How To Keepass 9.4
First Steps Tutorial
A quick tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will reveal how to actually use KeePass. It describes only the essential usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The 1st step is creating a new password database. KeePass will store your entire passwords in such a database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' in the main 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 be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here will be the only password you'll ever have to consider from on now. It must be long and developed 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 just a key file. Click into 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 a complete sentence (just keep in mind that you'll 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].
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 into the password groups you see on the left. So, depending which group on the left you selected, it'll explain to you the entries in this group in the best view. KeePass has generated a couple of default groups for you personally, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an entry
Time and energy to store your very first 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 this, an username, an URL, the specific 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 entry in the password list on the right now.
How To Keepass 9.4
| 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 9.4
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 like 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. Exactly 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 site: 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 begin the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Keepass 9.4
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 initially, you now need to specify a spot where you need the database file to be stored.
How To Keepass 9.4
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! It's simple to have a go through the heightened options that come with 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 are able to lock your database utilizing a file (which you can 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 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 might define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you personally? That's just 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 could enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. However the URL field can do more! It really supports many different protocols (not just
http) and supports executing Windows command lines through the cmd:// virtual protocol. The field also includes 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 a key file for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass features a powerful plugin architecture. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if there are other people that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Keepass 9.4
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the decision between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: A company 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 everything required 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 on which package you're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations must also be updated whenever you put in a new KeePass version. You will find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Keepass 9.4
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team has 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 current 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 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 have to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options won't 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 program element of the machine control panel. If you also want to remove your configuration settings, you will need to delete the configuration file in the application form data directory of one's 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 silent installation and shows a status dialog during the setup process. No questions is likely to be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a silent installation and does not show a status dialog through the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination road 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 will soon 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 newest 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 in detail?.
How To Keepass 9.4
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 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.
Be 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 data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass does not need to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is ready to be used. Copy it to an area of your choice (for example on your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the newest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy new files within the old ones. Your configuration settings will not 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 on your system.