How To: Generate Passwords

hoppah

Dear Forum,



I've been using 1Password for quite some time, and have had problems with the Windows version that have never gone away through a number of updates. I am currently using this software on my Mac, my iPhone, my iPad and my Windows laptop. I am synchronizing with Dropbox.



On my Mac everything seems to work very well, and it's very easy to not only utilize stored information to log into web sites and fill out forms, but to also generate passwords and update them.



On Windows, however, there is no evidence whatsoever of password generation in the tool - no matter how deep I dig into the menus I cannot find any way to generate passwords. This is frustrating. But what's worse is that the Windows IE plugin always asks if I want to save a password for a website even if I already have one saved. That is, if I have created a login on the Mac for a particular site, the Mac's Safari plugin recognizes this fact and provides the information on that site without fail when I visit it. But when I'm on the Windows box and in IE, if I cut and paste the password information into the same site, 1Password asks me if I want to create a new entry, as if it has no idea that I already have one.



Any ideas?



Thanks,



H.

khad

Dear hoppah,



Thanks for taking the time to contact us. I'm glad things are working so well for you with 1Password for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. That is always good to hear. I'm sorry that you are having some trouble with 1Password for Windows, though.



[quote]On Windows, however, there is no evidence whatsoever of password generation in the tool - no matter how deep I dig into the menus I cannot find any way to generate passwords.[/quote]

In the main 1Password for Windows application, just click the "Generate" button in a new item.



[img]http://cdn.agilebits.com/k/img/Login-20121029-172143.png[/img]

This is not recommended, however. We recommend creating Login items via the browser extension. In the extension, the Password Generator is the fourth section (represented by a safe dial).

[img]http://cdn.agilebits.com/k/img/Google_Chrome-20121029-172401.png[/img]

This is covered in more detail in the "[url="http://help.agilebits.com/1Password_Windows/updating-an-existing-password.html"]Changing a Login's Password[/url]" section in the User Guide.



[quote]But what's worse is that the Windows IE plugin always asks if I want to save a password for a website even if I already have one saved. … if I cut and paste the password information into the same site, 1Password asks me if I want to create a new entry, as if it has no idea that I already have one.[/quote]

You have pinpointed the problem in your last sentence. 1Password can only check for existing Login items if 1Password is doing the filling. If you are using your browser's built-in password manager or manually copying and pasting your credentials 1Password will not be able to check for existing Login items. Why are you not using the 1Password extension to log into sites? It is much more convenient than copying and pasting. Just press CTRL+\ to log into a site where you have a saved Login.



If we can be of further assistance, please let us know. We are always here to help!



Cheers,

hoppah

I haven't used it because when I started using it (back when you first offered the Windows version) it didn't work. So I got in the habit on my Windows box of not using the extension. I will try it.



Regarding the password generator, I still don't see it in the Windows version, although it's obvious in the Mac version. I often have to update passwords on sites with password timeout settings. Yet I cannot seem to do this with my Windows version. I've taken some screen shots of the Windows and Mac version with the same exact record open in each. I don't see any way to post them on here as you have done, but the Mac version has a nice "Generate" button next to the password, but the Windows version does not. And of course there is no hint of a generation selection in any menu. So I'm still stuck on the Windows version not letting me generate a password. It may be the case that it can do it for *new* entries, but that doesn't help me update *existing* entries.



Thanks for your time on this,



H.

khad

1. You can use any external image hosting service to post images. I use Skitch, but there are others.



2. For Login items, we [b]strongly recommend[/b] generating and changing passwords directly in the browser:



http://help.agilebits.com/1Password_Windows/updating-an-existing-password.html



3. When editing a the password of an item in the main 1Password for Windows application, click the "Generate" button.



[img]http://cdn.agilebits.com/k/img/Login-20121101-172644.png[/img][img]http://cdn.agilebits.com/k/img/Login_Field-20121101-172728.png[/img]

hoppah

OK - here is a screenshot of an entry from my Mac version of 1Password, with the convenient "Generate" button highlighted. Updating current sites is very easy with the Mac version:



[img]http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp53/saufleisch/1PW_share/pwgenMac.jpg[/img]



And here is the same entry from my Windows version - note, no "Generate" button showing anywhere:



[img]http://i397.photobucket.com/albums/pp53/saufleisch/1PW_share/pwgenWin.png[/img]



I have blanked out the username/password items in these.



H.

khad

[size=5]As I said above, you need to [b]double-click the password to edit it[/b].[/size]



[size=5][b]Only then[/b] will you see the "Generate" button.[/size]



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][img]http://cdn.agilebits.com/k/img/skitched-20121113-193325.png[/img][img]http://cdn.agilebits.com/k/img/Login_Field-20121101-172728.png[/img][/font][/color]

khad

But, again, we recommend changing passwords using the browser extension. Please follow the steps in the User Guide to change a Login password. [b]At no point do the steps involve the main application[/b]. Everything is done right from the browser extension:



[url="http://help.agilebits.com/1Password_Windows/updating-an-existing-password.html"][size=6][b]How To: Change a Login’s Password[/b][/size][/url]

hoppah

Thank you for the information. I guess what I found so confusing is the completely different look, feel and operation between the Windows and Mac versions. The Mac one is much easier to use and more intuitive.



H.

khad

Work on 1Password for Windows was begun when 1Password 3 for Mac was still in beta development, and the decision was made to base the design and features of 1Password for Windows on the product that was current at that time: [b]1Password 2 for Mac[/b]. We’ve moved way beyond that in features already, but the look and organization are still closely matched to 1Password 2 for Mac.



Please be assured that we plan to introduce many of the features and much of the look of 1Password 3 in future releases of 1Password for Windows.



Just as a small example, added an Accounts vault in 1Password for Windows. Account items originally were listed in the Wallet vault in 1Password 2 for Mac and thus early versions of 1Password for Windows

hoppah

Cool. Thanks again for the info.

khad

Cheers! <img src='http://forum.agilebits.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />