What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will highlight how to truly use KeePass. It describes only the fundamental usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The 1st step is making a new password database. KeePass will store all of your passwords in such a database. To generate one, click 'File - New...' in the main menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A screen will appear, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database will soon 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 developed 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.
With this tutorial, we'll just work with a password, not just 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 absolve to even enter an entire sentence (just bear in mind 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].
Now you see the main window. On the left, you see the entry groups. On the best, you see the particular 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 show you the entries in this group in the best view. KeePass has created a couple of default groups for you, but you're totally free to delete them and create your own 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 screen will pop up. In this window it's simple to edit your entry: enter some title for this, an username, an URL, the specific password, etc. If you don't need a few 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.
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 brand 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 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 some other program of your choice. Exactly 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 these pages: Drag&Dropping Fields.
KeePass can open the URL you specified. To get this done, 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 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 initially, you now need certainly to specify a location where you would like 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! Now you can have a consider the more advanced top features of 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 utilizing a file (which you are able to tote around 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 using 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 could 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. However 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 comes with a powerful substitution engine, replacing codes by other fields (username, password, ...) with 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 may also send the password for the database and key file location within the command line? You can also utilize the command line to pre-select an integral 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 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 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 source code.
The installer and the portable version are described at length 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:
Whenever 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 once you use a new KeePass version. You can 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 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 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 have to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options will not be lost.Uninstallation:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which will be accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program area of the system control panel. If additionally you want to eliminate your configuration settings, you need to delete the configuration file in the applying data directory of one's account
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 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 silent installation and does not show a status dialog through the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to find the destination path to which KeePass is installed. However, when 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 likely to be overwritten by the new version. If you intend to move an existing KeePass installation to another path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the newest 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?.
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 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 your user profile.
Be sure that KeePass has write use 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 form data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see this page
Installation:
KeePass doesn't must be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your chosen ZIP program and KeePass is preparing to be used. Copy it to a location of your option (for example onto your USB stick); no additional configuration or installation is needed.
Updating:
Download the newest portable package of KeePass, unpack it and copy all 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 on your system.