What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A quick tutorial showing you the essential usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will highlight how to actually use KeePass. It describes only the essential usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Making a new database
The initial step is developing 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 could be the only password you'll ever have to keep in mind from on now. It ought to be long and built up 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 work with a password, not really a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a password of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in length, so feel liberated to even enter a whole 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].
So you see the main window. On the left, you start 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 where group on the left you selected, it'll explain to you the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has generated several default groups for you, but you're no cost to delete them and create your own personal ones.
Adding an access
Time 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 it's simple to edit your entry: enter some title because of it, an username, an URL, the specific password, etc. If you never 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. So what can you actually do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You have several options now. You are able to for instance copy the username of the entry to the Windows clipboard. When you've copied it, you can post it into any program of one's choice. The 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 do this, 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 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 first time, at this point you need certainly to specify an area 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! You can now have a go through the heightened top features of 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 utilizing a file (which you can take with you on your 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 a very powerful feature. In the tutorial above you've copied the username and password of an entry 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 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 as you are able to enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. However the URL field can do more! It actually supports many different 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 the 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 can even send the password for the database and key file location over the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select an integral apply for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass features a powerful plugin architecture. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a go through the plugins page to see if you will find 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 option 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 at length 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:
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 also needs to be updated once you put in a new KeePass version. You'll 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 provides an installer, which copies KeePass to your hard disk, 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 existing 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'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 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 will be accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program part of the device control panel. If additionally you want to remove your configuration settings, you 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 an individual 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 quiet 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, once the installer detects an existing 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 is likely to be overwritten by the brand new version. If you intend to move a current KeePass installation to some other 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 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 may 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 your user profile.
Make sure that KeePass has write access to 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 that, see these pages
Installation:
KeePass does not have to be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your favorite ZIP program and KeePass is ready to be used. Copy it to a spot of your choice (for example onto 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 within 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 system.