What\'S The Best Password Manager?
First Steps Tutorial
A brief tutorial showing you the essential usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will highlight how to really use KeePass. It describes only the fundamental usage, advanced features are covered on separate pages.
Creating a new database
The initial step is developing a new password database. KeePass will store your entire passwords in this database. To create one, click 'File - New...' in the primary menu or click the leftmost toolbar button. A window will be, which prompts you for a master password and/or key file. The database will undoubtedly be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here would be the only password you'll ever have to consider from on now. It ought to 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.
For this tutorial, we'll just work with a password, not a key file. Click in to the password edit field and enter a code of your choice. The password edit control isn't limited in total, so feel liberated to even enter an entire sentence (just keep 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 begin to see the entry groups. On the best, you see the specific password entries. The password entries are grouped together into the password groups you see on the left. So, depending which group on the left you selected, it'll show you the entries in this group in the right view. KeePass has generated several default groups for you, but you're absolutely free 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 right 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 this, an username, an URL, the particular password, etc. If you never 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. So what can you 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 are able to post it into every other program of your 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 achieve 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 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 the very first time, at this point you have to specify an area 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! You can now have a look at the heightened 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 employing a file (which you are able to tote around in 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 utilizing TANs for better security. KeePass supports TAN entries, by making them expire automatically when using them.
Auto-Type: The auto-typing functionality is really 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 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 exactly 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 you are able to enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. Nevertheless the URL field can perform more! It really supports numerous 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, ...) with this entry.Command Line Capabilities: You are able to open .kdb files by passing the filename to the KeePass executable file. But did you know that you can 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 file for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass features a powerful plugin architecture. If you miss some functionality, have a consider the plugins page to see if you can 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 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 origin code.
The installer and the portable version are described at length below.
The foundation code package contains all you need 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 are able to update your existing KeePass installation, without losing any configuration settings. The steps are depending on which package you are 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 provides 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 present user. In this manner 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 set up 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 to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options won't be lost.Uninstallation:
To be able to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which will be accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in this system portion of the machine control panel. If you also want to eliminate your configuration settings, you'll need to delete the configuration file in the applying data directory of your 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 quiet installation and shows a status dialog through the setup process. No questions will undoubtedly 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 path to which KeePass is installed. However, when the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the user wants to perform an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version will soon be overwritten by the new version. If you intend to move an existing KeePass installation to some other 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 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 device, without any 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.
Make sure that KeePass has write usage of 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 site
Installation:
KeePass doesn't must be installed. Just download the ZIP package, unpack it with your preferred ZIP program and KeePass is able to be used. Copy it to a location of your decision (for example onto 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 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 own system.