Problems with Dropbox sync and folder modified dates

rkusa

I'm confused about how this should be working. I have 1Password 6 on my iMac, MacBook and iPhone. My laptop shows Dropbox sync with the most recent file in my Dropbox folder for 1Password dated (modified) in July 2016. My iMac Dropbox folder shows the last 1Password modified date as January 2016. My iPhone shows iCloud syncing.

First, is iCloud syncing gone (I thought I read something about no longer working with iCloud), and if so, why does the phone say it still syncs? If iCloud still works, I would still probably have to use Dropbox because I have a Cintiq (Windows) that I would need 1Password access for.

Second, I thought Dropbox automatically synced its folders on Dropbox. So if my laptop updated the Dropbox 1Password file in July, why does my Dropbox 1Password file on my iMac show the last date of the file as January? I would think if I added or changed a login on my laptop and it synced with Dropbox, then my iMac would do that, too. How is it possible for my Dropbox to show the 1Password file on the two devices with two different modified dates?

I also am a little confused about the word "Primary" in the sync pane of the preferences—is that the Primary vault on that device or is it referring to the primary syncing file on Dropbox?

If my iMac Dropbox 1Password file shows an older file date than on my laptop, and I sync the iMac to Dropbox, it will be syncing to a file that will not have the latest information on it. Both Dropbox apps on the iMac and the laptop show that they are up to date. I don't want to initiate a sync from the iMac and risk losing what is on the latest Dropbox backup if I can help it.

Hope all that made sense. Thanks for your help

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1Password Version: 6.3.1
Extension Version: 4.5.7
OS Version: 10.10.5
Sync Type: Dropbox

rjh

Hi @rkusa , I'm sorry to hear that you are having synchronisation problems within your 1Password installations. Let's see if we can clear them up.
First off iCloud synchronisation is not dead. It will continue to be an option to Dropbox when syncing Apple devices.
You are, however, correct that you will need to use Dropbox to synchronise your Cintiq Windows machine.

My laptop shows Dropbox sync with the most recent file in my Dropbox folder for 1Password dated (modified) in July 2016. My iMac Dropbox folder shows the last 1Password modified date as January 2016. My iPhone shows iCloud syncing.

It sounds very much as if you are syncing to two different Dropbox accounts or to two different files within Dropbox.
We have the additional problem that you are also synching your iPhone to an separate location.
Before you take any further steps, go to 1Passwords > settings > Backup on each of your Macs and create a fresh backup.

Now you will have to check and make sure that:

• You are using the same Dropbox account on all your devices
• Your devices are all accessing the same Dropbox folder

If you discover both an AgileKeychain an OPvault within your dropbox, you may delete the .agilekeychain (you have made a backup already, have't you?) and choose the OPvault for both devices to synchronise to.

You can find more information about the two vault formats here.

• Once you have set both of your Primary Vaults to sync with the same Dropbox file, you may find that you have duplicated items (due to the fact that you have been syncing to two different versions of your Dropbox file)
If this is the case you will need to carefully comb through your duplicated items and delete any outdated items or duplicates.

• Once you have cleaned up your database, you can if you wish then set your IOS devices to synchronise with the same Dropbox file or folder so that all 1Password items are in a single location:
• First make sure that you have synchronised your IOS device with the iCloud!
• On one of your Macs — Return to 1Password > Settings > Sync and choose your Primary Vault
• Set the dropdown menu to sync with iCloud
• You will see a message that Dropbox will be deactivated
• Do not choose Delete data!!
• Sign in to your iCloud account — your Primary Vault will be synchronised with the iCloud
• Click 'Start Syncing'
• Once the sync is complete — Make a fresh backup
• Reverse the process — choose Dropbox for you synchronisation — Do not delete data!!
• Choose your Dropbox location — you will see a message that your data will be merged
You now have all of your data in one location

I also am a little confused about the word "Primary" in the sync pane of the preferences—is that the Primary vault on that device or is it referring to the primary syncing file on Dropbox?

Good question. Your Primary Vault is the first vault that 1Password will automatically set up for you. Syncing this vault to iCloud or Dropbox is optional.
You may create additional Vaults e.g. for work etc.

The above process is fairly long. If you find it complicated, please address any further questions to this thread.
Good Luck!

Cheers,
Rob

● Disclaimer: Please note that I am not a member of the AgileBits team.

rjh

Hi @rkusa — Post answered under
https://discussions.agilebits.com/discussion/68060/problems-with-dropbox-sync-all-devices-say-primary#latest

Cheers,
Rob

rkusa

Thank you, Rob, for the detailed info for this problem. I will have to work on it later.

