When Will How To Keepass Work
First Steps Tutorial
A brief tutorial showing you the fundamental usage of KeePass.
This short tutorial will reveal how to truly 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 all your passwords in such a database. To create 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 undoubtedly be encrypted with the password you enter here. The password you enter here will be the only password you'll ever have to keep in mind from on now. It should be long and accumulated of mixed characters. Remember that when 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 use a password, not just a key file. Click into the password edit field and enter a code of one's choice. The password edit control isn't limited in length, so feel absolve to even enter an entire sentence (just bear in mind that you may 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].
So you see the key window. On the left, you 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 on which group on the left you selected, it'll show you the entries in this group in the proper view. KeePass has established several default groups for you, but you're absolutely free to delete them and create your 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 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 best now.
When Will How To Keepass Work
| 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. | |
When Will How To Keepass Work
Using entries
You got the brand new entry in the password list now. So what can you do with it now? Right-click onto the entry.
You've several options now. You can for instance 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 one's choice. The same works for copying passwords.
Alternatively, you can 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 will become the default browser and open the specified URL.
When Will How To Keepass Work
Saving the database
It's time and energy to save our database. Click onto the 'Save' toolbar button (looks like a computer; 3rd toolbar button). As you're saving the database initially, at this point you have to specify an area where you want the database file to be stored.
When Will How To Keepass Work
More
That's it! You've made the first steps in using KeePass! It's simple to have a look at the heightened options that come with 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 tote around 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 really 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 can 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 to other windows!
URL Field Capabilities: The URL field supports URLs of course. In the tutorial, you've learned that you can enter simple URLs into this field and KeePass will open the browser window for you. However the URL field may 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 features 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 know that you can even send the password for the database and key file location within the command line? You can even utilize the command line to pre-select a vital file for you.
Plugins (1.x, 2.x): KeePass comes with a powerful plugin architecture. In the event that you miss some functionality, have a look at the plugins page to see if you will find other folks which have already written plugins for this. Many plugins exist to import/export data from/to other file formats.
When Will How To Keepass Work
General information
When downloading KeePass, you have the option between 3 different packages:
- KeePass-2.xx-Setup.exe: A specialist 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 more detail below.
The foundation code package contains all you need to compile KeePass. It includes the C#/C++ source code and header files, resource files, sources for building the installer, etc.
Updating KeePass:
Each time 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 must also be updated when you put in a new KeePass version. You will find the newest translation files here: KeePass Translations.
When Will How To Keepass Work
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. 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 to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options won't be lost.Uninstallation:
To be able to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, that is accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program section of the machine control panel. If in addition, you want to eliminate your configuration settings, you 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. the 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 silent installation and shows a status dialog throughout the setup process. No questions is likely to be asked though.The
/VERYSILENT command line switch performs a silent installation and does not show a status dialog throughout the setup process.Destination Path:
The installer allows to choose the destination way to which KeePass is installed. However, when the installer detects an existing KeePass installation, it assumes that the user wants to execute an upgrade and thus doesn't display the destination path selection page; the old version is likely to be overwritten by the new version. If you want to move an existing KeePass installation to a different path, first uninstall the old version; the installer of the new 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?.
When Will How To Keepass Work
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 any 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.
Ensure that KeePass has write access to its application directory. Otherwise, if 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 this page
Installation:
KeePass doesn't 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 an area of your decision (for example on 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 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 may leave no trace of KeePass in your system.