PW Master
(formerly Password Master)

Introduction PW Master is a secure (AES-256 encryption) password manager that allows you to save user IDs, passwords and other sensitive information (such as social security numbers), optionally associate them with website URLs, and facilitate logging into websites.

Websites are constantly improving their security and, frankly, trying to defeat automatic user ID and password entry functions built into browsers. Therefore PW Master supports many options for user ID and password entry.

PW Master incorporates several advanced features not commonly found in other password managers, including:

  • the ability to specify two-part user IDs that must be entered into two fields on the web page,
  • the ability to automatically enter the password on a different page than the User ID,
  • support for passwords that must be entered by clicking on the screen (e.g. with an on-screen numeric pad), and
  • the ability to associate a different browser with each website (if the site works properly only with a particular browser).
PW Master incorporates the password and website management features already incorporated into Records Master, thus PW Master is FREE to registered Records Master users.

 

 Contents

Quickstart

When you first run PW Master, it will prompt you to create a password file.  To do so, in addition to specifying the location of the file, you need to choose a password (twice).  The contents of the file will be encrypted with strong AES-256 encryption, and you will not be able to recover the data if you forget your password.  As an option, you can specify under the File menu, that the file's password be saved in the Keychain.

The Main Window

An example database is shown at the right.  If you specify a website in an entry, an arrow appears.  If you click on the arrow (or select the arrow and type (command-shift-u) you will be taken to the website in your default browser and optionally logged in, or you will be able to enter your user ID and/or password via hot keys, or enter your password manually with PW Master reminding you of the password.

Using the search field at the top of the window, you can search for any content in an entry.  Cmd-f clears the search field and puts your cursor there.  Cmd-g searches again for the string in the search field.

If your cursor is not in the search field, typing finds entries by their name.

Using the buttons at the bottom of the window, you can add new entries, delete selected ones, or duplicate a selected entry.

If you have more than one password file open, you can drag and drop entries between files.  Entries dragged are copied, not moved.

You can also drag and drop entries between a password file and a Records Master database.  When you drag folders from a Records Master database to a PW Master file, each folder with password data specified will create an entry in your file.  When you drag entries from PW Master to Records Master, folders are created for each entry.

Creating/Editing Entries

You can also double-click (or select and type cmd-e) an entry to view its contents or edit it.  For example, if you double-click the "Website" entry the result is shown at the right.

In the dialog that appears, in addition to filling in the information, you can

Generating Passwords

You can generate a random password with the Generate Password button. The default length of the password generated is specified in the Preferences, but you can specify a length (8,12,16,20,24, or 32) for each password generated.  Generated passwords are guaranteed to have at least one lowercase letter, uppercase letter, and number, and you can specify whether it contains a special character.  Generated passwords will NEVER  contain the letters IOU or the special character | to avoid confusion with other letters or numbers. When you generate a new password, the old password is saved in the notes along with the date and time.

Entering User IDs

You have several options for when/how the user ID will be entered. The default is to enter the user ID when you type a hot key (specified in the Preferences, default cmd-control-u), but you can also specify that the user ID be entered automatically after going to the web page. If your URL loads with the cursor not in the user ID field, then you can also choose to have a variable number of TABs entered before the user ID. When going to a URL, PW Master will wait a number of seconds (specified in the Preferences, default 10) to make sure the page has loaded before entering the user ID.

Entering Passwords

You have four options for when/how the password is entered, as shown at the right. For "normal" websites that prompt for the user ID and password in adjacent fields on the same page, the default is to automatically enter the password in the next field after the user ID is entered. For websites (such as www.virtualbank.com) that prompt for user ID on one page and password on the next page, choose the Automatically in field on next page option for password entry, In this case, PW Master will wait the number of seconds specified in the Preferences for the next page to load.  You can also specify how many TABs must be entered before the password when it is entered automatically.  You can also specify that RETURN be typed after the password is entered, thereby completing your login.

If you need finer control than the automatic options, choose the when its hot key is typed option for password entry.  The password entry is specified in the Preferences, default cmd-control-p.

For websites (such as www.ingdirect.com) that require that the password be entered on-screen via a keypad that randomly changes each time it is displayed, choose the Manually, w/ password in floating window option for password entry, In this case, PW Master will display the password in a semi-transparent floating window, allowing you to view it while entering the password via the keypad. The password will remain visible for 10 seconds, or until you close its window.

Note: Use of the user ID and/or password hot keys will result in the clipboard being cleared for security reasons.

If you encounter websites for which the above options for how userIDs and passwords are entered do not work, please email the author, and I will try to add support.

Specifying The Browser To Use

You can also specify what browser to use when displaying the URL via the menu at the bottom of the attributes.  This menu lists the "Default Browser" (whatever is set for your system) as well as other browsers found on your system.  You might want to choose a browser other than the default for websites that work properly only in a particular browser.

