lost passwword in keepassx

Asked by Curt

Installed keepassx on Hardy Heron, had a power failure during configuration with no battery backup. Now (4) directories are inaccessible with error message, "wrong signature." What do I need to do now?
Thanks,
Curt

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Ubuntu keepassx Edit question
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Jeruvy (jeruvy) said :
#1

Sorry to hear that. I always like to remind people that a UPS is a very good and important investment for computers since they can prevent this from occurring. They are not expensive or hard to use and can save many hours and much money in recovering hard disk problems among other things caused by power interruptions.

Regardless, let me try to help you with your issue. First you should check your hard disk(s) for any errors and fix them before you use them seriously. If there are errors on the disk you may cause more problems or lose data and that is something nobody wants.

Using Smartmontools will determine the extent of concern you should have with your hard disk, this how to will explain in great detail how to install/setup and check your disks. It's written for ubuntu 7.10 but it's still relevant.

http://www.howtoforge.com/checking-hard-disk-sanity-with-smartmontools-debian-ubuntu

If you encounter any problems or confusion or 'it doesn't work' reply back with the details.

Once the disk is checked as O.K., then try again and see if you can get keepassx to work normally. If not let us know if you get the same error or a different one. You may need to reinstall the package:

$ sudo apt-get remove keepassx
$ sudo apt-get install keepassx

and/or copy the database back to your home directory (assuming thats where you keep it) from backup.

Good luck.

Revision history for this message
Curt (c4mil) said :
#2

Have already checked disk and no errors.  Question: if I uninstall KeepassX, will that release any wayward, unknown passwords that could be blocking access to files, or will these passwords remain?  I considered buying a UPS a couple of years ago after a mishap but didn't.  This Time I Will ! !
Thanks,
Curt

--- On Fri, 7/10/09, Jeruvy <email address hidden> wrote:

From: Jeruvy <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #76542]: lost passwword in keepassx
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Friday, July 10, 2009, 1:26 PM

Your question #76542 on keepassx in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542

    Status: Open => Answered

Jeruvy proposed the following answer:
Sorry to hear that.  I always like to remind people that a UPS is a very
good and important investment for computers since they can prevent this
from occurring.  They are not expensive or hard to use and can save many
hours and much money in recovering hard disk problems among other things
caused by power interruptions.

Regardless, let me try to help you with your issue.  First you should
check your hard disk(s) for any errors and fix them before you use them
seriously.  If there are errors on the disk you may cause more problems
or lose data and that is something nobody wants.

Using Smartmontools will determine the extent of concern you should have
with your hard disk, this how to will explain in great detail how to
install/setup and check your disks.  It's written for ubuntu 7.10 but
it's still relevant.

http://www.howtoforge.com/checking-hard-disk-sanity-with-smartmontools-
debian-ubuntu

If you encounter any problems or confusion or 'it doesn't work' reply
back with the details.

Once the disk is checked as O.K., then try again and see if you can get
keepassx to work normally.  If not let us know if you get the same error
or a different one.  You may need to reinstall the package:

$ sudo apt-get remove keepassx
$ sudo apt-get install keepassx

and/or copy the database back to your home directory (assuming thats
where you keep it) from backup.

Good luck.

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542/+confirm?answer_id=0

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542

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Revision history for this message
Jeruvy (jeruvy) said :
#3

Keepassx will simply remove itself but the database will remain. The database itself has nothing to do with the method that Ubuntu uses for verifying packages, etc., so to answer your question (if I understand correctly) I don't believe it would have any affect.

Perhaps you can post the exact error message you are encountering so we can review it more accurately. Perhaps running dmesg will allude to a more meaningful error message.

Good luck.

Revision history for this message
Curt (c4mil) said :
#4

KeepassX will not even let me open a terminal, therefore no DMESG.  Error message,"The following error occured while opening database: Wrong Signature".  I am running dual boot with WinXP Pro.  Is there any way I can use Windows to reset password in Linux without knowing password it is now using?  I understood you to say if I uninstall KeepassX the current passwords will continue to block assess.  If this is, in fact, what you meant, I would concur with this.  Is there any programs to hack the currently used passwords, either in Linux or Windows?
Thanks,
Curt

--- On Fri, 7/10/09, Jeruvy <email address hidden> wrote:

From: Jeruvy <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #76542]: lost passwword in keepassx
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Friday, July 10, 2009, 2:42 PM

Your question #76542 on keepassx in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542

    Status: Open => Needs information

Jeruvy requested for more information:
Keepassx will simply remove itself but the database will remain.  The
database itself has nothing to do with the method that Ubuntu uses for
verifying packages, etc., so to answer your question (if I understand
correctly) I don't believe it would have any affect.

