Alternate Password DB is a free password manager software. It’s a simple and intuitive application that lets you store all your passwords and other similar confidential information (PINs, security questions etc.). All of the entered information is stored in an encrypted form, secured by Blowfish-256 encryption. In addition to standard fields (username, passwords etc.) you can also include additional information (e.g. notes, comments) with the saved keys. One of the interesting features of Alternate Password DB is that it allows you to securely save files and tables to a password database. It also supports multiple level nested folders. You can even configure Alternate Password DB to auto-lock after a certain duration with a master password. Heck, it even includes a built in password generator. Sounds fun? Head past the break to find out more.
How To Use This Free Password Manager Software?
As boring and monotonous it may be, but Alternate Password DB still needs to be installed before you can get started with it. The program itself is quite lightweight and as such, installation is a breeze. Here’s how Alternate Password DB looks like, once it’s launched:
As evinced by the above screenshot, Alternate Password DB features a super simple and easy to use interface. It’s primarily divided into two vertical panes. The left pane is primarily used for navigation, and shows up the keys added to the password database in a tree like fashion. In addition to that, all of the folders, sub-folders, files etc. also show up in the navigation pane. The bigger right pane lets you add/edit actual key details (username, passwords, comments and notes etc.) for the element selected on the left. Apart from that, there’s just a simple menu bar and an icon based options bar. Pretty simple stuff, right?
Just like the user interface itself, using Alternate Password DB is also ridiculously simple. Essentially, all you have to is add the information, and save it to the database file. Here’s a little step by step process illustrating how to get it done:
Step 1: Add a new key file to the database using the Entry > Add Key option. Once you do that, the key is automatically created under the currently selected folder. Simply enter the username and password into their respective fields, and hit the Save icon to save the information to a password database file on your computer. You can also use the right click context menu to edit/delete key information, as well as add other stuff such as files, tables, and things like that. Check out the screenshot below:
Step 2: As mentioned in the beginning of the article, Alternate Password DB also includes a built in password generator that can be used to create/suggest secure passwords for your accounts. To access it, use Options > Password Generator menu item. You can specify the length of the desired password, as well as the characters that you want to use for creating it. Here’s a screenshot:
As illustrated above, you can generate as many passwords as you want, and also directly copy them to the clipboard. Alternate Password DB also includes auto-lock protection feature, which locks up the application after a specific duration. In that case, it can be only accessed by supplying the master password. To specify the Master Password and other settings, use Options > Change Password/Settings. As simple as that!
Also See: 5 Free Strong Password Generator Websites
Conclusion
Alternate Password DB is a nifty and useful password manager software. It provides a simple, no-frills way of saving your digital credentials and other important information to a secure encrypted database file on your computer. Alternate Password DB is lightweight, and works the way it should. And with features like built in password generator, auto-lock and the ability to save files and tables, it becomes even better. Do give it try, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
