What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A quick tutorial showing you the essential usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will reveal how to truly use KeePass. It describes only the essential usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Developing a new database
The initial step is developing a new password database. KeePass will store all 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 is going to 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 should be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Keep in mind 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 make use of a password, not really a key file. Click into the password edit field and enter a password of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in total, so feel liberated to even enter a complete sentence (just remember that you may 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 start to see the entry groups. On the best, you see the actual password entries. The password entries are grouped together into 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 several default groups for you personally, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your own ones.
Adding an entry
Time for you to store your very first password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the right password entry view and choose 'Add Entry...' .A screen will pop up. In this window you can now edit your entry: enter some title because of it, an username, an URL, the actual password, etc. If you do not need a few of the fields, just leave them empty. When you're done, click [OK].
You'll see your brand-new entry in the password list on the best now.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
| 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. | |
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Using entries
You got the new entry in the password list now. What can you actually do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You have several options now. You can for instance copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you are able to post it into some other program of your choice. Exactly the same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can 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 will begin the default browser and open the specified URL.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
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, at this point you need certainly to specify a location where you need the database file to be stored.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
More
That's it! You've made the initial steps in using KeePass! It's simple to have a go through the more advanced options that come with 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 using a file (which you can 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 using TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when working with 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 access 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 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 possible enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. But 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 includes a powerful substitution engine, replacing codes by other fields (username, password, ...) of this entry.Command Line Capabilities: You can open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you understand that you can even send the password for the database and key file location on 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. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a look at the plugins page to see if you will find others that have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
General information
When downloading KeePass, you've the choice 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 foundation code.
The installer and the portable version are described in detail below.
The source code package contains all you need 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 where package you are using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations must also be updated whenever you put in a new KeePass version. You will find the latest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team offers 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 current user. In 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 this system area of the device control panel. If you also want to remove 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 program gets installed without asking an individual 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 will 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 perform an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will undoubtedly be overwritten by the new version. If you wish to move a preexisting 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 in detail?.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
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 access to its application directory. Otherwise, when 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 page
Installation:
KeePass doesn't need to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your chosen ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a location of your option (for example on your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the most recent portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy all new files over 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 may leave no trace of KeePass on your system.