Difficulty exporting and/or importing into membership vaults [Windows]
Hi all,
We needed to delete our organization's 1password account and rebuild it. (The story is complicated and not that interesting.) We thought it would be as easy as exporting and reimporting. We were wrong. Here are the problems we've run into so far:
1) As far as I can tell, the web UI doesn't allow you to export the 1password data. You need to install a native client.
2) I installed the 1password 6 client on Windows. It provides two options: export to txt and export to csv. I wasn't sure which one to use so I exported as both.
3) We nuked the account and created a new one.
4) We tried to use the Windows client to import the data. This isn't allowed?? The Windows client only allows 1pif and agilekeychain
5) We tried using the web client to import the data. The web client only allows CSV. This imports total garbage with most of the data fields missing. I couldn't find a way to import the text file.
6) We tried following this guide to converting data to 1pif: https://support.1password.com/import/. The instructions say that we have to install a perl interpreter and run a one-off perl script. The perl script crashed with uninstall module errors, even after we ran the install_modules.bat script.
At this point, I'm going to give up and manually re-enter all the data. I've wasted too much time on this already.
Is there a reason why 1password can't export data in a format that 1password itself understands? This does not seem like an unreasonable request.
Nick
1Password Version: Not Provided
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: Not Provided
Sync Type: Not Provided
Comments
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Hi @nicksantos,
You're absolutely 100% correct. The situation as is sucks. I won't sit here and defend it.
We're in the process of making it better, but we're still a long way away from it being in a place that I'm happy with. The 1pif format has been 1Password's export format for a long time, and it's still generally what we recommend. In the case of 1Password.com vaults though, 1pif has some limitations that makes it less ideal. Not all of the data has a place to live in 1pif, so it's not a perfect unencrypted export as it once was.
We've been designing a new export format that can properly handle all of the additions that 1Password.com requires that 1pif couldn't handle. It's the fact that we've been designing a new format that has caused us to not implement 1pif in the Windows app as we figured that we might as well only support the new/better format.
This would have helped. But it's not ready yet. I'm unsure if the webapp will ever be able to fully support it due to the fact that document files can be large and playing with large files in javascript is a bit of a recipe for disaster, but we'll see.
We're also working on something in the Mac and Windows apps that I'm hopeful will help.
So yes, we're aware of the current situation and agree that it needs to be better. If someone else has to go through this process, don't hesitate to reach out to us and we'll help you figure out the best way forward. In general this consists of loading up both accounts within the same app, and using an app to copy the items from one account to another.
I'm really sorry that that was so painful for you.
Rick
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Hi Rick,
Thanks for the response. Glad that a better solution is in progress.
Are there places where 1password could warn about these problems? Like when you export the file? Or in the export documentation (https://support.1password.com/export/)? Right now, the export documentation says in big bold text that you'll be able to move the data to another 1password account, which is not true. If it had warned me otherwise, it would have saved a lot of trouble.
Nick
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@nicksantos: It's a bit of an awkward situation as it is true that you can move your data to another 1Password account if you export to 1PIF (even if that's not always the best option). That said, this is only really doable on Mac at this time. While we've supported Windows generally for some time now, 1Password 6 for Windows is still a pretty young app (it's first birthday was this month!) and, although we're very proud of its progress in so short a time, it still has growing up to do. Exporting and importing is one area where it definitely falls short. The webapp has been able to pick up a lot of slack where importing is concerned, but exporting is still a problem.
I actually think the export article does a decent job of letting you know what export format is used for what purpose. You'll notice the formats listed under 1Password 6 for Windows don't mention moving data to another copy of 1Password like Mac does:
Comma Delimited Text (.csv) to move data to a different app.
Plain Text (.txt) for a readable list of your items.That said, I do think this could be made more obvious that exporting isn't the best choice when moving data between accounts, so I'll definitely pass along your feedback to our documentation and Windows teams to see what we might be able to do to improve. :+1:
Thanks for the feedback and I, too, am sorry you found yourself in this situation. I hope we can make some tweaks to help folks avoid it in the future. :chuffed:
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I updated the support article, so that it helps guide other folks in the right direction.
