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First Steps Tutorial
A quick tutorial showing you the essential usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will show you how to really use KeePass. It describes only the essential usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Developing a new database
The initial step is creating a new password database. KeePass will store all your passwords in such a database. To create 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 will be the only password you'll ever have to consider from on now. It must be long and accumulated 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 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 length, so feel liberated to even enter an entire sentence (just remember that you may 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 specific password entries. The password entries are grouped together to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending on which group on the left you selected, it'll demonstrate the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has created a couple of default groups for you personally, but you're totally free to delete them and create your personal ones.
Adding an access
Time to store your very first 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 now you can edit your entry: enter some title for this, an username, an URL, the actual 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 new entry in the password list on the best now.
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| 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 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 for instance copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you can post it into every other program of your choice. The same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a typical 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 become the default browser and open the specified URL.
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Saving the database
It's time for you to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a computer; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database the very first time, you now need certainly to specify a spot where you need the database file to be stored.
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More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! Now you can have a consider the heightened options that come with 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 are able to lock your database employing a file (which you are able to take with you on your own 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 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 personally into other windows? Wouldn't it be nice if you could 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 can enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. But the URL field can perform 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 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 on the command line? You may also utilize the command line to pre-select a key file 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 other folks 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: 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 in detail 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:
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 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 latest 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 applying data directory of the current user. In this manner 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'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:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which can be accessible by way of a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program portion of the system control panel. If you also want to get rid of your configuration settings, you'll need to delete the configuration file in the applying 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 through 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 throughout the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination path to which KeePass is installed. However, when the installer detects a current KeePass installation, it assumes that an individual wants to perform an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will soon be overwritten by the newest version. If you want to move a current KeePass installation to some other path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the new version will 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 can 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 one's 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 applying 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 favorite ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a location 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 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 on your own system.