Author Topic: Master password  (Read 14066 times)

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Offline Eso_Rimmer

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Master password
« on: October 08, 2017, 11:27:19 PM »
Hello everyone,
I'm using synchronized Avast Passwords on two devices. Everything had worked fine, but a couple of days ago I suddenly found out that I'm not able to sign in (neither in Avast app nor in Firefox browser) on one of my devices, i.e. Avast Passwords don't accept my Master Password. Which is really strange, because I definitely didn't change my Master Password and furthermore on the other device everything works OK.
I'd tried to reinstall Avast Passwords component but to no avail. I'm afraid that if I change my Master Password on the device where it works, I will lost all my passwords.
Any help appreciated.

Offline Eddy

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Re: Master password
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2017, 10:11:14 AM »
To prevent (accidental) loss of the passwords, first thing I would do is export them to a file.
After that I would remove the plugin from FireFox, reboot, cleanup the system and install it again.
Lets see if it will work, if not you will always have the passwords in that file and in the cloud.

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2017, 06:30:36 PM »
On which device type you've lost access to passwords (Windows, Android, Mac, iOS)? I need to know it as the procedure will be specific according to device type.

Note that if you have had synchonization you can't loose the data (if you remember master password you have had on first device you have enabled it on or you have other device with synchonization turned on and fully set)
 
Changing master on device will not affect any other device anyhow. This information is only local and it secures your locally stored data so you may have long password on desktop and shorter, but still secure enough on mobile device.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2017, 08:40:31 PM by Martin Kvetko »

Offline Eso_Rimmer

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Re: Master password
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2017, 10:27:58 AM »
Thank you for a suggestion and for explaining backup and synchronization stuff.

Anyway I've tried to remove the plugin from Firefox, reboot, cleanup the system and install it again as was suggested, but that unfortunately didn't work (not to mention Avast passwords plugin didn't show up in the browser for a while after fresh reinstall).

Both devices run Windows 10, the problematic one is Asus laptop.

 

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2017, 11:35:48 AM »
I'm now quite confused could you clearly state what is your problem?
Is it login to passwords? Or not working passwords extension in Firefox?

Offline Eso_Rimmer

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Re: Master password
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2017, 02:19:52 PM »
Ok, I will try to explain it again, hopefully it gets clearer:
1) I am running Avast Password Manager on 2 devices (Windows 10) with synchronization turned on.
2) On the first device everything works fine.
3) On the second device I can't log into Passwords in the Avast Free Antivirus user interface (run Avast Free Antivirus -> go to Privacy -> go to Passwords -> Please Enter your Master Password -> but when I enter my Master Password, nothing happens, it's still locked out.
4) Therefore on the second device the Avast Passwords plugin in Firefox browser doesn't work as well (Please Enter your Master Password -> nothing happens, it's the same as above).
Thanks in advance.

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2017, 06:06:24 PM »
OK now it's clear, two issues caused by one root. Login function is only one regardless you login from popup shown from extension and/or you use user interface window.
Which version of avast do you have? You can find the information in Avast -> Settings -> About section?

Also if you could run this command in CMD.exe and provide its output may be helpful in resolving your case

Code: [Select]
tree /F "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Avast Software\APM\%USERNAME%"
« Last Edit: October 11, 2017, 06:15:15 PM by Martin Kvetko »

Offline Eso_Rimmer

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Re: Master password
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2017, 08:03:51 PM »
Current version: 17.7.2314 (build 17.7.3660.226)

Output:
Code: [Select]
Folder PATH listing for volume OS
Volume serial number is 000000F1 9A35:46E1
C:\USERS\JANLA\APPDATA\LOCAL\AVAST SOFTWARE\APM\JANLA
└───EHBp9SXXp8Fttagl
        kv_pam.db
        kv_pamcore.db
        kv_pampub.db
        pam.db