How to export data from 1Password
At the top, it now says:
You can export your 1Password data if you want to move it to a different app.
And I added a link to "Move items between vaults" to the tip:
Keeping your data in 1Password? You don't have to export anything. There's an easier way to move your data within 1Password or add it to another device.
Thanks for letting us know about this so we could improve. :+1:
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That's great and all, except you still can't export from a regular vault to a local vault. Will we ever get this functionality? Because at this point it just seems you are trying to force users by all available means into a permanent relationship with the 1Password company. No backup options (last time I asked about this I was basically told that you are better at backing up MY data than me, lmao). Basically no export options (I don't even count the right click - export as a feature, why is it even there?). No amount of convenience and QOL improvements will make me forget that you are basically the only one holding all the keys to my digital life.
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That's great and all, except you still can't export from a regular vault to a local vault. Will we ever get this functionality?
You can move items from a membership vault to a standalone vault:
How to move your data to a standalone vault to use 1Password without an account
We are also working on a local backup solution for membership vaults.
Because at this point it just seems you are trying to force users by all available means into a permanent relationship with the 1Password company.
Not at all. In fact the whole point of the article Khad linked is to explain how to export your data so you can take it with you to another product or service. There is also this:
You have secrets; we don't. Why our data format is public - AgileBits Blog
I hope that helps!
Ben
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I could have sworn I tested this yesterday and couldn't see my other vault in the "share" menu. My apologies.
We are also working on a local backup solution for membership vaults.
This should have a lot of a higher priority than it apparently does.
And yes, you can manually export your data. But you'd have to manually export all the data after each and every change. Not to mention this export is unencrypted. This entirely defeats the purpose of a password manager if you still have to very manually manage all the backups.
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I could have sworn I tested this yesterday and couldn't see my other vault in the "share" menu. My apologies.
@Krzaku: Well, I have a lot of vaults too. I'd be lying if I said I didn't sometimes "misplace" them, especially when I'm tired or something. :)
This should have a lot of a higher priority than it apparently does.
I'm not sure you appreciate the gravity of anything involving user data. We're going to take all the time we need to develop and test new formats or implementations of existing ones before releasing them to all of our customers. That's what "priority" means; not "hurry and toss something out there".
And yes, you can manually export your data.
Yes you can.
But you'd have to manually export all the data after each and every change.
Why not just export periodically, on a schedule? I don't fill the gas tank at every intersection.
Not to mention this export is unencrypted. This entirely defeats the purpose of a password manager if you still have to very manually manage all the backups.
Export is, by necessity, unencrypted, since otherwise no other apps would be able to do anything with it. That's the purpose: interoperability/portability, so that the user isn't locked into one app forever.
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Why not just export periodically, on a schedule? I don't fill the gas tank at every intersection.
That's not a very good comparison. In a password manager, every password matters, so the backup should be done after every single change.
Export is, by necessity, unencrypted, since otherwise no other apps would be able to do anything with it.
Opvault format is documented, and there are even 3rd party apps that are able to read it, so I disagree with your statement that exports have to be unencrypted.
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That's not a very good comparison. In a password manager, every password matters, so the backup should be done after every single change.
@Krzaku: Oh, it's a terrible analogy. My point is that it doesn't need to be done every few minutes or whatever. After all, presumably you're backing up everything on your device regularly. 1Password's data would be included in that.
Opvault format is documented, and there are even 3rd party apps that are able to read it, so I disagree with your statement that exports have to be unencrypted.
Disagree away. But you're assuming that anyone who exports data from 1Password will be using another app that understands OPVault. Most apps in the world don't, and a lot of people export so they can save a hard copy in a safe deposit box or something. So we can't reasonably make that same assumption, even if what you say applies in your case.
