Un-merging 2 KPM accounts

[mopi]

I've got my knickers in a twist that would make a contortionists eyes water. I [ a@b.c ] manage a few business devices plus some family accounts and devices. For business I use KTS and for family Kaspersky Cloud Services KCS , Kaspersky may have changed the names [they do that a lot] of these by the time you read this but what's important is that both come with KPM licences. Due to me misunderstanding how to activate KTS properly I installed KTS on the business PCs as myself under the my.Kaspersky account a@b.c. All went well for a long time until x@y.z a business user wanted a copy of KPM and I realised that he couldn't use my my.kaspersky so I set up a my.kaspersky account just for him [I know I should have done this before I even installed KTS but I didn't know it then]. The S hit the Fan when X had an issue that required a total factory reset with no working backup EXCEPT the online password one under my.kaspersky my job was to download that on to his work PC and all is good. Something that seems a doddle under KCS was a hair puller under KTS or rather the KPM that comes with each product.

Yesterday if I logged into my.kaspersky as x@y.z using chrome on Xs PC I would see 45 passwords today after I accidentally merged a@b.c and x@y.z I have 500 passwords  because I used my PC which has KPM from KCS while attempting to *download* the x@y.z KPM data from my.kaspersky. I intended to copy it over to Xs PC but now that's a non-runner.

I'm an idiot and Kaspersky seems to go out of it's way to do some idiot culling.

Any way to revert to yesterday and unmerge the KPM data file ? Clean up my.kaspersky so I have 2 distinct password lists. If all else fails I will try a manual cull once I figure out which account 'owns' the combined password list.

recap: account A [me] owns all licences, account A installed all software, account A has access to KTS KCS and KPM. Account X is a business user with KTS/KPM. I access both PCs using remote PC. My PC has the combined KPM data file now using the password that X used. Is there a backup KPM file on my PC ! ?

[KarDip]

Hello @mopi

You’re in quite a tricky situation, but there might be ways to untangle this mess. Let’s break it down step by step:

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1. Understanding the Current State

• Account A (a@b.c): Originally owns all licenses for both KTS and KCS, including associated KPM data.
• Account X (x@y.z): Initially had a separate KPM instance with 45 passwords, now merged with Account A’s data to form a combined list of 500 passwords.
• The Key Issue: The accidental merge has created a shared password database, which is undesirable. Account X’s data was also overwritten by logging into KPM with Account A’s master password.

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2. Key Considerations

• KPM Syncing Behavior: KPM syncs password data across devices under the same My.Kaspersky account. When you logged into Account X using Account A’s master password on your PC, KPM likely treated the two accounts as one and merged their data.
• Backups: KPM automatically creates backups of your password database before significant changes. These can be found either in the KPM interface or within your My.Kaspersky account, depending on how it's configured.

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3. Steps to Recover

A. Check for KPM Backups

1. In the My.Kaspersky Account:

   • Log into the My.Kaspersky portal using Account A.
   • Go to Kaspersky Password Manager and check for a Restore Backup option.
   • If backups exist, you may be able to restore to the state before the merge.

2. On Your Local PC:

   • Open the KPM application on your PC (where the merge occurred).
   • Navigate to Settings > Data Management > Restore Backup.
   • Look for a backup timestamp from before the merge and restore it.

B. Separate the Accounts

1. Export Passwords:

   • Export the combined password list to a secure file (CSV) from KPM.
   • Do this for both Account A and Account X (if you can access both).
   • This will help you manually separate the passwords later if needed.

   ⚠️ Important: Ensure the CSV files are stored securely, as they are not encrypted.

2. Reset KPM for Account X:

   • Uninstall KPM from Account X’s PC and re-install it.
   • Re-link KPM to Account X’s My.Kaspersky account (x@y.z).
   • Import the subset of passwords meant for Account X.

3. Reset KPM for Account A:

   • Log into Account A’s KPM on your PC.
   • Import only the passwords intended for Account A.

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4. Additional Steps for Future Management

To prevent such issues in the future:

• Separate My.Kaspersky Accounts: Always use separate My.Kaspersky accounts for business and personal/family devices.
• Document Licenses: Keep a clear record of which license is associated with which account.
• Educate Users: Ensure business users understand how to manage their KPM accounts independently.

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5. Last Resort: Contact Kaspersky Support

If the steps above don’t resolve the issue:

• Reach out to Kaspersky Technical Support for assistance.
• Provide detailed information, including timestamps and actions taken, so they can attempt to restore the data to its original state.

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6. Where to Find Backup Files

If KPM created a local backup:

• Check your PC for a folder like:
  C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Kaspersky Password Manager\Backup
• Look for any files with a timestamp matching the merge.

If you find the backup:

• Restore it using the Restore Backup feature in KPM.

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Summary

1. Check for KPM backups (local or online).
2. Export the combined list to a secure file.
3. Separate the accounts by re-installing and re-linking KPM for each account.
4. Restore appropriate subsets of passwords to the correct account.

Let me know if you need clarification on any step!

Thank you