How To Use Keepass Password Safe
First Steps Tutorial
A brief tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will reveal how to actually use KeePass. It describes only the fundamental usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The 1st step is developing a new password database. KeePass will store all your passwords in this database. To produce one, click 'File - New...' in the main menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A window can look, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database is likely 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 must be long and developed of mixed characters. Bear in mind 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 a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a code of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited long, so feel liberated to even enter an entire sentence (just remember 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].
So 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 show you the entries in this group in the proper view. KeePass has established a couple of default groups for you, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your own ones.
Adding an access
Time to store your 1st 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 it's simple to edit your entry: enter some title for it, an username, an URL, the particular password, etc. If you don't 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 best now.
How To Use Keepass Password Safe
| 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 Use Keepass Password Safe
Using entries
You got the newest entry in the password list now. So what can you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've 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 can post it into any program of your choice. The exact same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a good 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 start the default browser and open the specified URL.
How To Use Keepass Password Safe
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 the first time, at this point you need certainly to specify a location where you need the database file to be stored.
How To Use Keepass Password Safe
More
That's it! You've made the initial steps in using KeePass! Now you can have a consider the heightened top features of KeePass.
Passwords and Key Files: In the tutorial above we've encrypted the database utilizing a password. But KeePass also supports key files, i.e. you can lock your database employing 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 utilizing 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 personally 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 could enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. Nevertheless the URL field may do 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, ...) 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 understand that you can also send the password for the database and key file location on the command line? You can also use the command line to pre-select an integral 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 can find other folks which have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
How To Use Keepass Password Safe
General information
When downloading KeePass, you have the decision 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 detail below.
The foundation 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:
Each time 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're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations also needs to be updated when you put in a new KeePass version. You will find the latest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
How To Use Keepass Password Safe
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 present user. In this manner 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 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 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 this program area of the machine 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 form 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 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 undoubtedly 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 an individual wants to do an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will undoubtedly 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 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?.
How To Use Keepass Password Safe
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 unit, without the 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 one's user profile.
Be sure that KeePass has write use of its application directory. Otherwise, when 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 these pages
Installation:
KeePass doesn't need to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a location of your decision (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 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 will leave no trace of KeePass on your own system.