What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A short tutorial showing you the basic usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial can tell you how to really use KeePass. It describes only the basic usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Creating a new database
The very first step is creating a new password database. KeePass will store all of your passwords in such a database. To create one, click 'File - New...' in the main 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 be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here will be the only password you'll ever have to remember from on now. It must be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Bear in mind that when 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 make use of a password, not a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a code of one's choice. The password edit control isn't limited long, so feel liberated 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 key window. On the left, you see the entry groups. On the proper, you see the specific password entries. The password entries are grouped together in to the password groups you see on the left. So, depending where group on the left you selected, it'll explain to you the entries in this group in the best view. KeePass has established a couple of default groups for you, but you're no cost to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an access
Time for you to store your very first password in the KeePass database! Right-click into the proper 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 do not need a number 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 proper 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. Exactly what do you actually do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've several options now. You are able to for example copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you can post it into any program of your choice. The exact same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you are able to drag&drop fields into other windows. To see a good example of how this works, see this page: 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 begins 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 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 very first steps in using KeePass! Now you can have a consider the more advanced 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 are able to lock your database employing 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 employing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when using 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 into other windows? Wouldn't it be nice if you might define whole sequences of keypresses that KeePass should type for you? That's exactly 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 could enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. Nevertheless the URL field may 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 features 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 realize that you may also send the password for the database and key file location on the command line? You can also use 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 consider the plugins page to see if there are other folks 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: A company 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 more detail below.
The source code package contains everything required to compile KeePass. It offers 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 where package you're using (installer or portable), see below.
Translations also needs to be updated once you use a new KeePass version. You'll find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
What\'S The Best Password Manager?
Installer program (KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe file)
The KeePass development team has 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 form 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 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 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, which is accessible with a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this program part of the device control panel. If you also want to remove your configuration settings, you need to delete the configuration file in the application data directory of one's report
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 user 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 throughout the setup process. No questions will undoubtedly 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 an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the user wants to execute an update 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 brand new version will 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 at length?.
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 device, without the 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 one's 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 applying data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about this, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass does not have to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is preparing to be used. Copy it to a spot of your decision (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 brand new files within 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 will leave no trace of KeePass on your system.