I did check after your reply to make sure I wasn't trying to sync to two different Dropbox accounts. They are both the same account and the same folder within the account. I compared them by clicking to the actual online Dropbox folder and not looking at the one reflected on my individual computers. In drilling down through the files on Dropbox itself, all the files accessed from both the iMac and the laptop show all the same dates modified: Jan 2016. I don't know why the laptop is showing last date modified as being July 2016. Actually, it shows the 1Password folder with a modified date of Jan 2016, but the .agilekeychain file has a modified date of July 2016. And now the iMac is showing the Dropbox 1Password folder mod date as today, with the .agilekeychain file with a Jan 2016 mod date--just the opposite of the laptop's dates (older vs newer).

This brings up another question. On both Macs, the Dropbox folder shows the .agilekeychain file, but online within Dropbox, it appears as a folder that can be expanded a number of times all the way down to what I guess are individual password files. All of those show the same Jan 2016 date. Is that just because they only want you to see the .agilekeychain as a file on the Mac, and not as a nested folder?

I see no Vault files in any of the 1Password folders in Dropbox, either on the Macs or online, so I guess I'm safe, that I will only be trying to sync one file.

I'll follow the detailed instructions later and see if it clears things up. Thanks very much.

Drew_AG

Thanks for the assist, @rjh! :)

Hi @rkusa,

I've merged both of your discussions into the same thread in our Mac forum and deleted your duplicate post. I hope you don't mind!

I just wanted to follow up & reiterate a few things here to help clear up some confusion:

My iPhone shows iCloud syncing.

If 1Password on your iPhone is syncing with iCloud, but 1Password on both Macs is syncing with Dropbox, that means any changes you make on your Macs will not sync to your iPhone (and vice versa). They'll all need to be using the same sync method if you want them all to sync with each other.

Now, rjh gave you steps to switch one of your Macs from Dropbox to iCloud in order to merge with the data synced there from your iPhone, and then switch back to Dropbox. Although that will work, I think it will be much easier if you simply switch from iCloud to Dropbox in 1Password on your iPhone, as you'll need to do that anyway. You can follow these steps:

• On your iPhone, open 1Password and go to Settings > Sync > Primary > Sync Service > Disable Sync (and confirm you want to disable it).
• In the sync settings, tap Start Syncing and choose Sync with Dropbox, then tap on your Dropbox account name.
• When asked to choose a vault, choose the same sync file your Macs are syncing with (if it shows more than one sync file and you're not sure which is correct, let us know).
• Enter your master password if prompted, choose to merge data, and allow Dropbox to complete the sync.

...is iCloud syncing gone (I thought I read something about no longer working with iCloud), and if so, why does the phone say it still syncs?

The ability to sync 1Password via iCloud is alive and well! :)

I would still probably have to use Dropbox because I have a Cintiq (Windows) that I would need 1Password access for.

That's correct - 1Password for Windows cannot sync with 1Password for Mac/iOS via iCloud, so you'll need to use Dropbox instead.

My laptop shows Dropbox sync with the most recent file in my Dropbox folder for 1Password dated (modified) in July 2016. My iMac Dropbox folder shows the last 1Password modified date as January 2016.

The .agilekeychain file is actually a package / bundle (basically a special type of folder) which is made up of hundreds of smaller files. The modified date for an Agile Keychain does not necessarily reflect changes made to the contents inside the package, so it's best not to worry about that.

Instead, it's more helpful to check your actual data in the 1Password app on each device. If you add or edit an item in 1Password on one of your Macs, does that change sync to 1Password on your other Mac? If not, let us know and we'll help you fix that.

I also am a little confused about the word "Primary" in the sync pane of the preferences—is that the Primary vault on that device or is it referring to the primary syncing file on Dropbox?

As rjh explained, the Primary vault is the first vault you set up in 1Password on a Mac or iOS device. It will be called Primary regardless of whether you're syncing that vault. The data you see when you open the 1Password app is stored locally on a Mac or iOS device. The data in Dropbox (or iCloud) is simply a copy of that data which is only used for syncing with your other devices. Each device has its own Primary vault, but as long as each one syncs with the same file in Dropbox, they should all match.

On both Macs, the Dropbox folder shows the .agilekeychain file, but online within Dropbox, it appears as a folder that can be expanded a number of times all the way down to what I guess are individual password files.

As I mentioned above, a .agilekeychain file is really a special type of folder (often referred to as a bundle or package). It's similar to a .app "file", which is also a folder bundle. On a Mac, it looks (and mostly acts) like a file, but on Dropbox (or a Windows PC) it looks like a normal folder.

Please let us know how everything goes and if you have more questions about any of that. We're always happy to help! :)