How To Keepass 365
First Steps Tutorial
A brief tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will reveal how to really use KeePass. It describes only the basic usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Creating a new database
The 1st step is developing a new password database. KeePass will store all of your passwords in this database. To create one, click 'File - New...' in the primary menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A screen can look, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database will soon be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here would be the only password you'll ever have to remember from on now. It ought to be long and built up of mixed characters. Bear in mind 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 a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a code of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in length, so feel free to even enter an entire sentence (just bear in mind that you may need to consider 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 see the entry groups. On the best, you see the specific 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 explain to you the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has established a couple of default groups for you personally, but you're totally free to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an access
Time for you to store your very first 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 because of it, an username, an URL, the specific password, etc. If you never 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 Keepass 365
| 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 Keepass 365
Using entries
You got the newest entry in the password list now. So what can you actually do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've several options now. You are able to for example copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you are able to post it into any other program of one's 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 this site: 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 start the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Keepass 365
Saving the database
It's time and energy to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a disk; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database initially, at this point you need certainly to specify an area where you would like the database file to be stored.
How To Keepass 365
More
That's it! You've made the very first steps in using KeePass! Now you can have a look at the heightened 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 are able to lock your database using a file (which you are able to carry around on your own 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 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 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. However the URL field can perform more! It really 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 are able to open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you understand that you can even send the password for the database and key file location on the command line? You may also use the command line to pre-select an integral 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 others that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Keepass 365
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 foundation code.
The installer and the portable version are described in detail below.
The source 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:
When 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 must also be updated once you install a new KeePass version. You can find the most recent translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Keepass 365
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 application form data directory of the existing user. In this way 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'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 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 will be accessible by way of a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program part of the device control panel. If you also want to get rid of your configuration settings, you 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 system 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 will soon 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 perform 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 an existing KeePass installation to another path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the new version will then 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?.
How To Keepass 365
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 your system (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 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 form data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see this page
Installation:
KeePass doesn't must be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is ready to be used. Copy it to a spot of your decision (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 may leave no trace of KeePass in your system.