1Password on a stick (portable version)

Dear all,

I'm not sure where to post this but I'm putting it in the Windows section as that's where I think a mobile client would be needed.

I've been converted to 1Password and now have on my own machine and on my iPhone, and I love the product - thanks.

However I've been reading about the Windows client and the need for admin rights, I work for the NHS and the computers I work on do not give users admin rights, consequently I'm copying passwords from my phone to the keyboard to login to stuff.

I know the dropbox option is there and this is good when it's not firewalled out.

My question is, could there be a "on-a-stick" version that could integrate with mobile firefox or similar that could sit on a usb stick that would run on local privileges?

I know there are separate arguments about allowing usb access in the enterprise but until there's an alternative way of moving large files I think it will be here to stay.

Just wondering if it's possible and if I should hold out, or should I start going back to easier passwords for some of my stuff

Paul

Comments

  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    edited December 2011
    Welcome to the forums, Paul! Thanks for asking about this.

    The short answer is that "integration requires integration." That is to say, the integration that comes from having browser extensions installed requires an "integrated" (i.e., non-portable) 1Password installation.

    There are dependencies in 1Password that require admin privileges (Unlocking service + ActiveX components + IE extension + HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE). That said, admin privileges are only needed for installation. 1Password itself does not require admin privileges to run once it has been installed.

    Our product has always required admin privileges at install time, but now that we're introducing a new extension architecture for Safari and Chrome, we'll need to actually enforce this more strictly. We regret this as much as you do. :S

    Sometime in the future, we would love to release a stripped-down (or "portable") version that does not require admin privileges at install time. But for now, the admin privileges are here to stay. There are too many dependencies that require this.

    We are certainly investigating a non-admin installer for the future. We don't care for the admin privilege requirement any more than you do, because in the end, it is in our interest to get 1Password running on as many computers out there as possible (including yours). :)

    I'm sorry I don't have an immediate solution, but please know that this is on our radar. If we can be of further assistance, please let us know. We are always here to help!
  • Dear AgileBits,

    Could you please remove the need/not enforce admin rights when installing/updating 1password for windows? I bought 1password for windows specifically for my work laptop (and I don't have admin rights on the machine) but now I can't update it at all!

    Regards,

    adam
  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    Hey Adam,

    I merged your post with this existing related thread. Please see above and let me know if you have any additional questions.

    Best regards,
  • DBrown
    DBrown
    1Password Alumni
    Welcome to the forum, Adam!

    As Khad says in his earlier reply to Paul, and as Stefan has written in many threads here in the forum, the 1Password for Windows installer needs to make associations that can be made only from within an account with administrator privileges. The only way around that would be for us to create a limited-functionality version of 1Password for Windows or for Microsoft to create a radically different version of Windows.

    Thanks for understanding.
  • Sorry Guys,

    As Adam pointed out. I as well have bought the windows version, in addition to the Mac, iPhone and iPad version (not a cheap operation alltogether), especially for my work laptop (where else should one be needing a windows version of stuff)! I did this after trying out if the product would need admin privileges for installing. At that time and ever since it did not. It reminded you that you SHOULD have admin rights but so far it always installed allright. Since some weeks now I cannot further update my Windows version and thus it renders useless for me as new browser versions no longer show the 1P button. Can't you just provide a, maybe somewhat stripped down, installer that behaves the same way then the one for say version 1.0.8.219, i.e. the last version I was able to install w/o admin rights.

    Thanks for your support!
    Thorsten
  • khad
    khad
    1Password Alumni
    Thanks for letting us know you are looking for this as well. Unfortunately, it is not so simple as just "providing a version that doesn't require admin rights to install". Things have changed in browsers which have required changes in 1Password which require admin rights in Windows according to Windows security policy. There is not a whole lot to be done — well, not in a simple way.

    As I said above: "Sometime in the future, we would love to release a stripped-down (or "portable") version that does not require admin privileges at install time. But for now, the admin privileges are here to stay. There are too many dependencies that require this.

    "We are certainly investigating a non-admin installer for the future. We don't care for the admin privilege requirement any more than you do, because in the end, it is in our interest to get 1Password running on as many computers out there as possible (including yours). :)

    "I'm sorry I don't have an immediate solution, but please know that this is on our radar. If we can be of further assistance, please let us know. We are always here to help!"
  • khad wrote:

    [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]The short answer is that "integration requires integration." That is to say, the integration that comes from having browser extensions installed requires an "integrated" (i.e., non-portable) 1Password installation.[/font]


    And therein lies the rub -- the change in the installer's behavior to enforce the need for admin rights to install said integration now prevents the installation of the main 1Password program, which doesn't. So make the browser and global unlock integration part of an "easy" install option (which will require admin rights), and partial- or no integration a "custom" or "advanced" install option so those who either know what they're doing (or are willing to RTFM) can at least install, use, and upgrade the basic program.
  • svondutch
    svondutch
    1Password Alumni
    edited January 2012
    RRRob wrote:

    And therein lies the rub -- the change in the installer's behavior to enforce the need for admin rights to install said integration now prevents the installation of the main 1Password program, which doesn't.


    The main 1Password program requires admin rights at install time, too. There are things we need to register in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. We have been over this before.
  • svondutch
    svondutch
    1Password Alumni
    RRRob wrote:

    So make the browser and global unlock integration part of an "easy" install option (which will require admin rights), and partial- or no integration a "custom" or "advanced" install option so those who either know what they're doing (or are willing to RTFM) can at least install, use, and upgrade the basic program.


    We're not going this route because it would be a nightmare for our support crew. We have a single setup, and it requires admin privileges. And until a portable version of 1Password arrives, I'm afraid it is here to stay.
  • DBrown
    DBrown
    1Password Alumni
    Based on these two definitive statements, I'm closing this thread.


    The main 1Password program requires admin rights at install time, too. There are things we need to register in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. We have been over this before.


    We're not going this route because it would be a nightmare for our support crew. We have a single setup, and it requires admin privileges. And until a portable version of 1Password arrives, I'm afraid it is here to stay.
This discussion has been closed.