What Is The Best Free Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the fundamental usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will show you how to truly use KeePass. It describes only the fundamental usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Creating a new database
The 1st step is creating a new password database. KeePass will store all your passwords in such a database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' in the primary 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 could be the only password you'll ever have to consider from on now. It ought to be long and developed of mixed characters. Keep in mind that when someone gets your database file and guesses the password, he could access all passwords you stored in the database.
Because of 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 password of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in total, so feel liberated to even enter a whole sentence (just remember that you will 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].
Now you see the main window. On the left, you 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 demonstrate the entries in this group in the proper view. KeePass has generated a couple of default groups for you, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your personal ones.
Adding an access
Time for you 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 that you don't need a number 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 right now.
What Is The Best Free 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 Is The Best Free Password Manager?
Using entries
You got the 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 for instance copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you can post it into some other program of your choice. The same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can 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.
What Is The Best Free Password Manager?
Saving the database
It's time for you 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, at this point you need certainly to specify a location where you want the database file to be stored.
What Is The Best Free Password Manager?
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! Now you can have a go through the heightened options that come with KeePass.
Passwords and Key Files: In the tutorial above we've encrypted the database utilizing 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 in 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 employing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when utilizing them.
Auto-Type: The auto-typing functionality is really a very powerful feature. In the tutorial above you've copied the username and password of an entry 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 might define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you personally? That's exactly 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 can 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 many different protocols (not just
http) and supports executing Windows command lines through the cmd:// virtual protocol. The field also comes with a powerful substitution engine, replacing codes by other fields (username, password, ...) of this entry.Command Line Capabilities: You can open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you realize that you can also send the password for the database and key file location within the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select an integral file for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass includes a powerful plugin architecture. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if you will find other folks which have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
What Is The Best Free Password Manager?
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the decision between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: An installer program for Windows.
- KeePass-2.xx.zip: A KeePass ZIP package (portable version).
- KeePass-2.xx-Source.zip: The foundation code.
The installer and the portable version are described in detail below.
The foundation code package contains everything required 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 where package you're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations should also be updated whenever you install a new KeePass version. You will find the latest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
What Is The Best Free Password Manager?
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team provides 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 application form data directory of the present user. In 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 put in 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 have to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options will not be lost.Uninstallation:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which can be accessible by way of a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program area of the machine control panel. If in addition, you want to get rid of your configuration settings, you will need to delete the configuration file in the applying data directory of your account
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 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 road to which KeePass is installed. However, once the installer detects a preexisting KeePass installation, it assumes that an individual wants to execute an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version is going to be overwritten by the newest version. If you wish to move a current KeePass installation to another path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the new version will display the destination path selection page again.
Options/Components:
The installation options/components are explained in more detail here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean in detail?.
What Is The Best Free Password Manager?
Portable version (KeePass-2.xx.zip file)
The portable version may 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 your user profile.
Make sure that KeePass has write use of its application directory. Otherwise, if it doesn't have, it'll attempt to store the configuration options (nothing security-relevant though) into the application form 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 a spot of your option (for example on 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 system.