning off a few things that will speed this up by a few seconds, you can do this by opening the main 1Password program and go to the Help Menu > Advanced > Tune 1Password for max performance.

If it is still too slow, I'd recommend switching back to Agile Keychain format for now until we overhaul the implementation for handling OPVault. This will be optimized in the next major version of 1Password but I do not have a timeframe.

snm77

Thank you for the response, but the suggestion of moving back worries me - the agile keychain leaks data when integrated with Dropbox https://myers.io/2015/10/22/1password-leaks-your-data/ and I have no desire to switch back. It's been several months and things are far worse. On Windows 10, 1 password 4 w/OPVault only works in the browser now across two different Windows 10 installs I have - if you try to open the thick client, it hangs forever. I can't get into the database at all on Windows.

To be honest, I'm about ready to give up. Since moving to OPVault, I've nothing but issues with both Windows and Mac client. iOS has been... OK. The main reasons I went with 1password was for access to a single encrypted DB I control across multiple OS's, and I was willing to pay for that. At this point, the OSx machines flat out won't replicate to the OPvault, I have to manually move items out of the local DB tot he OPVault before they will show up in Windows or iOS. I have as many as 4 copies of identical information from the data that I moved form the AgileKeychain, and the only de-cuplication method is for me to go through thousands of records and figure it out on my own.

I administer enough systems as part of my day job - fixing massive database issues with no tools in a product I paid for is not my idea of "fun" - I'm beginning to think I might as well start over with another product. The ONLY thing that keeps me from doing so is the inferior security of other solutions when compared to OPVault. But this is getting to a huge timesink for a product that is supposed to save me time.

MikeT

Hi @snm77,

I do understand but I am surprised you're having issues with the macOS version as that is fully optimized for OPVault from the get-go and you shouldn't have to move items or experience duplicates like that. It sounds like the conversion didn't go correctly there.

We would love to help you with this if you still want to stick with us but I don't have a solution for the current Windows version. The only thing I can ask is try the 1Password 6 Beta for Windows, it is absolutely a new program with performance in mind but it is a beta where the local vault files are read-only and 1Password mini is not finished at the moment. It uses the same DB structure that macOS version is using as well.

I don't have a timeframe on when 1Password 6 for Windows will be ready with local vault support, it may be a while.