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I posted this previously in another post but I found I really spun my wheels trying to find resolutions in those other posts but none helped, so I am posting it here in hopes of saving others hours of their life trying to resolve this problem.

 

NOTE TO WEBROOT FIX TEAM:



 

After several hours trying to resolve this issue on my own, I just spent 90+ minutes with tech support trying to resolve this problem. During that call I identified a number of issues that might help. For the record, I did not completely resolve my issue because of a Webroot bug that was new to the tech I was on the phone with and those he consulted. He is reporting it, but we could not find the workaround. This is unacceptable. We buy this program because we want password protection and don't expect our passwords to one day just disappear, much less to find out that in trying to resolve the problem we may do something that prevents us from ever being able to access them again.

 

HELP WITH RESOLVING THIS ISSUE

 

LESSON 1: WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR WEBROOT SIGN-IN PASSWORD, YOU CAN NO LONGER ACCESS YOUR PASSWORDS VIA THE WEBROOT DESKTOP OR ONLINE DASHBOARDS. AS WELL, YOU CANNOT ACCESS IT FROM THE WEBROOT TOOL BAR USING YOUR NEW PASSWORD. The only way you can access your passwords once you change your webroot log in password is by using your old password on the tool bar. If you don't remember your old password, according to my tech support rep, you are, well, poop out of luck.

 

So, if you changed your Webroot log-in password, you may be able to access your passwords via the tool bar by using your old password on the tool bar sign-in. This worked for me

 

The access your passwords via the dashboard or website was to:

 

 


  1. Assign a new use via my dashboard LESSON 2: ALTHOUGH I HAD ALREADY ASSIGNED A NEW USER, THERE WAS A PROCESS FOR REGISTERING THE NEW USER WHICH I HAD NO IDEA EXISTED. MY TECH SUPPORT REP SENT ME AN EMAIL, I RESPONDED TO A LINK, AND THE NEW ACCOUNT WAS REGISTERED. NOTE: your new user will not have access to your passwords regardless of whether you click the "Passwords" box when you are assigning the new user. You'll have to import them. Here's how:
  2. Export your password log using the tool bar for your original user and your old password (click the toolbar icon, choose tools, export, webroot cvs file and then save to where you can find it on your computer)
  3. Sign into your new user account (click the toolbar icon, choose tools, import, and choose webroot) 
  4. click on the file you exported to your computer. This will open up what looks like a document. Check "all files" and then click the barely visible "import" link at the top of the page.
  5. This should provide your passwords in both the toolbar and your dashboard. That said, when I signed into my dashbord and clicked the passwords tab, the data populated for a split second and then returned me to the sign-in page. After several attempts to fix this, the tech and I just gave up. So now I can only access my passwords from one of my devices, not "anywhere" as the Webroot software suggests. I am going to post to see if there is a fix for this.
Other lessons that might help you:

 


  1. webroot uses LastPass as its password software. That's why some of these glitches exist because of conflicts in the two programs. So, when troubleshooting, you may find that your download file is titled Lastpass... or have to choose LastPass as an option from a dropdown menu if Webroot is not there. IMPORTANT: Webroot is "working on" the problem of disappearing passwords, but if you have a problem, make some noise here because this is a known bug with huge implications and squeeky wheels get the grease.
  2. I was told Webroot works better if you use Firefox.
  3. My 3.5 hours of investigation tells me that the password saving tool on Webroot is fragile for me to trust explicitly. THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING, WEBROOT FIX TEAM!  Until they get these bugs worked out, everyone who needs their password file to recall their passwords, especially if you have webroot assign secure passwords, might consider finding keeping an electronic or paper copy of their passwords as recovery could be impossible under certain conditions. For instance, if you forget your Webroot log in password used to set up your passwords, your information is just gone because LastPass does not allow changed log-in passwords.
I am responding to the statement above,  that if you are having password problems speak up.  My plan was to do so any way.  This has just been the first opportunity for me to report my experience.

