Sync passwords from Windows 10 laptop to new Android phone without "old Master "

[envirossf]

Hi Everyone,
I recently got a new Samsung Galaxy phone and wanted to use Avast on it.  I have had Avast on my windows machines since 2015, (my latest a Windows 10 laptop).  I loaded my phone with Avast (antivirus, cleanup and passwords), and tried to import all the info from my laptop.  The  Android app versions wanted me to sign up with a new Avast account and passwords or numerical code.  I tried to set it up using my Google account, but the same prompts occurred.  I then deleted the apps from my phone, and tried to sync my laptop, and it asked for the "Master Password" from the time of my first Sync attempt.  I tried several old passwords, but the "wait wheel" kept spinning.  I closed the page and went to the email I received in 2016 for my backup identity.  I hit the restore button and it brought me back to the same page that I saw before, asking for my "Master Password".  I have tried all the passwords I can think of that I used before, but that wheel kept spinning with no results.  I have questions!  When it says "Master Password", does it mean Account password at the time the account was opened, or the master password for locking and re-opening the Passwords section, or something else?  Also, if I don't have the correct password for the original "Master Password", can I sync to a new phone differently without it?  Finally, is there a way to export the passwords list to .csv with the urls included, (so I can print and restore the list in case it is lost).  Thanks in advance for all the help!  All links, suggestions, or solutions would be greatly appreciated.

[BWhit]

Hi envirossf,

You can export the passwords list to .csv by opening Passwords on the PC > unlock the vault with the Master Password > click the "Settings" link in the top right corner > select "Import / export data" > click the "Export" button to the right of "Export to CSV file". This will open a 'Save as' Window so you can where to save the file. The file will contain the Name, Website, Login and Password of each password/login you have saved in the Passwords application. I would advise only keeping this file temporarily as it not secure to have an un-encrypted file containing your passwords saved on your PC. I would advise doing this before proceeding with any of the following instructions.

I would recommend then trying to restore Avast Passwords on your Android device. To do this, please reinstall Avast Passwords on your phone, then:

1. Set up a Master Password (This can either be a password or a numerical code. It will be used to unlock the Passwords app on your phone, and it does not matter if it is the same as or different from the Master Password used on your PC. It is not related to the Avast account password).

2. Allow all necessary app permissions (the app should walk you through doing this as needed)

3. Please follow the instructions for using the backup email on an Android device in this support guide https://support.avast.com/article/92/ Please log in to your avast account when prompted (using the email address that have registered with on this forum). This log in page will only recognize the password that you were using with your Avast account at the time when when you originally set up the synchronization group. When you are asked to enter the Master Password after logging in to the Avast account, you need to enter the Master Password that you were using on your PC for Passwords in 2016 (this is not connected to the Avast account password, so you may chosen the same one or a different one).

If the sync process on your phone is successful, please then remove the your PC from the list of synced devices in your phone. To do this, open Passwords and tap the menu icon (three dots) in the top right of the screen > tap "Settings" > tap "Synchronization & Back-up > tap on the PC in the "My synced devices" section > tap the "Remove [PC NAME]" button at the bottom of the screen. Once this is done, please try to sync the PC again according to the instruction to synchronize subsequent devices in this support article: https://support.avast.com/en-ww/article/255/#idt_020


If this process does not work, the other option that we have is to delete your existing synchronization data, and to start the synchronization process again. Please confirm if you would like this to be done.

[envirossf]

Thanks for responding BWhit,

I've printed my .cvs list and deleted the file I downloaded, per your advice.  I then put Passwords back on my phone and tried to sync.  (BTW, if I reinstall Avast antivirus and cleanup apps, will it affect the Passwords area for syncing, or should I wait until synced?)  I followed the instructions for using the backup email, and tried as many old passwords I used to use, but no success.  If I choose the 3rd option, will all my passwords be erased on my laptop, and the phone account rendered useless?  Also, I set up Passwords on my phone using the Google login.  This is the same email and avast account password I have on my laptop.  Will this affect the sync process?  I need to know if I am set up correctly before I can have my info deleted and start over.  Hopefully, my questions make sense, and you can answer so I can avoid doing any damage.  Thanks again for your time and efforts!

