KeePass is a portable password manager for Windows that you can carry around on a USB drive. You can also place it in one of your cloud drives, which will work fine. In this post, we are exploring KeePass, Portable Password Manager for Windows, its features, and how you can use it daily.
KeePass: Portable Password Manager for Windows
- Installation
- Creating a password database
- Adding records to the database
- Moving the database to the USB
- Features.
1] Installation
Download KeePass from here, and run the setup once it’s complete. Since it is a portable application and can be installed anywhere, make sure to install it at a place, i.e., Cloud storage, where it can be accessed from anywhere.
The setup will create a folder named KeePassPortable. In this folder, you will get the file KeePassPortable.exe, which you need to run.
2] Creating a Password Database
Setting up the master key:
Choose “New” from the file menu or the first button on the toolbar. It will prompt you to set a master password for your password database. This master password is the only password you need to remember, and your password can consist of any combination of the characters on your keyboard.
Now you would be asked to re-type your password like any other password creation mechanism; once you have finished, you are ready to jump on Step # 2, which is as follows.
Creating Password Groups.
Now you come across a Windows Explorer-like navigating window. The left side of this window has some predefined password groups for you. Right-click on any of these password groups allows you to either add or delete these password groups. There are available groups like Windows, Network, email, etc.
3] Adding an individual entry.
Now let us choose the eMail password group to step further to create the password database for you; click on the email group and hit the fourth button on the toolbar(Add entry), which will bring you across a window as shown below.
Here only two fields, i.e., user name and password, are essential. All others are kind of optional fields at this point. Also, this window will fill in the predefined password for you. You can keep this password or change your passwords accordingly, or you can use your old passwords and edit the password field here in this window.
You can also add a URL, in which browser it should open, attach an application, and you can automate it to fill in the username and password fields automatically by adding the login URL to the entry.
In this way, you can add as many entries as you want.
4] Saving database to a USB device
You can save this database anywhere on your disk or any other device like USB Stick. Click on the third button or save the database button on the toolbar. Now, whenever you want to retrieve the passwords from this database, click on the open button, locate the file you saved, enter the Master Password, and here you get all your saved passwords. You can create multiple password databases if you wish.
5] Features of KeePass
When you create a new database, the window you come across, as shown in Step # 1, you can choose a key file. So you can either select a key file or master password as your pass to this database, or you can use a combination of both. Key-file is automatically generated.
- You can Drag and Drop Usernames and Passwords from the database to their respective fields.
- Autofill is also one of the features. Open the web page or the application, click on the respective password entry in the database and then choose to Perform Auto-Type under the edit menu.
- It will automatically enter the Username and Password and hit the enter button to get you logged in without any additional key press.
- Regarding the portability of this software, you need to copy the generated database file, which has the KDB extension, and the folder KeePassPortable to use anywhere. You can zip this folder with the database file and save it in your mail account.
KeePass has a lot more than I could unveil here. I found the above software suitable enough. Give it a try; I am sure you will relish the privilege. Please comment back to tell me if you liked this application.
Bonus Tip: If you missed it, do read How to Create Simple yet Secure Password