Going To Recent Websites

You can quickly go to one of the last 20 websites you have visited with the "Go To Recent Website" in the "File" menu.

Importing Password Data From Other Programs

When you select Import Password Data... under the File menu, you select a file to import data from, with the imported data creating entries in your file.  Each entry created will represent one website, URL, user ID, and password.  You can import from files with the following formats:
After you select the file, you will see a dialog like the following:



You can choose how the fields are separated in the file until they line up in columns.  Then you drag the names of the columns so each column of data is correctly identified.  You can drag the small empty columns at the right if there are "extra" fields in the input that must be ignored.  You then check the fields you want to import.

Exporting

Using the Export Selected Entries... command under the File menu, you can export into a .csv file.  Each entry will occupy one line, with comma-separated values.  Note that the resulting file will not be encrypted or protected in any way.

The File Menu

The File Menu is shown at the right.

If you select "Save File Password In Keychain" the file's password will be saved in the system's keychain, and you will not be prompted to enter it when you open the file (or when bring with file forward if you specified the preference to be prompted then). To turn this on you must re-enter the file password.  You can toggle this setting on and off.

If you select "Change password..." you can specify a new file password but you must re-enter the current password.

You can also import or export password data, go to the URL in the current entry or a recently used one, or print.

Printing

Using the Print command in the File menu (command-P), you can print the selected entries.  If no entries are selected, all entries are printed.

Preferences

You can view and edit the preferences by selecting the Preferences... command under the PW Master menu (command-,). The resulting dialog is shown at the right, with defaults shown.

You can specify the hot keys for entering user IDs and passwords as well as the default length of generated passwords, from 6 to 32 characters.

For increased security, you can specify that you be re-prompted for the file password whenever PW Master is brought forward, or after a period of inactivity, not just when you open the file.

You can also specify the  number of seconds that PW Master should wait for a page to load in a browser before automatically typing a user ID or password.

You can also specify whether User IDs and Passwords are typed or pasted.  Some websites disable pasting passwords, so you may find that the typing option overcomes that limitation.  However, typing can be impacted by other third-party utilities.  You can adjust the typing speed in case that works better if you have any conflicts.

You can specify what information from an entry will be displayed when you hover over an entry with the cursor.

You can specify that you want to confirm deletions.

Though you will be asked whether you want to automatically check for updates, you can modify the setting here.

Read-only Password Files

PW Master can use password files that are read-only (such as on a CD or write-protected USB drive or network drive).  In this case, the main window appear as shown at the right, with an icon in the upper-left corner denoting it is red-only, and with the buttons to add, delete, and duplicate entries gone.  Also, if you double-click an item, you will not be able to save any changes.

Macintosh Requirements

PW Master runs on MacOS 10.4+. Universal Binary.

FAQ

Q:  I am running 10.8 (Mountain Lion) or later.  I cannot get your program to run because it was not downloaded from the app store, and there is a message about an unidentified developer. What do I do now?

A: Just right-click on the program and choose "Open". Then answer the dialog saying you want to open the application.  This will run the program and allow you to run it in the future just by double-clicking it.

Version History

3.2 - Fixed bug occurring when more than one database is open.

3.1 - Feature enhancements:

3.0 - Feature enhancement:

2.81 - Fixed repeating upgrade prompt.

2.8 - Feature enhancements:

2.71 - Fixed bug in entering registration code.

2.7 - Feature enhancements:

2.6 - Updated Automatic Login Warning.

2.5 - Feature enhancements and bug fix:

2.4 - Feature enhancements:

2.3 - Feature enhancement:

2.3 - Feature enhancements:

2.2 - Fixed bug in saving notes.

2.1 - Performance improvement and bug fixes.

2.0  - Name change, feature enhancements, bug fix:

1.9 - Feature enhancement:

1.8 - Feature enhancement:

1.7 - Feature enhancement:

1.6 - Feature enhancement:

1.5 - Feature enhancement:

1.4 - Feature enhancement:

1.3 - Feature enhancement and bug fix:

1.2 - Feature enhancements and bug fix:

1.1 - Feature enhancements:

1.0 - Initial Release.

Purchasing PW Master

Note: PW Master incorporates the password and website management features already incorporated into Records Master, thus PW Master is FREE to registered Records Master users.    It will automatically be registered on a machine with Records Master registered.

PW Master is shareware. You can try it out for 30 days, but if you still use it thereafter, you must register it. The price is very reasonable--$10. After 30 days, PW Master will not work unless you have registered it.

Registration includes future updates. 

To purchase PW Master, select Registration... under the PW Master Menu, and click on the Purchase Registration Code button. You will be taken to a web site where you can choose among the above options, then to a payment web site where you can pay by credit card. Once you have paid, you will receive a registration code via email.  You can enter this code into PW Master Registration... dialog.


PW Master Copyright © 2011-2016 John Woodward. All rights reserved.

You may distribute PW Master unmodified via any media, as long as you keep it together with its Read Me file.