
How To Use Keepass With Dropbox
First Steps Tutorial
A brief tutorial showing you the fundamental usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will highlight how to really use KeePass. It describes only the fundamental usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Creating a new database
The 1st step is creating a new password database. KeePass will store all of your passwords in this database. To generate one, click 'File - New...' however 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 undoubtedly 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 ought to be long and developed of mixed characters. Keep 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 work with a password, not a key file. Click to the password edit field and enter a code of one's choice. The password edit control isn't limited in total, so feel liberated to even enter a whole sentence (just keep in mind that you'll need to remember 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 best, you see the particular password entries. The password entries are grouped together to 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 created a couple of default groups for you, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your personal ones.
Adding an access
Time to store your initial 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 it, an username, an URL, the specific password, etc. If that you don't need some of the fields, just leave them empty. When you're done, click [OK].
You'll see your new entry in the password list on the right now.
How To Use Keepass With Dropbox
| 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 NowKeePass-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 NowKeePass-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 new 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 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 exact 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 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 begin 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 drive; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database the very first time, at this point you have to specify an area where you need the database file to be stored.
How To Use Keepass With Dropbox
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! It's simple to have a go through the heightened top 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 employing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when working with them.
Auto-Type: The auto-typing functionality is 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 might define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you? That's precisely 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 as you are able to enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. Nevertheless the URL field can do more! It really supports numerous 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 even send the password for the database and key file location within the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select a key file for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass features a powerful plugin architecture. If you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if there are others that 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've the option 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 all you need to compile KeePass. It includes 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 can update your existing KeePass installation, without losing any configuration settings. The steps are depending which package you are using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations also needs to be updated whenever you put in a new KeePass version. You can 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 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 data directory of the existing 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'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 is accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program part of the machine control panel. If you also want to eliminate your configuration settings, you'll need to delete the configuration file in the application form data directory of your report
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 quiet installation and shows a status dialog through the setup process. No questions is going to be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a quiet installation and does not show a status dialog during the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination road to which KeePass is installed. However, when the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the consumer wants to execute an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version is likely to be overwritten by the newest version. If you wish to move a current KeePass installation to a different 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 at length here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean in detail?.
How To Use Keepass With Dropbox
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 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 your user profile.
Make 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 form data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see this site
Installation:
KeePass does not have 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 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 on 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 in your system.
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