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First Steps Tutorial
A quick tutorial showing you the fundamental usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will show you how to truly 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 create one, click 'File - New...' in the primary menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A screen will be, 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 remember from on now. It should be long and built up 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.
Because of this tutorial, we'll just work with a password, not a key file. Click to the password edit field and enter a code of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in total, so feel absolve to even enter an entire sentence (just bear in mind that you will 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 particular password entries. The password entries are grouped together in to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending on which group on the left you selected, it'll show you the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has established a couple of default groups for you, but you're no cost to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an entry
Time to store your 1st password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the proper password entry view and choose 'Add Entry...' .A screen 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 some 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 Quickly
| 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. | |
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Using entries
You got the brand new entry in the password list now. What can you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've 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 your 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 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.
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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, you now have to specify a location where you would like the database file to be stored.
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More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! You can now have a go through the more advanced 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 utilizing a file (which you can 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 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 can 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 as you are able to enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. But the URL field may do more! It actually 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, ...) of this 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 also utilize the command line to pre-select an integral apply for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass comes with a powerful plugin architecture. If you miss some functionality, have a consider the plugins page to see if there are others which have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
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General information
When downloading KeePass, you have 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 origin code.
The installer and the portable version are described at length below.
The origin 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:
When a new KeePass version has been released, you can 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 also needs to be updated once you put in a new KeePass version. You'll find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
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Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team provides 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 form data directory of the present user. 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 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 will not be lost.Uninstallation:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, that is accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the 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 user profile
Silent Installation:
The KeePass installer
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe supports command line switches for silent installation, i.e. this program 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 going 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 choose the destination path to which KeePass is installed. However, once the installer detects a preexisting KeePass installation, it assumes that the consumer wants to perform an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will soon be overwritten by the new version. If you wish to move a current KeePass installation to some other path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the brand new version will likely then 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?.
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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 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 your user profile.
Be sure that KeePass has write access to its application directory. Otherwise, if it doesn't have, it'll attempt 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 this site
Installation:
KeePass does not 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 option (for example on your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the latest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy brand new files over 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 can leave no trace of KeePass in your system.