# Online Password Storage **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805 "2008-12-27T02:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/1 "2008-12-27T02:59:15Z")
Hey I currently am having to remember 5 passwords at work, and 10 others at home to access games and bills, etc. Can y’all recommend a secure place where I can store my passwords, 'cause I am constantly having to ask to have them re-set due to some of them requiring numbers and some not. Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/2 "2008-12-27T03:16:36Z")
Most browsers can store website passwords for you, securely on your local hard drive. It will fill in the appropriate username and password automatically when you visit a site for which you have stored login info. Which browser do you use? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/3 "2008-12-27T03:49:45Z")
IE 6… Thanks Q ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/4 "2008-12-27T03:51:41Z")
[KeePass Password Safe](http://keepass.info/). ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/5 "2008-12-27T03:53:42Z")
Ok, for IE, go to Tools \> Internet Options \> Content tab. Click the Settings button under AutoComplete. Then check the box to remember user names and passwords on forms. Optionally, check the box to prompt you to save passwords (useful if you wish to save some website passwords but not others). ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/6 "2008-12-27T03:54:11Z")
Also, this effin’ disease has got me so screwd up, that even though I may write down the password and who it’s for, I’m very likely to throw it away later, and then have to start all over. I TRY to remember to store them on a notepad, but here again, the memory of needing to do that fails me sometimes. It’s like: "Okay, bill’s paid. new password’s written down, written down - **finished!** Q ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/7 "2008-12-27T03:55:13Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > Ok, for IE, go to Tools \> Internet Options \> Content tab. Click the Settings button under AutoComplete. Then check the box to remember user names and passwords on forms. Optionally, check the box to prompt you to save passwords (useful if you wish to save some website passwords but not others). Thanks **Q.E.D**.! I’ll do that ASAP. Bill ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/8 "2008-12-27T10:10:42Z")
Having the browser remember the password for you might be convenient but it is a terrible idea for remembering passwords because the browser is not telling you what the password is. Also, this feature will not work with quite a few websites. Not to mention that it may not be the best idea to have your browser remember the password to your bank account. My recommendation is to establish ONE place where you will keep all your passwords. Whatever place is most convenient and easy to remember for you. You can have them on a sheet of paper which you keep in some place you will not forget like in a certain book in the bookshelf. You can have a small envelope and have each one on a small card. Probably something like that might be easiest for you. Just do whatever is easiest for you to remember. (Me, I keep them in an encrypted file in my computer of which I have several backups.) I would not recommend keeping them online nor in your computer, but that’s just me. Do it whichever way you find you will remember but just keep them all in one place. I just add a line to my file with like [www.site.com](http://www.site.com) - username - password - email used. etc ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/9 "2008-12-27T11:06:14Z")
[http://www.anypassword.com/](http://www.anypassword.com/) …is a small application that stores all your passwords in one single encrypted and password protected file. You just install the applicaiton on your PC, and don’t lose the file it creates. I’d avoid online password storage too. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/10 "2008-12-27T19:56:00Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > Having the browser remember the password for you might be convenient but it is a terrible idea for remembering passwords because the browser is not telling you what the password is. I don’t know about MSIE, but you can see your passwords in plaintext with FireFox, if you know where to look. I also highly recommend the use of a master password for anyone that store’s passwords in their browsers. Not only does it keep a local user from logging into your accounts, it also defeats some nasty viruses that are capable of reading your stored passwords and phoning back home with them. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/11 "2008-12-27T20:43:14Z")
When your computer dies, your access to passwords stored on it goes, too. I keep a list of ciphered passwords on an index card in a locked file cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/12 "2008-12-27T20:50:19Z")
> [@Racer1](#): > > [http://www.anypassword.com/](http://www.anypassword.com/) > > …is a small application that stores all your passwords in one single encrypted and password protected file. You just install the applicaiton on your PC, and don’t lose the file it creates. I’d avoid online password storage too. > [@Duckster](#): > > [KeePass Password Safe](http://keepass.info/). Second both of these suggestions. They store your passwords, and keep them safe using a single, master password. KeePass is also available as a [Portable Application](http://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/keepass_portable), so you can carry your passwords around with you on a USB drive. Just make sure that the master password is **very** strong, because if they crack that, they’ve got access to everything. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-password-storage/478805/13 "2008-12-27T22:40:40Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Can y’all recommend a secure place where I can store my passwords… If things are secure at home, just go for it now with the posterboard and magic marker on the wall near your computer. I saw the “I saved my passwords, but I don’t remember _where_” thing too many times. Hang in there.