How To Best Use Keepass
First Steps Tutorial
A brief tutorial showing you the fundamental usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial can tell you how to actually use KeePass. It describes only the fundamental usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The initial step is making a new password database. KeePass will store all your passwords in such a database. To generate one, click 'File - New...' in the primary menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A window will appear, 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 must be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Bear in mind that after 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 work with a password, not a key file. Click into the password edit field and enter a password of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited long, so feel liberated to even enter an entire 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].
So you see the main window. On the left, you start to see the entry groups. On the right, you see the actual password entries. The password entries are grouped together to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending which group on the left you selected, it'll show you the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has generated a few default groups for you, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your own ones.
Adding an access
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 it's simple to edit your entry: enter some title for it, an username, an URL, the actual password, etc. If 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.
How To Best Use 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 Best Use Keepass
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 some other program of your choice. The same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a good example of how this works, see this site: 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 begins the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Best Use 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 initially, you now have to specify an area where you need the database file to be stored.
How To Best Use Keepass
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! You can now have a look at the heightened features of 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 are able to 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 employing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when using them.
Auto-Type: The auto-typing functionality is just 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 personally 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 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 many different 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 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 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 apply 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.
How To Best Use Keepass
General information
When downloading KeePass, you have the choice 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 at length below.
The source code package contains all 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:
When a new KeePass version has been released, you can update your existing KeePass installation, without losing any configuration settings. The steps are depending where package you are using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations also needs to be updated once you put in a new KeePass version. You will find the latest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Best Use Keepass
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team provides 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 applying 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 set up 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 will not be lost.Uninstallation:
To be able to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which is accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this system element of the system control panel. If additionally you want to eliminate your configuration settings, you need to delete the configuration file in the application 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 will soon be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a quiet installation and does not show a status dialog throughout the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to choose the destination way 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 will undoubtedly 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 at length here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean at length?.
How To Best Use 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 unit, 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.
Ensure that KeePass has write usage of its application directory. Otherwise, if it doesn't have, it'll try to store the configuration options (nothing security-relevant though) into the application data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass doesn't have to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a location of your choice (for example onto your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the latest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy 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.