How to maintain syncing, or how can I sync manually or semi-manually with new iOS 1Password?

BobAllison
BobAllison
Community Member
edited April 2018 in 1Password 3 – 7 for Mac

Background:
I am running an early '08 MacBook Pro so cannot update my OS.
(Well maybe one rev, but not maintaining any semblance of performance.)
Therefor I also cannot update my Firefox beyond the 48.0.2 I am running.
Do to all that, I cannot update 1Password or the browser extension.
I know all the caveats about old software being less secure; but the laptop runs fine, does all I need, and so can't waste money I don't have on a new computer.
I have an iPhone 6 running the latest iOS and keep its 1Password updated too.

The databases on the two do not sync anymore.
Both are set to sync with Dropbox and both point to the same file for syncing.
Both say they are syncing and do so regularly, But they don't have the same info.
I have added some items and changed some items on the laptop and others on the phone before realizing they were aout of sync.
I get that sync methods and database schema have changed from the 1PW4 and new subscription model.
But how can they both be using the same file and work? Are there essentially 2 databases in the one file?

Now to my real question: How can I sync them?
I can open 1PW on my phone and laptop and go edit everything 1 by 1 - days of work.
Is there Any Way to do it more efficiently? Any tools?
Maybe a tool that will let me import my old laptop database info into the newer database on my phone?
It seems to me that there should be that option since upgrading and migrating from 1PW4 to the new 1PW version is allowed.
Then at least my phone will be updated with the latest information.
Then I can - always do any changes on the phone and know I have a good database on at least that 1 device.
And then I can/will just update items on my laptop manually as I try to use each item and fine it has old info.
Any ideas are Greatly Appreciated.

I've used 1PW for years and years and love it except for this sync problem; so I hate to have to move to another password program - and yes, there is one I recently ('last') looked at that at least seems to support both my old OS and newer iOS, unlike 1PW.


1Password Version: OsX-4.4.3 iOS-7.0.6
Extension Version: OsX-4.6.8 iOS-??
OS Version: OsX-10.8.5 iOS-11.3
Sync Type: currently dropbox

Comments

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @BobAllison: Thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry for the confusion! I think the problem you may be having is Dropbox and not 1Password. I believe they've discontinued support for older OSes a while back, and they changed their sync APIs last year. There are only two other possibilities, and based on the information you provided, they are unlikely, but I'll mention them in case it helps you or someone else:

    • You've modified the vault using a version of 1Password which is incompatible with the newer data structures — 1Password 3, for example.
    • The devices are actually syncing with different vaults — perhaps even different formats.

    What is the exact path to the vault in Dropbox that each device is syncing with, and have you been using an even older version of 1Password somewhere else?

  • BobAllison
    BobAllison
    Community Member
    edited May 2018

    I used to use older versions of 1PW on this laptop but no longer do.

    Yes, Dropbox stopped supporting my rev of the OS
    so my Dropbox folder on my laptop will not sync to the cloud.

    • So right now phone and laptop are really syncing to 2 different places.
    • My phone to the Dropbox cloud & my laptop just to the Dropbox file on my computer.

    I know I need to change to a different sync method, Dropbox will not work with my laptop.
    But I also know the 1PW 4 and the new subscription model used different methods.
    What method does the latest iOS 1PW use?
    Is it compatible with the 1PW 4 on my laptop?

    So I don't want to just switch to iCloud without asking in case the two databases are incompatible.

    • Can I just change to iCloud sync and have the iOS and the 1PW 4 coexist and sync to each other?
    • If I do, what will happen with an item where some info is correct on the phone and some is correct on the laptop?
    • Will the data merge or will one overwrite the other?

    --
    -------- extra info --------
    But then again by the timestamps, it 'looks' like' 1PW is not even syncing like it says it is.

    On my iPhone - I have the latest iOS and 1PW to go with it.
    I see no place where there is an "about 1PW" where I can find what rev I have.
    I just assume it updates along with everything else on the phone.
    It syncs to a Dropbox - /MyDropboxID/private/1password/1password.agilekeychain

    • 1PW on my phone says it last synced a few minutes ago

    I go online to my Dropbox on the internet and look at the files there.
    I see the 1password.agilekeychain database package and
    in the package there is an 'a' and a 'data' folder

    • the 'a' folder is dated last oct.
    • the latest file in the data path is dated 8 days ago

    • SO - iOS 1PW says it is syncing to the Dropbox cloud but it does not look like it!

    On my laptop - I have OS X 10.8.5 Firefox 48.0.2
    I have 1PW 4.4.3, and Firefox Extension 4.6.8
    and updates are turned off so it doesn't update to a rev that won't work on my machine.
    It syncs to Dropbox - ~/PathToMy/Dropbox/MyDropboxID/private/1password/1password.agilekeychain
    in the package there is an 'a' and a 'data' folder

    • the 'a' folder is dated last oct.
    • the latest file in the data path is dated 80 min ago
    • 1PW 4 says the last sync was 36 min ago

    • SO- 1PW 4 says it is syncing to my Dropbox folder on my laptop but it does not look like it!

    ** I disabled syncing on my laptop.
    Then renamed the 1password folder on my laptop to OLD1password
    I restarted syncing to my dropbox in a new 1password folder in the same place on my laptop.
    Now that folder - both the 'a' and 'data' folders in the database, have current timestamps.

  • BobAllison
    BobAllison
    Community Member

    I just spent a long time composing a reply with lots of details.
    But it looks like your system ate it.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    I just spent a long time composing a reply with lots of details. But it looks like your system ate it.

    @BobAllison: If it did, it looks like it came back up — perhaps it bit off more than it could chew! :lol:

    But in all seriousness, thank you for the detail. The good news is that it means I can give you a definitive answer. The bad news is there is not a way for you to sync data in this case. 1Password.com requires a recent version of 1Password. Dropbox sync requires their client, and that is not available on outdated OSes past a certain point; they updated their APIs last year, and I imagine this cutoff was part of that. In all cases is just isn't feasible to maintain backward compatibility indefinitely, and it appears you've reached that threshold. iCloud would have been your best bet, expect that you are actually running the current versions on your iPhone. iOS version 8 and above and macOS Yosemite and above are required to sync with the current version of iCloud (denoted by iCloud Drive). Ironically, if your iPhone was running iOS 7, it would be using the old version of iCloud that your Mac is, and the two could sync that way. So really the only option is to upgrade (and that's a good one, since there are a lot of security benefits to doing so, in addition to being able to use the latest versions of 1Password and sync data between your devices). :blush:

This discussion has been closed.