Need A Sync Strategy for Older Computer

I've used 1Password for many years. I signed up for 1Password account since this is their new business model and my Mac Mojave OS computers and current iPhone are now using the sync that comes with the account.

I still have a computer in the office that is using an older OS due to the software needed to run on that OS. That computer OS is 10.9.5 and the version of 1Password that runs on it is version 4.4.3. I was using Dropbox to sync between the devices before the new 1Password account.

Is there a way to export data from the new 1Password account to import into the older version of 1Password?


1Password Version: 7.4.1 & 4.4.3
Extension Version: Not Provided
OS Version: 10.14.5 & 10.9.5
Sync Type: ??

Comments

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @JoeJoomla: There is not a solution for that. The only sync methods that would have worked at the time are Dropbox and iCloud. Dropbox ended support for OSes that old years ago, and before that iCloud moved to brand new APIs that are not backward compatible. And, ultimately, we couldn't in good conscience recommend using an OS and browser that old online at this point, as there are years of known vulnerabilities which have been patched in later browser and OS versions which you will not have the benefit of. I'm sorry I don't have good news for you, but it's really for the best to keep such a machine out of the loop with regard to the important information you use 1Password to secure.

  • JoeJoomla
    JoeJoomla
    Community Member

    OK, thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. Some of the software on that computer is worth many thousands of dollars to replace which isn't doable.
    Even though it's a very good computer I won't use web browsers on that machine anymore.
    I won't even be moving to OS Catalina from Mojave on the newer computer because once again the case is that there are also thousands of dollars of 32 bit applications which I can't justify the cost of replacing right now. Hopefully 1Password remains viable on Mojave OS for a few years.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni
    edited November 2019

    OK, thanks for your reply. I appreciate it. Some of the software on that computer is worth many thousands of dollars to replace which isn't doable. Even though it's a very good computer I won't use web browsers on that machine anymore.

    @JoeJoomla: You're very welcome! I understand completely. That seems like a reasonable compromise that doesn't compromise your security. :) :+1:

    I won't even be moving to OS Catalina from Mojave on the newer computer because once again the case is that there are also thousands of dollars of 32 bit applications which I can't justify the cost of replacing right now. Hopefully 1Password remains viable on Mojave OS for a few years

    While Mojave's days are also numbered, for now it remains supported by Apple and continues to receive security patches. If history is any indication, I would expect that to end roughly a year from now. But Apple would be in a better position to say.

    With regard to 1Password, it isn't going to suddenly stop working in an environment where it works now. As you note, 1Password 4 still works! The problem you'll run into is that other things around it will change and evolve (Dropbox, iCloud), and eventually you will end up in the same situation again if you're still running Mojave years from now after it is no longer being patched, and the latest browser releases (also with important security fixes) are also no longer supported there. So I would definitely view that as a temporary respite, but you do have some breathing room in order to determine what you will do a year from now and beyond. Cheers! :)

  • jetboy
    jetboy
    Community Member

    One option that might possibly work would be to export from both machines to 1Password Interchange Format, and use a diff/merge tool (such as BBEdit, or diff from the command line, or the one in XCode, or any other diff/merge tool) to merge differences in one into the other. I haven't tried this myself so I don't know if it will work. The other option is if you only need to sync in one direction, e.g., if you only make changes to 1Password 7 but want those changes propagated to 1Password 4 for viewing, you could export from 1Password 7 to 1Password Interchange Format, then import that into 1Password 4. I have tried this approach with 1Password 6 on an old machine that I use for legacy software. In my test, I quit 1Password 3, zipped and deleted the existing vault, re-ran 1Password 3, let it create a new empty vault, then imported the 1Password Interchange Format, and visually checked it.

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    It sounds like a lot of work, but depending on the situation that may be preferable to some alternatives. :sweat:

This discussion has been closed.