Cannot get new install from App Store to start fresh
Though I have used 1Password for years, kept it running on iPhones, iPad many Macs, etc. (and have done the same managing it for my parents), somehow 1Password on my Mac Mini stopped syncing. When? I have no idea! Realized today, though, that new passwords I had entered on the Mac Mini weren't syncing to my Macbook Pro, iPhone or other devices that were previously syncing.
Two issues I'm having as a result of this:
I'm pretty baffled by how this could have happened. Do certain updates to the app (via the App Store) "break" syncing?
The more significant/troubling issue: I simply cannot seem to get a fresh/new install of 1Password from the App Store to actually start from scratch so that I can start syncing using Dropbox again. Here is what I wanted to do: rather than turn syncing back on and "merge" (because I have no idea when the syncing stopped I'm afraid of getting weird or corrupted data), I wanted to delete 1Password from the Mac Mini, reinstall from App Store and then turn on Dropbox syncing during the initial/welcome run.
I've done this multiple times for my parents with no trouble, but for some reason I cannot seem to get a truly "clean" install of 1P to work on the Mac Mini. I deleted 1P from the Mac Mini, downloaded 1P from the App Store and opened 1P. I've actually done that multiple times now and restarted the machine twice. Instead of a "first run" opening (with the "where do you want to locate your data file?" type of message) I get the standard "locked" 1P interface. This actually opens and unlocks when I enter the master password from the 1P vault on Dropbox...but there is no data stored in this install of 1P! 1P is working, with full data from Dropbox, in every other install (on my Macbook Pro, iPhone and iPad). Weirder still, I cannot seem to get this install of 1P to sync with Dropbox now. I figured it would be safe to "merge" with the Dropbox version (b/c there is nothing in the Mac Mini)...but when I told it to do so, nothing happens.
So, given all that, I guess my basic question is: how can I truly and fully delete everything from 1P on the Mac Mini so that a new download from the App Store will truly be treated as a clean/fresh/new install? Am I missing some deeper file here that somehow keeps the master password from before?
1Password Version: 6 (latest)
Extension Version: (latest)
OS Version: 10.11.6
Sync Type: Dropbox (trying)
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OK...so answering my own question here! Took a break and then, after taking another look, realized that I still needed to delete the extra 1P prefs/files in the Containers folder (which is mentioned on the main support page for uninstalling the app) and restart the Mac Mini again. I think I'd not restarted a last time after deleting those files - or, basically I hadn't cleared out all the old cruft before doing the new install. Got everything going again....but that still leaves my first question unanswered: how did syncing get stopped in the first place? Can updates turn off syncing?
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Hi @velosport,
I'm sorry you had some trouble with 1Password - but happy to hear you were able to solve it! :)
So, to answer your main/remaining question:
how did syncing get stopped in the first place? Can updates turn off syncing?
I don't know why the sync would have become disabled on that Mac, but an update shouldn't cause that to happen. There are a few legitimate reasons why the sync settings in 1Password might become disabled - for example, if you restore 1Password from one of its backup files on that Mac, or if the sync file in Dropbox is moved to a different location or cannot be found for some reason. Normally, if something causes 1Password to have to disable sync, a notification should appear on your Mac to let you know. You can try checking the Notification Center on your Mac to see if there's a notification about that which you might have missed. But whatever the reason, it's not something that should happen often, if at all.
And in regards to the other thing you had asked us about:
I simply cannot seem to get a fresh/new install of 1Password from the App Store to actually start from scratch so that I can start syncing using Dropbox again.
You were eventually able to start from scratch again, but I wanted to explain that your data isn't stored in the 1Password app file - the data and the app are in two separate locations on your Mac. So if you delete the 1Password app file from Applications, you're only deleting the app itself, and all your 1Password data is still on your Mac where it always is. The re-downloaded copy of the 1Password app finds the data just like the previous one did.
Just in case you ever need to reset your 1Password data again, it's very easy because there's actually an option to do that in the app. You can find the steps here: How to start over with an empty vault
I should also mention that you shouldn't have had to reset your data on that Mac in order to solve the problem. Normally, you could simply re-enable the option to sync with Dropbox in 1Password > Preferences > Sync. When it says it will merge your data, that just means it will compare the 1Password data on your Mac with the 1Password data in Dropbox, and update both accordingly. In other words, changes you've made on the Mac will sync to Dropbox (and to your other devices), and changes you've made in Dropbox (via other devices) will sync to the Mac. It essentially does what you normally expect it to do during a sync. Nothing will be deleted unless you specifically delete it yourself.
Of course, it sounds like you tried to re-enable sync with Dropbox but something didn't work correctly. If you ever need to re-enable sync again but have a problem, please feel free to let us know and we'll be happy to help figure it out! :)
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Thanks for the response! I know the sync shouldn't delete anything...I was more worried about logins that may have been duplicated and that I wouldn't catch until later. But, good to know the fully clean start isn't necessary!
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You're very welcome! Hopefully you're all set now, but if you have more questions or need anything else, we're here for you. Have a great weekend! :)
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