I cannot find duplicated edited secure note attachment

volcano2
volcano2
Community Member

I am confused as to what happens to attachments in a secure note. I recently attached a Word document to a secure note in 1Password 7. I then wanted to edit that information. When I opened the attachment I got a Word window with the contents of the document and a warning that it was read only and to click "Duplicate" if I wanted to edit the contents. I did this and made some changes to the text, then saved it with a different version name. I am now unable to find this duplicate version. Interestingly, if I open Word outside of 1Password, I am able to find the file's name in the list of recent files. However, if I try to open it I get a message that the file cannot be found.

Can anyone tell me how to find the edited attachment?

TIA


1Password Version: 7.2.5
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: 10.14.3
Sync Type: Not Provided
Referrer: forum-search:edit secure note attachment

Comments

  • Lars
    Lars
    1Password Alumni

    @volcano2 - if you're using a 1password.com account, these are not direct attachments, they are Documents. Do you happen to recall whether this was in a standalone vault or a 1password.com account?

    Documents saved in 1Password cannot be edited directly, because the version that's actually in 1Password is encrypted (and therefore not directly editable). What happens when you view it from within 1Password is that it's decrypted so it can be read by macOS and by you. But if you need to make changes, you have to open a copy of it (since the original is read-only; you can't change the encrypted form that's actually saved), and then once you've made your edits, you need to save it temporarily to your hard drive and then add it again as an attachment or another Document (depending on whether you're using standalone or 1password.com).

    I can't say for sure where you might have saved the edited copy on your Mac, but if you did save it, you should be able to find it with a spotlight search of the file name. Try that, and let us know what you discover.

  • volcano2
    volcano2
    Community Member

    @Lars - I store my secure notes in the standalone vault. When I edited the file I did edit a copy. It was created by 1 Password when I clicked the "Duplicate" button and saved it. But it is clear to me that the copy was saved inside the vault. When I retried the same process again, the folder in which to store the file (that showed in the save window) was on of those long numbers used by 1Password. So my questions is how to I get back to that folder? It cannot be done from Word and I cannot see a way to do it from within 1Password.

    When I do a spotlight search, it cannot find the file.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @volcano2: In order to have a file in 1Password at all, you must add it to your vault. Similarly, if you open that file outside of 1Password and make changes, you will need to add it to 1Password again if you want the changes saved there. Otherwise 1Password still has the original file you added, nothing else. All of this is stored in 1Password encrypted. In order for you to view it at all, it must be decrypted to a temporary file. While that temporary file can be opened in another app, it will be obliterated by the OS unless you explicitly save it somewhere. It sounds like you didn't save it, so those changes would be lost. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, but hopefully this gives you a clearer picture of how things work so you can do what you need to in the future.

  • volcano2
    volcano2
    Community Member

    @brenty Thanks for your insight as well. You are essentially saying the same thing as @Lars and I understand it. What is extremely confusing is that 1Password leads you to believe that it is saving the edited file. When you open an attachment that was saved in a secure note it makes it quite clear that it is a read only version. It then gives you the option to duplicate the file and, when you do, it opens a Word window in which you you can make your edits. When you have finished and go to save the file it automatically provides a folder in which to save the edited file. From what you and @Lars are saying, that the folder does not actually exist and cannot be accessed subsequently. Perhaps the default in the save window should be something like the Documents folder on your Mac HD drive. But then that is scary because people might not realize that they are now making open something that they thought was encrypted inside a vault. In my opinion the UX design needs improving.

    Any way, thanks to both you and @Lars for your help.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @volcano2: I am really sorry for the confusion. But if I understand you correctly,

    What is extremely confusing is that 1Password leads you to believe that it is saving the edited file. When you open an attachment that was saved in a secure note it makes it quite clear that it is a read only version. It then gives you the option to duplicate the file and, when you do, it opens a Word window in which you you can make your edits. When you have finished and go to save the file it automatically provides a folder in which to save the edited file.

    None of that is 1Password. At that point you're working with the file in the OS and in another app, entirely outside of 1Password. I don't disagree that it's confusing, but we have no control over how any of that is presented to you.

    From what you and @Lars are saying, that the folder does not actually exist and cannot be accessed subsequently.

    The folder does exist, but is temporary. Otherwise any time you even viewed a file -- not even editing it -- it would remain on disk indefinitely, unencrypted. So we're using the OS's temporary file feature for that, since it will destroy it afterward.

    Perhaps the default in the save window should be something like the Documents folder on your Mac HD drive. But then that is scary because people might not realize that they are now making open something that they thought was encrypted inside a vault. In my opinion the UX design needs improving.

    I don't disagree, but it's a difficult problem (which you phrased well), and we have no control over that design.

    Anyway, you're very welcome. I'm sorry not be able to be of more help, but glad that the explanation was useful to you. :blush:

  • volcano2
    volcano2
    Community Member

    @brenty I'm so glad you replied again because I can see much better what is happening. I tried editing the file inside the secure note by double clicking on it and a window popped up saying it was read only. My disconnect was to not realize that 1Password had passed control to Word and Word was asking me to create a duplicate not 1Password. The other point I did not understand was where the weird folder names were coming from. I had assumed they were somehow folders created inside the vault and was not aware of the ability to create temporary folders.

    At any rate, I think I've got it now and I appreciate your help.

  • I'm glad to hear that seems to have sorted it. One thing that may help avoid some confusion is keeping the contents of the document in the Notes portion of the Secure Note in question, rather than in a separate Word document. Something to consider, perhaps.

    Ben

This discussion has been closed.