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Forum Discussion
Regenerate Secret Key - Did Not Create Emergency Kit - Offline Mode
On a Windows 11 PC, I started to regenerate a secret key. I pressed the regenerate key and I expected to see a web page to create the emergency kit for printing and then safe storage. After pressing ...
I had the same issue regenerating my secret key. This should never happen. I think there is some set of conditions in which regeneration does not provide a link or a new emergency kit. I suspect that 1Password does not spend much effort checking that regeneration works since it is fortunately rarely needed.
The 1Password documentation on recovering an account without your secret key is useless. The good news is that once you figure out how to fix it, the fix is relatively simple. The good news is you can use your account with a new secret key in an off-line mode. The easiest thing to do is create a new 1Password account. Using the inaccessible, old account in off-line mode, you can copy or move ALL of your exisiting passwords, documents, etc., to the new account (which has a newly created secret key).
When finished, delete or ignore the old account. Use the new account with the copied/moved data.
Despite the hassles, I am still a 1Password fan. I wish they had a human to contact at 1Password in this situation. They need to fix the documentation.
The secret key is the biggest differentiator between 1Password and its competitors. It increases account security vs the competition.
Best wishes.
Thanks so much for the reply. It's vastly more helpful than the copy/pasted text I received via email from "Luke H" at 1Password customer service.
I'm very hesitant to do anything else with my account without knowing the consequences, since I'm still logged in on my mobile app in offline mode, so have access to my info there and don't want to lose that before I transfer over my data to the new account. The process you're describing makes sense though. Should it be fairly obvious as to how to do what you're describing? Would I migrate my info from the old account to the new one, or is that something I'd do from the new account? Can I use the same email address for my new account? Guessing not since an account already exists under that address...?
I do not work for 1Password so my advice is based upon what I experienced.
Create a new trial account using another email address. It is easy and free.
Connect the new account to your mobile app. You can have access to multiple accounts on your mobile app or 1Password PC app. Each account is separate with unique secret keys and email addresses. This is common perhaps a personal and business account OR different accounts that are used by various family members.
Once the new account is attached to the app, open both the offline and new trial account. From the old account in off-line mode, copy the logins from your old account to your new trial account. With the Windows app you can select all of your logins using CTRL-A and then right-click to see the copy/move command. You tell the app you want to copy the logons from the old account to the new account. Two seconds later your old logins are in an account that has a secret key that you know.
When you have confirmed the logins are on the new account you can abandon the account that has the lost secret key. You don't have the secret key nor does anyone else so it is secure.
None of this is difficult if 1Password would document the process.
