Password manager KeePass

Keepass is a free tool to help you manage all the password in your life. Here's a better pitch from the main site.

Today you need to remember many passwords. You need a password for the Windows network logon, your e-mail account, your homepage's FTP password, online passwords (like website member account), etc. etc. etc. The list is endless. Also, you should use different passwords for each account. Because if you use only one password everywhere and someone gets this password you have a problem... A serious problem. The thief would have access to your e-mail account, homepage, etc. Unimaginable.

KeePass is a free open source password manager, which helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way. You can put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key file. So you only have to remember one single master password or select the key file to unlock the whole database. The databases are encrypted using the best and most secure encryption algorithms currently known (AES and Twofish).

Keepass has a HUGE list of features and because it's open source there are 3rd party plugins you can install to extend the functionality of the software.

Oh you want downloads? How about:
KeePass 1.14 (Windows Installer EXE)
KeePass 1.14 (ZIP Package)
KeePass for PocketPC and Smart Devices
KeePass for Linux / MacOS X (KeePassX)
KeePass for J2ME (Symbian, ...)
KeePass for BlackBerry
KeePass for PalmOS (Converter) (also see 2.x To KeyRing)
KeePass for PortableApps Suite™
KeePass 1.14 for U3 Devices
KeePass for Preinstalled Environments (PE)

Need it in another language? 42 languages!!

Screenshots

I suggest that if you aren't currently using a password manager that you download and use Keepass today!

Defrag with JkDefrag

I had a server with only 5% free on the C: drive that was massively fragmented. Unfortunately Windows built-in defragmentation program needs at least 15% free space. JkDefrag didn't care how much space I had left and did a great job of defragmenting it.

JkDefrag is 100% FREE which is the part I love best. There's also NO install. The download is a ZIP file that contains the main application, a command-line version, a screensaver version and the entire main web page as a Help. Download version include 32 bit and 64 bit. Works with Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/2008. You can even download the source code if you like which is in Microsoft Visual C++ 2005.

There 3 ways to use JkDefrag right out of the box.

JkDefrag.exe

Windows version. This is what most people will use. No installation or configuration necessary, it's ready to run and will automatically process all the mounted, writable, fixed volumes on your computer

JkDefragCmd.exe

Commandline version. Specially designed to be run automatically in the background, or from administrator scripts. See the "Commandline" chapter below for a list of commandline options, and the "Frequently Asked Questions" on how to run it automatically with the Windows Scheduler.

JkDefragScreenSaver.scr + JkDefragScreenSaver.exe

Screen saver version. Move (or copy) these two files to the "windows" folder on your harddisk (usually "c:\Windows\" or "c:\Winnt\"). It will automatically become visible in the list of screen savers as "JkDefrag screensaver" and can be used just like any other screensaver (right-click somewhere on your desktop and select Properties/Personalize, then select the Screen Saver tab).

JkDefrag is extremely customizable and the web site and help file breaks the whole thing down.

I've created shortcuts with specific commands in each. One just analyzes a drive, one will defragment and optimize and another just optimizes by sorting all files by name (folder + filename).

JkDefrag is gentle enough to use on a daily (or nightly) basis for keeping some of the more used computers in my arsenal in tip-top shape.

This software has a growing following and there is plenty of 3rd party versions to help make JkDefrag one of the favorite defragmenting programs out there.

Tag team your VNC with mRemote

I know this was covered a week ago on another blog but since I discovered it it has become the blood in my IT network.

mRemote is a full-featured, open source, multi-tab remote connections manager. It allows you to store all your remote connections in a simple yet powerful interface.

Currently these protocols are supported:

• RDP (Remote Desktop)
• VNC (Virtual Network Computing)
• ICA (Independent Computing Architecture)
• SSH (Secure Shell)
• Telnet (TELecommunication NETwork)
• HTTP/S (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
• Rlogin (Rlogin)

Here's a HUGE list of features.

• Free and Open Source, relist of connections
• Inheritance makes it possible to store properties on folder basis and let the underlying connections inherit this info
• Support for importing connections from Active Directory
• Allows creating nested containers (folders) to categorize connections
• "Quick Connect" feature to quickly open a connection without creating an entry
• "Quick Search" feature to quickly find a connection while typing
• Support for SCP/SFTP (SSH) file
• leased under the GPL
• Panels and tabs allow to group certain connections together, dock them to any side of the window or completely undock them and move them to another screen for example
• Multiple supported protocols (RDP, VNC, ICA, SSH, Telnet, RAW, Rlogin and HTTP/S)
• Easy to organize and maintain
transfers
• Assign icons to connections to easily identify purpose
• Screenshot manager allows to collect multiple screenshots and save them all together or copy them to the clipboard
• View remote session info and log off sessions (RDP)
• Portable
• Auto-Reconnect feature
• "Auto-Update" feature
• SQL Server support
• Show description tooltips when hoovering over connections
• System tray icon with connection menu
• Fullscreen (Kiosk) mode
• Assign global credentials to use when no information is provided on connection basis
• Host Up/Down (Ping) feature shows if the selected host answers to a ping

I have mine set up with folders containing connections to all my servers, printers, routers and WiFi points. I also have folders for what I call Active VNC connections where all the connections are set to interact with the end user. Another folder, called View Only, contains VNC connections set to View only so I can't mess someone up with my mouse while I watch them work. Yet another folder for the classic Remote Desktop Connections.

Once everything is all set up I can connect to remote computers so fast it's like I've been working at that computer all day. And having multiple connections open in the same window is so much better than having a bunch of open windows cluttering up my taskbar.

Even while writing this post I was visited by a coworker who was suddenly missing the shared group calendars in his Outlook. While he was standing there explaining the situation to me I was able to log into his computer and fix the problem within 30 seconds. It would have taken much longer to do this if I had gone to his desk at the other end of the building.

I recommend this free (for now) software to anyone who has to manage multiple computers. I say, "free (for now)", because the author is considering taking the open source program to commercial due to it's popularity. Get it for free while you can.