How To Make Keepass More Secure
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will show you how to truly use KeePass. It describes only the basic usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Developing a new database
The 1st step is making a new password database. KeePass will store all of your passwords in such a database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' however 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 could be the only password you'll ever have to consider from on now. It ought to be long and developed of mixed characters. Remember 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 use a password, not a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a password of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited long, so feel free to even enter a complete sentence (just remember that you'll 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].
Now you see the key window. On the left, you see the entry groups. On the right, you see the particular password entries. The password entries are grouped together in to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending which group on the left you selected, it'll demonstrate the entries in this group in the best view. KeePass has generated a few default groups for you personally, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an access
Time and energy 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 it's simple to edit your entry: enter some title for it, an username, an URL, the particular password, etc. If you do not need a number of the fields, just leave them empty. When you're done, click [OK].
You'll see your entry in the password list on the best now.
How To Make Keepass More Secure
| 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 Make Keepass More Secure
Using entries
You got the brand new entry in the password list now. Exactly what do you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You have several options now. You are able to for instance copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you are able to post it into every other program of one's choice. Exactly the same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you are able to drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a good example of how this works, see this page: 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 start the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Make Keepass More Secure
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 certainly to specify a spot where you want the database file to be stored.
How To Make Keepass More Secure
More
That's it! You've made the very first steps in using KeePass! It's simple to have a look at the more complex 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 are able to lock your database utilizing a file (which you can carry around in 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 utilizing 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 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 yourself 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 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 comes with a powerful substitution engine, replacing codes by other fields (username, password, ...) with this entry.Command Line Capabilities: You can open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you know 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 vital declare 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 can find other people that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Make Keepass More Secure
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the option 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 at length below.
The source code package contains everything you need to compile KeePass. It contains 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're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations must also be updated whenever you use a new KeePass version. You'll find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Make Keepass More Secure
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team has 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 application form data directory of the existing 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 have to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options will not be lost.Uninstallation:
To be able to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, that is accessible with a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program area of the device control panel. If in addition you want to get rid of your configuration settings, you'll need to delete the configuration file in the application data directory of your report
Silent Installation:
The KeePass installer
KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe supports command line switches for silent installation, i.e. the program gets installed without asking the user 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 silent installation and does not show a status dialog throughout the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination way to which KeePass is installed. However, when the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the consumer wants to do an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will undoubtedly be overwritten by the brand new version. If you wish to move a current KeePass installation to a different path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the newest 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 Make Keepass More Secure
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 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 usage 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 that, see this page
Installation:
KeePass doesn't need to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your favorite ZIP program and KeePass is ready to be used. Copy it to a spot of your option (for example onto your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the newest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy brand 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 can leave no trace of KeePass on your system.