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@Krzaku: I think it would be a good option. But we need to have better export in formats that are useful to everyone first. If we introduce a new encrypted export format, literally no one but us will support it at first. This is just one of many things we need to take into account as we develop this stuff.
But you can essentially do an encrypted "export" today if you know that your target supports the format: OPVault. I don't think that's a perfect solution, but it does most of what you seem to be asking for. The rest will come in time. :)
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I need an encrypted import/export to securely share passwords. Is there an estimate of when improvements to this functionality will be available.
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Hi @pmossino
Could you please elaborate a bit about your setup and what you are trying to accomplish? We already support securely sharing 1Password items:
Ben
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Hard to believe that is going on close to two years and still not a permanent fix implemented. Still, as of end of April 2019, if you export from Windows (version 7.3.684) it outputs a massive csv file with tons of columns (a vast majority is empty). Yes, I saw the article on how to "export to another app" but then you have to do **a lot **of manual clean-up of the file, which can be very time consuming if you have a large file. You could always buy me a Mac if it works so well on that and not Windows :p
I found a partial work-around while playing around with it for those who really want to export without possibly a ton of work. I followed the directions from a previous post above to copy my vault to a local vault. I then downloaded 1PW 4 and opened that local vault. I exported the logins from 1PW 4 to csv - worked great other than not exporting my OTPs. Also, can't export other items like credit cards, notes, etc. But at least if you do have to do a lot of manual work, this takes _some _ of the load off.
I, for one, don't want to leave 1PW. I decided to try a couple of other password managers just because I was bored one weekend (I know, I need a life). That's when I noticed the problem and started researching. 1PW ended up beating them all in my opinion... Bitwarden a very close second and Enpass a 3rd.
Anyway, sorry to ramble on. My point is that the export can be done on Windows, it takes a lot of work - which users should not have to do. Honestly, a little disappointed in that the 1PW team didn't roll back whatever broke it in the first place, and that it has gone on this long.
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Delete Oppps
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Hi @cbp0229!
Still, as of end of April 2019, if you export from Windows (version 7.3.684) it outputs a massive csv file with tons of columns (a vast majority is empty).
How many columns do you see in the exported file? To make sure I understand the issue exactly, can you please let me know some of the names of these columns?
Thank you!
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If I export ALL items in 1Password 7.3.684, here is a list of all the column headers. This is a copy/paste:
address,address 2,ainfo,AOL/AIM,autosubmit,birth date,blog,business,cardholder name,cash withdrawal limit,cell,company,credit limit,default phone,department,email,expiry date,first name,forum,forum signature,home,ICQ,initial,interest rate,issue number,issuing bank,itemField1,itemField2,job title,Last 4 of Social Security Number,last name,master-password,MSN,newpassword,notesPlain,number,occupation,one-time password,password,Password,phone (intl),phone (local),phone (toll free),PIN,previousPassword1,previousPassword2,previousPassword3,reminder answer,reminder question,scope,secret key,section:,section:6sgvljl222spbeqykg5v3szpkm,section:address,section:contactInfo,section:details,section:dhp5p6j5fr6jjiwvomlku4dlzi,section:f2qr3o4droircpsxqadxjhncty,section:internet,section:linked items,section:name,section:ouxipa2u7vrhhu7gg5ghslm4rq,section:rcdqnll37ol6ijlhstn5shjxt4,section:Section_4qyjpt4knhjkrr3c7mkvlw5jwm,section:Section_92C5CB364C354569850B6AC8CCD3BB92,section:Section_ahxbml3r5fb67dxwsaegvht6nu,section:Section_d6dkrhnuoz5m7c5ndkzvob2tsu,section:Section_d6zojub2y4pcwlxaacbyheq3ba,section:Section_exwt47alpquobt2l47i33utlgi,section:Section_fuut5yf2v5biolwgqu2tfcbjya,section:Section_giovcsadfwpb3tqaqf5duasnvi,section:Section_gm2h7ychwcfupz4h37darbm2sa,section:Section_hhm5s7blxxlfhirk5evljxxzuy,section:Section_irt7hzg4ml4j4uudo7dxb4anh4,section:Section_sidlumc3hdivyzjh6umhojetre,section:Section_toqblc42kazrl6xtfvq75psyui,section:Section_v4mld3kcn2iepn25b362gyw3im,section:Section_x7pugoacgfzuvmgosavpj5epfu,section:xctpyzdar5hhz77ipzkgqjus2m,sectionField1,sectionField2,sex,skype,support library,tags,title,twitter,type,urls,username,uuid,valid from,verification number,videos,website,Yahoo
