What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A short 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 your entire passwords in this database. To create one, click 'File - New...' however menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A window can look, 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 would be the only password you'll ever have to remember from on now. It must be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Keep in mind that after someone gets your database file and guesses the password, he could access all passwords you stored in the database.
With this tutorial, we'll just make use of a password, not really 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 bear in mind that you will 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].
So you see the key window. On the left, you begin to see the entry groups. On the best, you see the actual password entries. The password entries are grouped together in to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending on which group on the left you selected, it'll show you the entries in this group in the proper view. KeePass has generated a couple of default groups for you personally, but you're no cost to delete them and create your own ones.
Adding an entry
Time to store your 1st 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 it, an username, an URL, the specific password, etc. If you do not need some 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 right 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 newest entry in the password list now. So what can you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You have 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 are able to post it into every other program of one's choice. The 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 these pages: 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.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Saving the database
It's time 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 have to specify a spot where you want the database file to be stored.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! You can now have a consider the heightened options that come with KeePass.
Passwords and Key Files: In the tutorial above we've encrypted the database employing 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 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 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 may 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 really 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. However the URL field can perform more! It really supports many different 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 understand that you may also send the password for the database and key file location over the command line? You can also utilize the command line to pre-select an integral declare you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass includes a powerful plugin architecture. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if there are other people which 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 option 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 source code.
The installer and the portable version are described in detail below.
The source code package contains everything required to compile KeePass. It includes 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 which package you're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations should also be updated once you put in a new KeePass version. You can find the most recent translation files here: KeePass Translations.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team provides 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 data directory of the present user. In this way 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 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 certainly 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 with a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program part of the system control panel. If in addition, you want to remove your configuration settings, you need to delete the configuration file in the application 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 the consumer 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 during the setup process. No questions will soon 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 choose the destination way to which KeePass is installed. However, once the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that an individual wants to do an update and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version is going to be overwritten by the brand new version. If you intend to move a preexisting KeePass installation to another path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the newest version will likely then display the destination path selection page again.
Options/Components:
The installation options/components are explained in detail here: What do the 2.x installation options/components mean in more detail?.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
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 unit, 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.
Be sure that KeePass has write usage of its application directory. Otherwise, when it doesn't have, it'll try 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 site
Installation:
KeePass doesn't must be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your favorite ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to an area 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 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.