{"id":265,"date":"2025-03-04T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tecnoartesanos.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/04\/how-to-use-keepass-step-by-step-guide\/"},"modified":"2025-03-04T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T13:00:00","slug":"how-to-use-keepass-step-by-step-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tecnoartesanos.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/04\/how-to-use-keepass-step-by-step-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use KeePass: Step-by-Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

KeePass is a free and open source password manager geared toward power users and tech enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

In this article, we walk you through how to set up and use KeePass. We also answer some frequently asked questions about KeePass and its feature set.<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. Downloading and installing KeePass<\/span><\/h2>\n

Unlike other popular password managers, KeePass is a completely free password manager. This means that you won\u2019t have to worry about losing out on features for choosing to download the free version or picking one paid subscription over another.<\/p>\n

In our hands-on review, KeePass received a score of 3.2 out of 5 stars. Check out our full KeePass review<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

To download KeePass, I went on their official website and navigated to the Downloads section. I\u2019m using my personal Windows laptop so I chose to click on the KeePass Installer for Windows.<\/p>\n

\"KeePass
KeePass download page. Image: KeePass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/p>\n

1<\/span> Dashlane <\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Company Size <\/div>\n
\n

Employees per Company Size<\/p>\n

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees)<\/span> Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Features<\/p>\n

Automated Provisioning<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a> <\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

2<\/span> NordPass <\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Company Size <\/div>\n
\n

Employees per Company Size<\/p>\n

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees)<\/span> Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Features<\/p>\n

Activity Log, Business Admin Panel for user management, Company-wide settings, and more<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a> <\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

3<\/span> ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus <\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Company Size <\/div>\n
\n

Employees per Company Size<\/p>\n

Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Any Company Size<\/span> Any Company Size<\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Features<\/p>\n

Access Management, Compliance Management, Credential Management, and more<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using a different operating system, simply look for the appropriate download link under KeePass\u2019 Contributed\/Unofficial KeePass Ports<\/strong> list.<\/p>\n

After it finished downloading, I ran the setup installer and went through the necessary install steps. Once installed, I launched the app and was redirected to a blank KeePass dashboard.<\/p>\n

\"KeePass
KeePass upon initial setup. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we noted in our full KeePass review<\/a>, KeePass doesn\u2019t have much in terms of an initial guide on how to use their software.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, I\u2019ll show you how to set everything up in this article.<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. Setting up a KeePass database<\/span><\/h2>\n

Once I got to this blank dashboard, I went over to the menu bar and hovered over File and clicked New.<\/p>\n

\"KeePass
New file. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This will prompt KeePass to start creating a New Database. A KeePass database is your password vault. It\u2019s the file that will store your passwords and other information securely.<\/p>\n

After clicking New, KeePass asked me if I wanted to proceed in creating a new database and I clicked OK. From there, I chose where I wanted to have my new database file saved and its.<\/p>\n

Afterwards, KeePass prompted me to provide a master password for my database.The master password is important because it serves as your main key to access your KeePass databases. In theory, this is the only password you will need to manually create and remember, as KeePass has a built-in password generator that can create random and secure passwords.<\/p>\n

\"Creating
Creating a master password. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clicking on \u201cShow expert options\u201d brings up KeePass\u2019 two options for multi-factor authentication (MFA): key file and linking to a Windows user account.<\/p>\n

Choosing key file<\/strong> lets you set a file to save \u2014 on your computer, a USB flash drive, or another device \u2014 to act as an additional requirement in tandem with your master password to access your database.<\/p>\n

\"KeePass
KeePass MFA options. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Meanwhile, linking to a Windows user account<\/strong> lets you access your KeePass database only if you\u2019re logged into a specific Windows user account.<\/p>\n

For this demonstration, I chose to only have a master password. After setting a password, I re-typed my chosen name for the new database.<\/p>\n

\"New
New database in KeePass. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SEE: Penetration Testing and Scanning Policy<\/a> (TechRepublic Premium)<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/span>3. Saving a new entry with KeePass<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that we\u2019ve got a database to work with, it\u2019s time to save our first password entry. As we saw, KeePass includes two sample entries when you create your first database. You can play around with these to get a feel for how it works.<\/p>\n

To save a new entry, you can either click the new entry button on the menu bar, right click on any space within the dashboard, and click Add Entry<\/strong> or use the shortcut Ctrl + I.<\/p>\n

\"KeePass
Add Entry button on the menu bar. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this case, I used the new entry button. From there, KeePass showed me the add entry menu and I filled in the fields for the Goodreads account I wanted to create.<\/p>\n

\"New
New Goodreads login. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By default, KeePass will generate a 20-character password but you can choose the length. You can also set it to have either numbers, upper or lower case letters, and special symbols.<\/p>\n

After I finished filling out the fields, I checked the generated password, pressed OK, and my KeePass login was saved.<\/p>\n

\"Saved
Saved logins in KeePass. Image: Luis Millares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To access my new Goodreads credentials, I had the option to go to the newly saved login, right click it, and copy the saved username or password.<\/p>\n