How To Wear Keepass
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the essential usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will show you how to actually use KeePass. It describes only the basic usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The initial step is making a new password database. KeePass will store your entire passwords in such a database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' in the main menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A window will be, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database is likely to be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here could be the only password you'll ever have to remember from on now. It must be long and developed of mixed characters. Remember that whenever someone gets your database file and guesses the password, he could access all passwords you stored in the database.
For this tutorial, we'll just make use of a password, not really a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a code of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited long, so feel absolve to even enter a whole sentence (just keep in mind that you'll need to keep in mind it).
KeePass 1.x Only
After clicking [OK], a second dialog appears, in which you have to repeat the master password you just entered in the previous dialog. This is in order to avoid accidental typing errors.
KeePass 2.x Only
After clicking [OK], a second dialog appears. In this dialog you can configure some generic database properties. For now, just leave everything as it is and click [OK].
So you see the main window. On the left, you start to see the entry groups. On the best, you see the particular password entries. The password entries are grouped together to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending where group on the left you selected, it'll show you the entries in this group in the best view. KeePass has created a couple of default groups for you personally, but you're no cost to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an access
Time to store your 1st password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the proper password entry view and choose 'Add Entry...' .A window will pop up. In this window you can now edit your entry: enter some title for it, an username, an URL, the actual password, etc. If you don't need some of the fields, just leave them empty. When you're done, click [OK].
You'll see your new entry in the password list on the best now.
How To Wear Keepass
| KeePass 2.40 | |
|---|---|
Installer for Windows (2.40): Download NowKeePass-2.40-Setup.exe Download the EXE file above, run it and follow the steps of the installation program. You need local installation rights (use the Portable version on the right, if you don't have local installation rights). | Portable (2.40): Download NowKeePass-2.40.zip Download the ZIP package above and unpack it to your favorite location (USB stick, ...). KeePass runs without any additional installation and won't store any settings outside the application directory. |
| Supported operating systems: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 (each 32-bit and 64-bit), Mono (Linux, Mac OS X, BSD, ...). | |
| KeePass 1.36 | |
|---|---|
| Installer for Windows (1.36):Download Now KeePass-1.36-Setup.exe Download the EXE file above, run it and follow the steps of the installation program. You need local installation rights (use the Portable version on the right, if you don't have local installation rights). | Portable (1.36):Download Now KeePass-1.36.zip Download the ZIP package above and unpack it to your favorite location (USB stick, ...). KeePass runs without any additional installation and won't store any settings outside the application directory. |
| Supported operating systems: Windows Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 (each 32-bit and 64-bit), Wine. | |
How To Wear Keepass
Using entries
You got the brand new entry in the password list now. Exactly what do you actually do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've several options now. You can for example copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you can post it into every other program of one's choice. The exact same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you are able to drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a typical example of how this works, see this page: Drag&Dropping Fields.
KeePass can open the URL you specified. To do this, just click 'URL(s) - Open URL(s)' in the context menu. KeePass will start the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Wear Keepass
Saving the database
It's time for you to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a disk; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database the very first time, you now have to specify an area where you would like the database file to be stored.
How To Wear Keepass
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! You can now have a look at the more advanced top features of KeePass.
Passwords and Key Files: In the tutorial above we've encrypted the database using a password. But KeePass also supports key files, i.e. you can lock your database employing a file (which you are able to take with you on your USB stick for example). It even supports combining those two methods for maximum security.
TAN Entries: TAN entries are one-time passwords. Many banks are utilizing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when utilizing them.
Auto-Type: The auto-typing functionality is a very powerful feature. In the tutorial above you've copied the username and password of an access to the clipboard. Wouldn't it be nice if KeePass would just type those strings for you into other windows? Wouldn't it be nice if you can define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you personally? That's just what the Auto-Typing feature does: it sends simulated keypresses for you really to other windows!
URL Field Capabilities: The URL field supports URLs of course. In the tutorial, you've learned that you could enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. But the URL field can perform more! It actually supports numerous protocols (not just
http) and supports executing Windows command lines through the cmd:// virtual protocol. The field also features a powerful substitution engine, replacing codes by other fields (username, password, ...) of the entry.Command Line Capabilities: You can open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you understand that you may also send the password for the database and key file location within the command line? You may also use the command line to pre-select a key declare you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass comes with a powerful plugin architecture. If you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if you can find other folks that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Wear Keepass
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the choice between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: A company program for Windows.
- KeePass-2.xx.zip: A KeePass ZIP package (portable version).
- KeePass-2.xx-Source.zip: The origin code.
The installer and the portable version are described in more detail below.
The source code package contains everything you need to compile KeePass. It provides the C#/C++ source code and header files, resource files, sources for building the installer, etc.
Updating KeePass:
Each time a new KeePass version has been released, you can update your existing KeePass installation, without losing any configuration settings. The steps are depending on which package you're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations must also be updated once you use a new KeePass version. You will find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Wear Keepass
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team offers an installer, which copies KeePass to your hard drive, creates shortcuts in the start menu and associates KDBX files with KeePass, if desired.
Additionally, KeePass is automatically configured to store its settings in the application form data directory of the present user. This way multiple users can use one KeePass installation without overwriting each other's settings (each user has his own configuration file). The setup program must run with administrative rights, however KeePass runs fine without administrative rights once it's installed.
Installation:
To install KeePass, run the
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file and follow the wizard.Updating:
Run the
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file. You do not need certainly to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options will not be lost.Uninstallation:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, that is accessible with a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program part of the machine control panel. If in addition, you want to get rid of your configuration settings, you'll need to delete the configuration file in the application data directory of your user profile
Silent Installation:
The KeePass installer
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe supports command line switches for silent installation, i.e. this system gets installed without asking the consumer for target directory or association options. The default settings of the installer are used.The
/SILENT command line switch performs a silent installation and shows a status dialog through the setup process. No questions will undoubtedly be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a silent installation and does not show a status dialog throughout the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination way to which KeePass is installed. However, when the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the consumer wants to perform an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version is going to be overwritten by the newest version. If you want to move a current KeePass installation to another path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the brand new version will display the destination path selection page again.
Options/Components:
The installation options/components are explained in detail here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean in detail?.
How To Wear Keepass
Portable version (KeePass-2.xx.zip file)
The portable version could be carried around on portable devices (like USB sticks) and runs on any computer directly from the device, without any installation. It doesn't store anything on the body (in contrast to the setup package, see above). KeePass doesn't create any new registry keys and it doesn't create any configuration files in your Windows or application data directory of one's user profile.
Make sure that KeePass has write usage of its application directory. Otherwise, when it doesn't have, it'll try to store the configuration options (nothing security-relevant though) into the applying data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about that, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass does not need to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your chosen ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a location of your decision (for example on your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the latest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy new files over the old ones. Your configuration settings won't be lost (the settings are stored in the KeePass.config.xml file, which won't be overwritten, because KeePass ZIP packages don't include a KeePass.config.xml file).
Uninstallation:
Simply delete the KeePass folder. This will leave no trace of KeePass on your system.