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Here's login's only:
ainfo,autosubmit,email,itemField1,itemField2,Last 4 of Social Security Number,master-password,newpassword,notesPlain,one-time password,password,Password,previousPassword1,previousPassword2,previousPassword3,scope,secret key,section:linked items,section:Section_4qyjpt4knhjkrr3c7mkvlw5jwm,section:Section_92C5CB364C354569850B6AC8CCD3BB92,section:Section_ahxbml3r5fb67dxwsaegvht6nu,section:Section_d6dkrhnuoz5m7c5ndkzvob2tsu,section:Section_d6zojub2y4pcwlxaacbyheq3ba,section:Section_exwt47alpquobt2l47i33utlgi,section:Section_fuut5yf2v5biolwgqu2tfcbjya,section:Section_giovcsadfwpb3tqaqf5duasnvi,section:Section_gm2h7ychwcfupz4h37darbm2sa,section:Section_hhm5s7blxxlfhirk5evljxxzuy,section:Section_irt7hzg4ml4j4uudo7dxb4anh4,section:Section_sidlumc3hdivyzjh6umhojetre,section:Section_toqblc42kazrl6xtfvq75psyui,section:Section_v4mld3kcn2iepn25b362gyw3im,section:Section_x7pugoacgfzuvmgosavpj5epfu,section:xctpyzdar5hhz77ipzkgqjus2m,tags,title,urls,username,uuidNote that some of my OTP keys are located in secret key while others are in one-time-password
Also, some of my logins are blank and I scroll over and find a username section. Same with passwords. Password might be blank, scroll over and find another password field. Annoying.
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Thank you for doing that. Hopefully they will be able to resolve so those who wish to lave 1PW can properly export their data from the Windows Client without having to spend a couple of hours editing the CSV file.
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Hello, the original post for this topic was in October 2017 and my comments were from two months ago. When will this be resolved for Windows users?
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I have been using separately licensed 1Password clients (version 6.8.8. on Mac, plus iOS) that have been sync'd through Dropbox for several years. I also have a membership account that I have been using for my family members. I would like to migrate my existing 1Password data over to our membership account, but your instructions haven't resulted in a successful migration. I was prompted to add an account, which I did, but it only moved about 5 logins out of 600 that are in that repository. Since I have now installed the 1Password version 7 client to my Mac, I can no longer access the older client. I do have access to that data through other devices, but I'm at a loss as to how to package up and import that data successfully. Any suggestions?
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Nevermind; I believe that I have it figured out. Thanks
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@eyoung360 - Thanks for the update. That's excellent news! I’d like to be able to say I’m glad we were able to help you get things squared away, but since you appear to have solved the problem by yourself, we can’t hardly claim any credit for it. :-) However, around here, we’ve learned to call a win a win whether we had a hand in it or not.
So, congratulations! Keep an eye on things and please let us know if there's anything further we can do to assist you. Otherwise, have a great rest of your week, and thanks for being a 1Password user!
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I'm trying out 1Password and would like to print my logins in Windows 10. I followed the instructions to highlight the items but when I right-click, I don't get any option to "export", just the standard copy and paste stuff. Any suggestions? I would also like to have a password program that would let me export and send data to another program if I decide to change. Can I do that?
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