Disappearing Fields in Encrypted DB

[ArsAstronautica]

Version: TF 5.2.11 and the latest in iOS
HW: three iMacs, all running High Sierra, up to date with 10.13.5, iPhone 6, iPad Pro II

Problem: Fields that disappear from an encrypted db when a new machine is added and synched with iCloud.

Long winded (but hopefully helpful) explanation:

I have several DBs that are synced using iCloud across several devices, iMac (more than one), iPhone, & iPad. I have no issues with this syncing across devices that are already set up. What seems to be the issue is when I bring a new machine (iMacs in this case) into the fold, my encrypted db (computer passwords) has fields that simply disappear.

I first ran into this several months ago. I had to wipe and reinstall the OS on an iMac running High Sierra. I then added the apps back and, of course TF was one of them. I launched TF and saw that it saw the dbs were already in iCloud. I opened the encrypted db. Naturally the contents shown were empty, so I went over to the preferences and added my password for decryption. The information then appeared and I then quit.

Some time after that I noticed that the user names for my encrypted db were missing (second field, I think). I found that rather odd, since I could not imagine how that field would have been deleted. The other odd thing was that I could search for a given user name and the correct record(s) would appear, but no user name field appeared in the form or in the list of available fields. Figuring I had done something to mangle it, I added the field back in and added the user names back in manually.

Just earlier this week I added another iMac to the network and repeated the above procedure. Added the TF application, opened the app, saw that the db where there from iCloud and then went to the preferences and added the password for the encrypted DB. I then noticed that the user name field vanished again. This time I was quite certain it something I had done accidentally. Anyway, apparently the field is there, it is just not listed and invisible, though they can be searched for. Furthermore, upon opening this same encrypted DB on a different Mac, the user names where their briefly and then vanished (iCloud update perhaps?)

That said, is there a clever way to restore the missing fields? I suppose I can retrieve the DB from the Time Machine backups. But before I do I wanted to check with you.

[Brendan]

It sounds to me like the specific fields you found were missing in a new, placeholder document, were maybe not uploaded to iCloud in the first place for some unknown reason.

I would recommend disabling iCloud sync on each device, press the Delete from iCloud button on one device, then re-enable iCloud sync on that one device. Wait for it to fully upload to iCloud. When it’s finished, close and re-open the document. Tap Forms will check for changes in iCloud and this will cause another sync to happen. Once that’s done, re-enable iCloud sync on the next device. Wait again for it to finish. Then move on to the next device.

Now try adding a new device and see if it gets all the data from iCloud when you open the placeholder document. No data shows initially, but then within about 5 seconds it should start downloading the data from iCloud. Don’t close the document until it’s finished completely.

If you have an export of the form template (a .tff file), you can re-import that and the fields will re-appear.

Thanks,

Brendan

[ArsAstronautica]

I tried the above and it did not work. On the first machine I did the above on, the slots for the fields never reappeared in the form.

On the upside, I did manage to reconstruct the data. I exported what I had on my main machine. I then disconnected a second machine from the internet, one I had not used TF on for awhile, and exported that data. I then went to an even older machine (one running TF 3.5? which I no longer use) and did likewise. Between the three and a little help from my keychain, I reconstructed it.

I deleted the old DB from all my machines, recreated a new one, and then synched it with iCloud. I then proceeded to open it on the other devices. All went well.

Question, however. On the Macs, when I opened the new encrypted DB for the first time, it was blank (makes sense to me), I had to go to prefs and “encrypt” it. It would then reopen and show the data.

On my iPad and iPhone, the DB was there and all I had to do was open it. All the data was displayed. While it showed an encrypted icon in the main window, it acted as if the DB were not. I went ahead and did the same as I did on the iMacs (“encrypting it”) and now it requires a password to view like the Macs do.

So is the data really encrypted? Why did the data show on my iOS devices without needed to supply the password? Or is this more of a permission to view password?

[Brendan]

The data when synced to iCloud is not encrypted by Tap Forms. It’s encrypted independently by Apple. When data is downloaded from the cloud, although it’s encrypted in transit, it will only be encrypted locally if you’ve specifically told the database file to be encrypted. So what happened was when you synced to iCloud, a placeholder document was created on the other devices. That placeholder document is not encrypted by default. So you had to manually encrypt it after it synced. The lock icon showing there on the placeholder document is a bug. Sorry about that.

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