What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the fundamental usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will highlight how to truly use KeePass. It describes only the essential usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The very first step is making a new password database. KeePass will store your entire passwords in this database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' however menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A window can look, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database will undoubtedly be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here will be the only password you'll ever have to remember from on now. It ought to be long and built up 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 use a password, not just a key file. Click to the password edit field and enter a code of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in length, so feel absolve to even enter an entire sentence (just keep in mind that you'll need to remember 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].
Now you see the main window. On the left, you begin to see the entry groups. On the proper, 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 proper view. KeePass has created a couple of default groups for you, but you're totally free to delete them and create your personal ones.
Adding an entry
Time and energy to store your 1st password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the best 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 specific password, etc. If that you do not need a few of the fields, just leave them empty. When you're done, click [OK].
You'll see your brand-new entry in the password list on the right now.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
| 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. | |
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Using entries
You got the brand new entry in the password list now. What can you actually do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've several options now. You are able to as an example copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you can post it into any other program of your choice. The exact same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a typical example of how this works, see these pages: Drag&Dropping Fields.
KeePass can open the URL you specified. To achieve this, just click 'URL(s) - Open URL(s)' in the context menu. KeePass will begin the default browser and open the specified URL.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Saving the database
It's time and energy to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a drive; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database the first time, you now need certainly to specify an area where you want the database file to be stored.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! It's simple to have a go through the more advanced options that come with KeePass.
Passwords and Key Files: In the tutorial above we've encrypted the database employing a password. But KeePass also supports key files, i.e. you can lock your database employing a file (which you are able to carry around 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 using TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when working with 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 may define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you? That's exactly what the Auto-Typing feature does: it sends simulated keypresses for you to other windows!
URL Field Capabilities: The URL field supports URLs of course. In the tutorial, you've learned as possible enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. Nevertheless the URL field can do more! It actually supports a variety of 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, ...) with this 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 on the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select a vital declare you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass features a powerful plugin architecture. If you miss some functionality, have a consider the plugins page to see if you can find other people that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the option between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: A specialist 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 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 are able to update your existing KeePass installation, without losing any configuration settings. The steps are depending on which package you are using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations also needs to be updated when you use a new KeePass version. You can find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team offers an installer, which copies KeePass to your hard disk 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 applying data directory of the present user. In this manner 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 is 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 to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options won't be lost.Uninstallation:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which will be accessible with a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program element of the device control panel. If in addition you want to remove your configuration settings, you will need to delete the configuration file in the applying 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 program gets installed without asking an individual for target directory or association options. The default settings of the installer are used.The
/SILENT command line switch performs a quiet installation and shows a status dialog during the setup process. No questions is going to 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 choose the destination path to which KeePass is installed. However, once the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that an individual wants to execute an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will undoubtedly be overwritten by the new version. If you wish to move an existing KeePass installation to another path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the brand new version will likely then 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 at length?.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Portable version (KeePass-2.xx.zip file)
The portable version can be carried around on portable devices (like USB sticks) and runs on any computer directly from the device, without the 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.
Be sure that KeePass has write access to its application directory. Otherwise, if it doesn't have, it'll attempt to store the configuration options (nothing security-relevant though) into the application data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about that, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass doesn't have 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 an area of your option (for example onto your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the most recent portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy brand new files within 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 own system.