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Installation / Portability

KeePass 1.x installation, uninstallation, portability and updates.


General information

When downloading KeePass, you have the choice between 3 different packages:

  • KeePass-1.xx-Setup.exe: An installer program for Windows.
  • KeePass-1.xx.zip: A KeePass ZIP package (portable version).
  • KeePass-1.xx-Src.zip: The source code.

The installer and the portable version are described in detail below.

The source code package contains everything you need to compile KeePass. It includes the C++ source code and header files, resource files, sources for building the installer, etc.

In contrast to many other applications, KeePass does not require any functions of the latest Windows operating system, like theming on XP or like a .NET application that requires the .NET Framework. For example, KeePass does support theming, but it's optional. KeePass runs perfectly on older systems without any feature limitations.

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 on which package you are using (installer or portable), see below.

Translations should also be updated when you install a new KeePass version. You can find the latest translation files here: KeePass Translations.


Installer program (KeePass-1.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 KDB files with KeePass, if desired.

Additionally, KeePass is automatically configured to store its settings in the application data directory of the current user. This way 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 is installed.

Installation:
To install KeePass, run the KeePass-1.xx-Setup.exe file and follow the wizard.

Updating:
Run the KeePass-1.xx-Setup.exe file. You do not need to uninstall the old version first. Your configuration options will not be lost.

Uninstallation:
In order to uninstall KeePass, run the uninstallation program, which is accessible by a shortcut in the start menu folder of KeePass, or in the program section of the system control panel. If you also want to remove your configuration settings, you need to delete the configuration file in the application data directory of your user profile, see Configuration.

Silent Installation:
The KeePass installer KeePass-1.xx-Setup.exe supports command line switches for silent installation, i.e. the 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 silent installation and shows a status dialog during the setup process. No questions will be asked though.

The /VERYSILENT command line switch performs a silent 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 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 then display the destination path selection page again.


Portable version (KeePass-1.xx.zip file)

The portable version can 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 access to its application directory. Otherwise, if it doesn't have, it'll attempt to store the configuration options (nothing security-relevant though) into the application data directory of the currently logged on user. For more about that, see this page: Configuration.

Installation:
KeePass does not need 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 location of your choice (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 all new files over the old ones. Your configuration settings will not be lost (the settings are stored in the KeePass.ini file, which won't be overwritten, because KeePass ZIP packages don't include a KeePass.ini file).

Uninstallation:
Simply delete the KeePass folder.







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