 

My first question is, Did Webroot send out an e-mail newsletter on August 28 with an article about several countries being hacked by a cell hackers in their 20s in a corner of the Soviet Union?  Also an interview with I believe the employee Marcos?  People were encouraged to change passwords.

 

On August 29 I decided to change passwords.  Then is when I began to have problems again with accessing accounts through Webroot.  I took notes.  (I must remember not to change passwords on the weekend or on a holday weekend.  I tried calling for tech support and was told no-one would be able to help until Tuesday after Labor Day.  The one answering my call was very nice. She was doing her job.)

 

First I changed my e-mail password which I will refer to as #3.  Then I went to  WEbroot password manager. Access came quickly. I  retyped the new password for the #3 e-mail account. (I realized later that I may have made  a typo in that I was not able to access the account when I activated the WB in my web browser.  I got that issue resolved with my provider.)  After entering the new password I saw the screen flicker.  After that I logged out and went back in to check on other passwords,  it took a LONG time for the password manager screen to come up.  I exited out.

 

Then I decided to go to google chrome web browser, opened my WB icon in the corner and went through each of my accounts and changed passwords, and when a pop up from webroot asked to save the new password I accepted.

 

August 30 the next day. I signed in on Google Chrome.  I went through my routine of activating my WB up in the corner.  When I clicked on my #1 gmail account what actually opened was my #2 gmail account.  I logged out of the #1 account and tried logging into the #2 account and it came up.  Interesting to me that in each situation the #2 account opend.  I decided to go to Firefox.  I activated my WB.   went to log in to the #1 account and it came up automatically as it is supposed to do.  I was also able to get in the #2 account.  No problems there.

 

I went back to Firefox.  Entered Duckduckgo (A recommendation by one of the WB techs. for staying under the wire and not be tracked as I brows the web) ThenwWent to Webroot's web page, signed into my account and changed my security code and password.  Went back to Firefox, tried to activate the WB with the new password and was denied with invaled password.  I went back to Duckduckgo...WEbroot's home page and signed in with my new password and security code and was able to access my account.

 

Today I went to Firefox and tried to acitivate my WB in the corner with the old and new password and was not able to get in with either.   I find this disturbing.    Can tech support look up my tech support ticket and  previous communication with tech support regarding my  history with password problems?  I am just wondering if the timing of this experience provides any insight into this problem.  In any case how can WB help me get back to being able to access my e-mail accounts through WB?

 

Thanks

 
I just noticed a flicker on the screen when I posted the message above.  I don't like seeing that kind of acitivity.  Makes me nervous.  I hope tech support reads my previous ticket conversations before responding.
First I just wanted to say sorry that you had such a difficult experience.  I showed your post to the escalations team here and they let me know that they're aware of and working on the issue that caused this.  Also we're working on improving the tools that our support team have for troubleshooting these issues so that it won't be so painful in the future.  

 

As to the flicker, I'm not sure what that is about.  The community platform we use is from a company called Lithium, which is a well regarded community hosting platform used by many companies.  
Thank you for your response.  It is good to know the escalation team is aware of this problem and are working on it.  For my peace of mind I need to know if the problem surfaced  on the day I changed my passwords.

 

Also my question as to whether Webroot sent out an e-newsletter on August 28 th was not answered.  I want to know if the Webroot e-newsletters are legit and if it is safe to read the articles.
I'm not sure exactly when the problem started, but I can look into it.

 

The e-newsletter is legitimate.  That's actually something that I and the email team here at Webroot put together every month - most all of the links in there go either to our community, our blog, or our YouTube page.  We use the company Exact Target for the email sends, and the from address is webroot@service-webroot.com, so that you know it is from us.
That is good to know the e-newletter is legit.  I have enjoyed reading the articles especially since I don't go on a regular basis to the community center, blogs or you tube. 
Cool, glad you like it.  We try to pick stuff that is both interesting and useful for people who want to stay safe online.

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