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2017, 11:05:39 AM »
I'm afraid that for you only way how to continue is delete the data in folder and start again. We have couple of such complaints saying user is entering correct master password and it doesn't unlock passwords, but all our reviews we did in the past didn't reveal any reason why it could happen and we don't have any example of such broken database so we knows nothing. I believe that there may such issue happen to some users as number of incidents of such kind slowly grows, but have no clue where to start. Anyway if you want start from scratch (on that one device)
Please follow these steps:
  • Turn off self defense in Avast->Settings->Troubleshooting
  • Close AvastUI
  • Stop service called avast! Antivirus (e.g. open TaskManager and do it on tab Services)
  • Delete the folder you've sent the list of (You may want to backup the data first just for the case something unexpected happens or for later analysis)
  • To do so run this command prom command prompt: del /f /s "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Avast Software\APM\%USERNAME%"
  • Start avast service
  • Open UI
  • Enable self defense
  • Now you can activate passwords again (as you are using new version we don't ask you for setting up master password during initial setup
  • Go to Avast-> Privacy-> Passwords section
  • Go to Avast-> Settings-> Passwords
  • Setup your new master password
  • Enable synchronization
  • OnSecond device confirm your windows device when you are requested to do so
  • Wait for a while your records gets synced in few seconds (depending how many data you have)

It would be nice if you can help me with making at least elementary analysis of what might get wrong in your case.
I can provide you tools and instructions how to do it on your machine.

Offline Eso_Rimmer

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Re: Master password
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2017, 02:55:58 PM »
Ok, depending on my time possibilities, I can try to help if you send me the instructions (actually it can be Czech as well).

I suppose I shouldn't follow steps below in the meanwhile.

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2017, 07:19:04 PM »
If you do backup of your current files you can follow them meantime, for the checking we just need those files, they don't have to be on that exact location.

And thanks you are willing to help. I send you those instructions to you on Monday.

Enjoy your weekend.

Offline Eso_Rimmer

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Re: Master password
« Reply #11 on: October 23, 2017, 06:57:26 PM »
Hello Martin, are you going to send me the necessary tools?

I'm still willing to help with this this issue, but don't know if that's on your priority list... 

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2017, 09:32:59 AM »
I'm sorry I was bit busy and got sick in the meantime. I was checking tooling we have for basic passwords storage analysis and it is quite problematic to run it on customer's environment unfortunately. It requires specific runtime libraries and installing them will affects our standard libraries which is not what I want to do on your computer. I'm trying to find a way/convince developers to create package which can be used without any additional dependencies on customers PC. Until then I can't provide you such tooling unfortunately.

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Re: Master password
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2017, 11:25:37 PM »
I too have problems with it working on one machine and not the other so this is NOT uncommon at all.  Others too are reporting the same problem.  Why has this software been released in such a bugged state?  As far as I'm concerned I've wasted enough time on this piece of rubbish so the whole lot is coming out virus software and all.

Offline Martin Kvetko

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Re: Master password
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2017, 08:39:44 AM »
Well it is hard to advise on problems described in your post if you don't specify any. I have seen so many issues in my career that "problem others have" says all and nothing to me.

Why it has been released in such buggy state?
Well this is also hard. If we would know what we now know now and if we would have an option to not release it in Fall 2015 and if we would have more time we my have perfect product, but no one may use it so we couldn't measure how good or bad we are.

We are convinced that our product is now pretty solid. Of course it is not bug less as none software is. But for vast majority of our user it works well and do what it is supposed to do. Except synchronization part. I agree that this one is miserable and so it is being re-developed currently. Problem is that as we have that debt from past so we need to take into account existing users and that's not so easy as it may look on a first sight. We are doing our best at give timeframe with gives resources. No more no less.

If you don't like what you've got don't use it. It didn't const you a penny except the time you have spent to try our product. I'm sad you are not happy with passwords but that's reality and we can't satisfy 100% users as well as we most likely will never be able running flawlessly for 100% users. We only can try help to solve the issue when they come and we have never faced personally as we have just limited testing space and outer space is too more complex so we can never cover all the possibilities during validation.