Tried using a password manager last month and almost locked myself out of everything

I downloaded Bitwarden on a recommendation from a guy at the auto parts store. Set it up with a master password I thought was strong but then forgot it completely after 3 days. Had to reset every single account through email recovery and it took me almost 2 hours. The lesson I learned is that you gotta write that master password down on paper and keep it somewhere safe before you start.

3 comments

3 Comments

willowg881mo ago

That's the same problem with all this modern convenience stuff - we streamline things but forget to account for our own messy human brains. Write the master down on paper first is solid advice, same way you test a backup before you actually need it. Everything works perfectly until it doesn't, and then you're stuck digging through two hours of password resets learning a lesson you could've learned in five minutes.

nguyen.morgan1mo ago

Everything works perfectly until it doesn't" - yeah that hit hard. I used to think password managers were just for extra lazy people who couldn't remember a few passwords. Figured my memory was fine and I'd just keep using the same 3 passwords like everyone else. But after nearly losing access to my bank and email because I thought I could handle it all in my head, I get it now. Bitwarden actually saved my ass last week when I needed a login for an old streaming account I hadn't touched in a year. Having that master password on a sticky note in my desk drawer felt dumb at first, but now I see it's the only way to make this stuff actually work for real people.

thomas_sanchez1mo ago

idk if this is totally the same but my buddy mark had this whole system for keeping track of his passwords in a notebook he kept in his car. thought he was being smart, never had a problem for like two years. then his car got broken into and they stole the notebook along with his gym bag. he spent three days locked out of everything because his stupid notebook was somewhere in a ditch. he literally had to call his bank from a payphone like it was 1995. now he uses bitwarden too but he laminated the master password and hid it inside an old book on his bookshelf.