[BWhit]

Hi envirossf,

Reinstalling the Avast Mobile Security (the antivirus app) or Avast Cleanup will not affect Passwords on your phone, so you can reinstall those apps as/when you would like.

From what you have described happening, it sounds like the only workable solution we have is to delete the synchronization group for you so that you can start again.

This will wipe any saved passwords that you currently have in the synchronization group, but not those stored on your current devices if they are not currently synced. This means that if you have any logins saved on your phone, those logins won't be deleted as the phone is not currently synced. Due to the issues you were seeing when you were trying to sync the PC, I would also recommend that you reset the password vault currently saved on the PC before trying to sync it, which means that you would lose the passwords saved on your PC (which you have already printed out).

So, the process I would ask you to follow is:

1. Confirm if it is okay for us to delete the synchronization group, and wait for me to confirm that it has been done.
2. Reset the vault on your PC - to do this, please follow the instructions in this support article: https://support.avast.com/article/163/
3. Set up Passwords again on the PC according to the steps in the first section of this support article: https://support.avast.com/article/259/
4. Sync Passwords on your PC according to the instructions to "Synchronize your first device" in this support article: https://support.avast.com/article/255/
5. Sync Passwords on your phone according to the instructions to "Synchronize subsequent devices" in the same support article: https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/255/#idt_020
6. Re-enter the passwords that you have printed out, and check that they are copied to the other device.


Under this method, you do not need to remember the passwords used several years ago for either the Avast account or the Master Passwords. However, please make sure that you log into the Avast account in the same way on both devices (i.e. if you log in using email on the PC, please also log in with email on the phone - if you use Google to log in on the PC, please use Google to log in on the phone as well).

Please confirm if you would like us to delete the sync group for you.

[envirossf]

Ok BWhit,

You have my permission to delete the sync group.  I will wait to implement the steps you enumerated until I hear back that the deletion has been completed.
Thanks

[BWhit]

Hi envirossf,

The sync group has now been deleted. Please follow the above steps and let me know if you have any further issues.

[envirossf]

 Thanks BWhit,

Laptop and phone are synced and working great, very much appreciated!!  Going forward, if I turn off snyc on one or the other, will I have to repeat sync process steps, or will it just act as a pause and start syncing anything added during the pause?  Hopefully, its' just the latter, but I'm going to leave the sync turned on, on both until I hear from you.  Also, as an aside, do you know why I'm unable to copy and paste information from the web to the "add account" area?  Thanks again for your time and efforts

[BWhit]

Hi envirossf,

Good to hear it's up and running correctly for you now!

If you turn off the sync on one of the devices, any logins that were added by the sync feature will be removed from the device (e.g. if you added all the logins on PC, and then turn off sync on your phone, the app on your phone would not have any logins saved anymore). To turn the sync back on again, you would need need to go through the sync procedure once more (logging in to the Avast account, receiving the email with the 6-digit number etc.). If you have added any logins to the device between turning the sync feature off and then re-enabling it, the new logins will be added to the data saved in the cloud (and will then be added to the other device).

Is there a particular reason why you are considering turning off the sync feature temporarily like this?

As regards copying and pasting information from the web to the "add account" area - there shouldn't be anything preventing this from working in Passwords on the PC (although you do need to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V to paste into Passwords as you cannot right-click and select Paste). If you are already using the keyboard shortcut, can I ask you to check that the website allows you to copy the information correctly by trying to paste into another program?

[envirossf]

Hi BWhit,

Thanks for the info about turning off sync.  I was considering it as a power saving method for the phone, but after your reply that's off the table and I'll leave it on.  I was comparing it to the Firefox browser sync options, and Avast Passwords (I know now!) doesn't work the same way.   

As far as the copy and paste on the laptop, I was trying to do it with the right-click, and didn't try the Ctrl +V.  I'll use it now.  Thanks for that, and all the help you've given me.  I'm very happy now with the safe operations of my new phone, and I have you to thank for a big part of it!