Changing Master Passwords
To change a master password ("Safe Combination"), first open up
the database whose
password you wish to change. Once opened, go to the Manage
menu and select Change Safe Combination. The following window will be displayed:
Note: If you do not have a YubiKey, then the YubiKey buttons will not be displayed,
and you can ignore the description of their use below.
To change a master password ("Safe Combination"), first open up the database whose
password you wish to change. Once opened, go to the Manage
menu and select Change Safe Combination. You should
enter the current master password, and then the new master password
(twice, for confirmation). The master password can be entered using the physical or virtual keyboard.
Password Safe has a built in check for what it considers to
be weak master passwords. In general, a master password (like any
password) should consist of mixed case characters with at least one
number or special character (such
as those found above the number keys on a keyboard). If a master
password is entered that the program considers weak, it will prompt for
confirmation. You may the option to accept the originally
entered (weak) password, or to enter a new one.
For YubiKey users: In addition to changing the master password as described above,
this window allows you to add or remove YubiKey authentication, add
or remove additional password authentication, as well as switch the
YubiKey that is used to access the current database. Following are
instructions for each of these actions:
Adding YubiKey Authentication
To convert a Password Safe database that is accessed using a Master
Password (Safe Combination) to YubiKey access:
- Enter the current Master Password in the Old Safe Combination
field
- Insert you YubiKey
- If you wish, enter (and confirm) a password in the New Safe
Combination and Confirmation fields.
- Click on the lower Yubikey button, and then
activate your YubiKey.
Removing YubiKey Authentication
To change the PasswordSafe database so that it is only protected by
a master password:
- Insert your YubiKey
- If you currently have a password associated with this
database, enter it in the Old Safe Combination field
- Click on the upper Yubikey button, and then
activate your YubiKey
- Set the New Safe Combination (and the Confirmation) to the
desired value.
- Click on OK.
Adding/Removing/Changing Password Authentication
Password Safe can use YubiKey as the only access mechanism, or along
with a conventional password. To change from one to another:
- Insert your YubiKey
- If you currently have a password associated with this
database, enter it in the Old Safe Combination field
- Click on the upper Yubikey button, and then
activate your YubiKey
- Set the New Safe Combination (and the Confirmation) to the
desired value: Blank to remove the password, or a new password
to add or replace the password.
- Click on the lower Yubikey button, and then
activate your YubiKey.
Changing YubiKeys
To switch from one YubiKey to another:
- Insert the old YubiKey
- If you have a password associated with this database as well,
enter it in the Old Safe Combination field
- Click on the upper Yubikey button, and then
activate your YubiKey
- Remove the old YubiKey, insert the new one
- If you wish, enter (and confirm) a password in the New Safe
Combination and Confirmation fields.
- Click on the lower Yubikey button, and then
activate your YubiKey.
Notes:
- There is no
mechanism within
Password Safe to retrieve lost or forgotten safe passwords.
This is a deliberate design decision, since any
mechanism for
retrieving lost passwords poses a security hole that can be
exploited.
- Please choose a difficult-to-guess password. A trivial
password, such as "password" or your name is easy to guess,
and negates
the security that Password Safe provides.