Important Note About Using the Password Database

The Java Contactor Password Database uses DES PKI encryption to store the passwords in the password database for security. This ensures that your passwords cannot be stolen by reading the contents of the database with an editor. This security is accomplished by using a private key file called key.sel that is used to unlock the encryption algorithm. This key file is located in the Java Contactor folder.

It is important that you protect this key.sel file for 2 important reasons. The first is that if someone were to take a copy of your private key and your password database, they could read the passwords on another computer using another copy of the Java Contactor. The second reason is that if you lose this key file, you will be unable to read your passwords. Please ensure that you back up your computer so that you can safely retrieve the key and password databases in case of computer failure. By the same token, please make sure to keep the key.sel file safe from people that shouldn't be able to read your passwords.

Using the Password database for the first time

The first time you use the Java Contactor database, it will create a private key file called key.sel in the Java Contactor database folder. This is your private key to unlock your encrypted password database (see the Important Note About Using Passwords). If you reinstall the Java Contactor, a new key.sel file will be created and this new key.sel file will not be able to read your old password database. If you need to reinstall the Java Contactor, you can copy your old key.sel into the new installation so that you can read your old password database, or you can export your passwords as a plain text file before reinstalling and then importing the plain text version of your passwords. Please note that passwords saved in plain text format are not encrypted and the password database can be read by a regular text editor.

Passwords Window

The Java Contactor Passwords Database window is very similar to the Contacts Database described in the Contacts Window section of the help manual. Instead of 8 pre-selected search fields, there are only 5 in the password database, Title, User Name, Url, Note and Group. You can still activate and use the other three search fields by mousing over the search field title and picking a search term, for example Title. For example, you can search for passwords belonging to Group A and Group B by using 2 "Group" search fields. The Java Contactor always searches for items that match all fields, i.e. it uses an "and" boolean search.

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Password Menu Items

There are 5 Menus in Java Contactor, File, Edit, Contact, Tools, and Help. Each of the menus is shown below.

The File Menu

Please see the file menu section for the Contact Database for a description of the file menu.

The Edit Menu

Please see the file menu section for the Contact Database for a description of the edit menu.

The Database Menu

Please see the file menu section for the Contact Database for a description of the edit menu.

The Tools Menu

The Tools Menu has one menu item available.

• Rename Fields - This option shows a dialog that allows the fields for the password database to be changed. Renaming the fields can change the display fields for the Java Contactor to the display fields that you prefer, for example to change them to a foreign language or to rename a field to fit your needs better.

The Help menu has 2 options

Please see the file menu section for the Contact Database for a description of the edit menu.

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Top Toolbar

Please see the Contact Database for a description of the Top Toolbar.

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Search Fields

There are 5 search fields initially displayed for searching, Title, User Name, Url, Note and Group. Any of these search fields can be changed to another search field, e.g. you can mouse over the "User Name" search field label and change it to "Group" and there would then be 2 Group fields to search on. Following this example, you can search for passwords belonging to Group A and Group B by using 2 "Group" search fields. The Java Contactor always searches for items that match all fields, i.e. it uses an "and" boolean search.

Please see the Contact Database for a further description of the Search Fields.

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Middle Toolbar

Please see the Contact Database for a description of the Middle Toolbar.

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Matching Password Tabs

Please see the Contact Database for a description of the Middle Toolbar.

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Status Bar

Please see the Contact Database for a description of the Middle Toolbar.

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