It seems the more time we spend surfing the internet, the larger our collection of userids and passwords becomes. Most mornings I can’t find my car keys – how can I expect to remember lots of passwords? That’s why I wrote Key Pad. Fast and compact, it’s a perfect place to store all those internet passwords. And once they are stored, one click of the mouse can log you on to your favorite sites. Key Pad also offers a place to store all kinds of other important data as well.
Installation
Key Pad is a stand alone application. It has no extensions or control panels, so it is very system friendly. Installation is simply a matter of decompressing the distribution archive with Stuffit Expander. You may place the Key Pad folder anywhere on your hard drive(s) that you like.
Configuration
Key Pad’s settings can be accessed by selecting “Preferences…” from the Edit menu. As seen in the above picture, there several options you may set. Check the “Hide Passwords” option if you wish Key Pad to display your passwords and PIN numbers as bulleted text. Check “Show Quick tips” if you wish to see explanatory text when you move the cursor around the main window. Checking “Require Command Key” will require command clicking to send password information to the internet. Note that Internet Config must be installed and configured in order to use Key Pad’s internet launching features. Check the “Restore Default Window Positions” box if you wish to return the Toolbar and Console windows to their original default locations. By default, Key Pad sorts your database by modification date. Check the “Sort Alphabetically” box if you wish to sort your database alphabetically. Click the Save button to save your settings, or Cancel to discard your changes.
Launching for the first time
The first time you run Key Pad, you will see the registration dialog. Click the “Not yet” button. Select “New…” from the file menu. In the resulting dialog box, choose a file name and destination. Click the “Save” button to create your new Key Pad data file. This file will open automatically for you each time Key Pad is run. Its name appears in the Key Pad window title.
Using the ToolBar
Key Pad has many controls and features. For this part of the manual please refer to the following picture:
In order for your Key Pad data file to be useful to you, you must put some data in it. Clicking the big green plus (+) sign will add a new record to your data base. Alternatively, you may select “New Record” from the Edit menu. You may now enter your data in the appropriate fields of the console window pictured below. Use the popup menu to select the data type for your new entry. Choose “Save” from the file menu or click on the disk icon in the toolbar to save your changes. Your Key Pad file can contain as many entries as you like. Use it to store your internet passwords, bank account numbers, software keys, etc.
You may edit an entry at any time by clicking on the pencil in the toolbar, or selecting Edit Record from the Edit menu. Make any changes you desire and click save.
You may duplicate an entry by clicking on the double document in the toolbar, or you may select “Duplicate Record” from the Edit menu An exact copy of your entry is created and ready to edit. Choose save when you are done.
You may delete an entry by clicking on the trash can in the toolbar, or selecting “Delete Record” from the Edit menu. Be certain you wish to do this because the change is permanent.
Using the Console
Key Pad has many controls and features. For this part of the manual please refer to the following picture:
Now that you have some information stored in your Key Pad file, you will want to be able to access it. Use the popup menu to select a category to work with. You will notice that the numbers immediately to the right of the menu will change. The first number is the number of the record you are viewing. The second number is the total number of entries in the selected category. Use the double arrows on the right to scroll up or down your data file. Alternatively, you can click on the magnifying glass in the toolbar to search for specific text in your data file.
If you have Internet Config installed and configured, you will be able to use Key Pad’s internet launching features. Depending on the category you have chosen, you will see one or two red arrows on the right hand side of the window. These indicate that the data fields contain a url. Clicking on this arrow will automatically launch the appropriate internet application and take you to this url. Your userid and password will be automatically supplied if appropriate. In the upper left of the window, there is a little popup menu. Use this to launch the internet application of your choice.
In some instances, you will need to copy your password into the Macintosh clipboard. You can do this by clicking the password button. This button is located next to the password field. It is also available in the toolbar. Pushing it gives you a popup menu. Select “Copy Password” to copy your password to the clipboard. The other menu options provide you means to change your passwords. Don’t worry about them for now, we will cover those further down.
Remember you can get a brief description of a control by moving the cursor over it. Balloon help is also available.
Using the Password Generator
Key Pad features a password generator. You can open it by pushing the password button in either the console or toolbar and selecting “New Password…” This allows you to make secure randomly generated passwords. Just set your criteria (length of password, number of uppercase, and number of numeric characters) and push the Create button. If you wish, you may copy your new password to the clipboard by pushing the Copy button. If the console is displaying a record with a password field, then you may push the Update button to place the new password into the records password field.
Working with Commonly Used Passwords
Key Pad has support for storing and reusing up to 3 commonly used passwords. To set or change these passwords, select “Preferences…” from the Edit menu. Click on the Passwords tab. Type your desired password into the appropriate field. Click Save. You may copy one of these password at any time by pushing the password button and selecting your desired password. If you are creating or editing a record, you may paste one of these passwords into the password field by pushing the password button and selecting your desired password while holding down the command key. Note that these passwords are not very secure. They should be used only on websites that do not require a high level of security. For maximum password security, use the password generator.
Protecting your Key Pad data file
Key Pad supports password protection for your data files. To set or change a password, select “Preferences…” from the Edit menu. Click on the File Security tab. Type your current password in the appropriate field. If you do not have a password, leave it blank. Enter your new password in the new password and the verify password fields. Click Save. Use this procedure to remove a password as well. Just leave the new and verify password fields blank.
Security Considerations
Passwords, bank accounts, etc. are things most people prefer to keep to themselves. For your safety, Key Pad never stores any information in your data file “in the clear.” On the other hand Key Pad does not use any kind of strong encryption either. This means that a casual snooper will not be able to access your data file. A determined thief will be able to crack it. Your keypad file should be treated like you would treat your wallet or your keyring. Pay attention to where you keep them. Remember there are plenty of data encryption utilities available if you want stronger protection.
Another security issue is the password itself. Be sure to choose passwords that can not be readily guessed. Most experts recommend periodic changes to your passwords. It is essential to change it if you feel it has been compromised. Key Pad provides a convenient place to keep passwords up to date.
Registration
Key Pad is distributed as shareware ($12 US), and may be freely distributed only in its original compressed archive. You may use Key Pad free of charge for 30 days after which you are expected to register the software. Registration will remove the Please Register dialogs and eliminate the 25 record limit. Registration is handled by Kagi. You may use the Register application or you may register online
