How To Create Keepass Key File
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the essential usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will show you how to really 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 your entire passwords in this database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' in the primary 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 going to be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here could be the only password you'll ever have to keep in mind from on now. It ought to be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Remember that when 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 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 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 key window. On the left, you see the entry groups. On the proper, you see the specific password entries. The password entries are grouped together into 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 established a couple of default groups for you personally, but you're no cost to delete them and create your own ones.
Adding an entry
Time to store your very first password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the best password entry view and choose 'Add Entry...' .A screen will pop up. In this window you can now edit your entry: enter some title for this, an username, an URL, the specific password, etc. If you don't need a few 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.
How To Create Keepass Key File
| 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 Create Keepass Key File
Using entries
You got the newest entry in the password list now. What can you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You have several options now. You can 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 one's choice. The same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you are able to drag&drop fields into other windows. To see an example of how this works, see this page: Drag&Dropping Fields.
KeePass can open the URL you specified. To get this done, just click 'URL(s) - Open URL(s)' in the context menu. KeePass will become the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Create Keepass Key File
Saving the database
It's time to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a drive; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database the very first time, at this point you have to specify a location where you need the database file to be stored.
How To Create Keepass Key File
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! Now you can have a consider the heightened 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 using a file (which you are able to tote 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 employing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when using 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 personally into other windows? Wouldn't it be nice if you could 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 can enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. However the URL field may do more! It really supports numerous 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 the entry.Command Line Capabilities: You are able to open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you know that you can also send the password for the database and key file location over the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select a vital apply for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass includes a powerful plugin architecture. If you miss some functionality, have a look at the plugins page to see if you will find others that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Create Keepass Key File
General information
When downloading KeePass, you have the option between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: A tech 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 more detail below.
The foundation code package contains all you need to compile KeePass. It offers the C#/C++ source code and header files, resource files, sources for building the installer, etc.
Updating KeePass:
Whenever 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 which package you are using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations should also be updated whenever you use a new KeePass version. You'll find the most recent translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Create Keepass Key File
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team offers an installer, which copies KeePass to your hard disk, 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 data directory of the current user. In this manner multiple users can play 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 certainly to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options won't be lost.Uninstallation:
To be able to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, that will be accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program part of the device control panel. If in addition you want to remove 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 quiet installation and shows a status dialog through the setup process. No questions will undoubtedly be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a quiet installation and does not show a status dialog through the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination path to which KeePass is installed. However, once the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the user wants to execute an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will soon be overwritten by the brand new version. If you want to move a preexisting 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 more detail here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean at length?.
How To Create Keepass Key File
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 the installation. It doesn't store anything on one's 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, 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 have to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your chosen ZIP program and KeePass is preparing 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 most recent portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy new files on 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 can leave no trace of KeePass on your own system.