Helper not connected in Firefox

1PW 3.8.19
OS X 10.6.7
Firefox 11.0
Firefox browser extension 3.9.4.b1


The 1PW button on the navigation toolbar in Firefox shows a white exclamation sign on a red circle

Comments

  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    edited May 2012
    The red badge indicates that the 1Password Helper is unable to communicate with the sandboxed browser extension.

    There are a number of different reasons for this. Typically, it is caused by another extension (such as NoScript, RequestPolicy, or some others); or a proxy server. Background and instructions for configuring your proxy server for 1Password are available here:

    http://support.agile...e-for-1password

    The first thing I would recommend is to try restarting the 1Password Helper (Help > Troubleshooting > Restart Helper).

    Then try removing the Firefox extension and reinstalling it. Sadly, Firefox does not remove a necessary component on its own as the other browsers do. You'll need to manually remove the SQLite file:

    1. In Firefox, select Tools > Add-ons from the menu bar.
    2. Click the Remove button to remove the 1Password extension.
    3. Quit Firefox.
    4. In Finder, select Go > Go to Folder from the menu bar.
    5. Copy and paste the following path and press Return:

    ~/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles
    


    6. Move the [font=courier new,courier,monospace]OnePassword.sqlite[/font] file you see there to the desktop.

    Once everything is working well, you can safely move the [font=courier new,courier,monospace]OnePassword.sqlite[/font] file on the desktop to the trash.

    Then reinstall the extension from within 1Password's preferences.

    If you are still having trouble, please try a fresh Firefox profile and see if that helps. That is a quick way to narrow down a problem with another extension.

    Lastly, are you behind a proxy or using any "Internet security software"?
  • Locker
    Locker
    Community Member
    Thanks for the extended reply.

    Before trying all these remedies, what is the consequences of Helper not connected in Firefox? I an asking it, because although I do see the exclamation mark in the red circle in the icon, 1PW seems to work fine. It can fill in username and passwords in forms (I didn't try other functions). So, where the Helper is not helping?

    BTW: I Do have NoScript installed, but even if I do "Allow Scripts Globally", I still see the 'trouble sign' (but no other negative effects yet).
  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    As mentioned above, the red badge indicates that the 1Password Helper (1Password's background process) is unable to communicate with the sandboxed browser extension. This means that any new Login items you create in the browser extension will not show up in the main application, will not be in your data file, will not be backed up. We put that error badge there for a reason. :) Because this is not a way you want to be operating 1Password.

    Try removing NoScript to see if that fixes the problem. (You'll need to restart Firefox.)

    If that resolves the issue, but you still wish to use NoScript, you will need to whitelist every site as a trusted site where you want 1Password to function so 1Password can fill your sensitive information on those trusted sites.
  • Locker
    Locker
    Community Member
    [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Yea! Moving the OnePassword.sqlite and reinstalling did solve the problem (together with getting a newer version of the 1PW extension 3.9.4).[/font]

    [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]BTW: [/font]
    [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]When downloading, I usually check the "Allow beta extensions". I was ready to download 3.9.4.b1, when I realized that the non-beta is already 3.9.4 (which is after 3.9.4.beta). Perhaps you want to change something on your website that either show "there is no new beta version. Use the release version..." or something similar.[/font]


    [font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Thanks.[/font]
  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    Glad everything is working well! Thanks for letting me know.

    There is always a beta version, it just happens to be identical to the release version at the moment. However, if you download the beta version you will be in the beta channel and automatically get beta updates when they are available. Consider it more like subscribing to the stable or beta channel rather than downloading just one specific version of the extension.
  • Locker
    Locker
    Community Member
    Ahhha.

    So if want to get the (usually) greatest and latest beta updates, I should go 'back' from 3.9.4 to 3.9.4.b1? Right?

    It is a 'little bit strange'. but I assume that it is because you have less control over Firefox extensions / plugins. (no other place to mark that I am interested in Beta channel, unlike the 1PW app.) [or maybe you can just call the last beta version that is identical to the release version 3.9.4.b999?]
  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    So if want to get the (usually) greatest and latest beta updates, I should go 'back' from 3.9.4 to 3.9.4.b1? Right?

    Yep. I don't think you need to remove the extension to go from stable to beta. Just check the box for the beta versions and download: https://agilebits.com/extensions/mac/index.html

    To go back to stable, you will need to remove the beta extension and then reinstall stable.
This discussion has been closed.