Perhaps you can post the exact error message you are encountering so we
can review it more accurately.  Perhaps running dmesg will allude to a
more meaningful error message.

Good luck.

--
To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
this email or enter your reply at the following page:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542

You received this question notification because you are a direct
subscriber of the question.

Revision history for this message
Jeruvy (jeruvy) said :
#5

Ok, so let me see if I understand you correctly.

-- You click on the Keepassx icon via the Applications Menu, entered your password and you get an error: "The following error occured while opening database: Wrong Signature".?

The only way I can kind of reproduce this is by entering the 'wrong password'. But I get "The following eror occured while opening the database: Decryption failed. the key is wrong of the file is damaged" I'm satisfied this is a valid response to an invalid password, but this doesn't match your exact problem.

Are you using a key file along with a password? If so the key file may have been damaged. I would consider restoring this from backup if you are sure the password is good. OR the database may have become corrupt, again restoring from a backup would be the only solution. You may want to ask this from the keepassx developers directly via http://www.keepassx.org/forum/. This was one link I found regarding your problem http://www.keepassx.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1673 and it was suggested to copy the database to another system and trying to open it from there. However the bad news is it looks like corruption may be the issue here.

Good luck.

Revision history for this message
Curt (c4mil) said :
#6

As I recall, I had set the password and checked the "key file" box and was exploring the files when the power went out.  Up to this point I have been the only one with access to the computer so had no encryption, not even a password at bootup.  I was trying to secure my  /home directory when bad things happened.  I suspect this is why I can boot but cannot access the  /home directory.  I am sure of the main password I set.  I think it is probably locked with a corrupted key file. This is probably why i get the "Wrong Signature" error, but yet you cannot duplicate the error message.  I am now getting an error on INITRD.IMG file.  My backups are inadequate for restoring to the degree I would desire when things go wrong (Surprise!).  Being a self-employed contractor, computer
 management is not one of my strong points.  But by owning and using a computer since 1989, you would think one would learn!  (I went out today and bought a UPS!) I have used windows until Feb 2009 so am not very saavy at ubuntu yet.  But I'm learning real fast!  I have been working on this problem since  July 6.  And all of this was totally avoidable!  It seems   to me if I could get rid of the KeepassX corrupted password my problem would be solved. It doesn't seem to me the main files would be damaged, just access to them.   But I don't know what to do next.  Can I boot to windows and get rid of the password and/or repair the linux files?   Any suggestions you have will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Curt
--- On Fri, 7/10/09, Jeruvy <email address hidden> wrote:

From: Jeruvy <email address hidden>
Subject: Re: [Question #76542]: lost passwword in keepassx
To: <email address hidden>
Date: Friday, July 10, 2009, 4:45 PM

Your question #76542 on keepassx in ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542

    Status: Open => Answered

Jeruvy proposed the following answer:
Ok, so let me see if I understand you correctly.

--  You click on the Keepassx icon via the Applications Menu, entered
your password and you get an error: "The following error occured while
opening database: Wrong Signature".?

The only way I can kind of reproduce this is by entering the 'wrong
password'.   But I get "The following eror occured while opening
 the
database: Decryption failed.  the key is wrong of the file is damaged"
I'm satisfied this is a valid response to an invalid password, but this
doesn't match your exact problem.

Are you using a key file along with a password?  If so the key file may
have been damaged.  I would consider restoring this from backup if you
are sure the password is good.  OR the database may have become corrupt,
again restoring from a backup would be the only solution.  You may want
to ask this from the keepassx developers directly via
http://www.keepassx.org/forum/.  This was one link I found regarding
your problem http://www.keepassx.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1673 and
it was suggested to copy the database to another system and trying to
open it
 from there.  However the bad news is it looks like corruption
may be the issue here.

Good luck.

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542/+confirm?answer_id=4

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/keepassx/+question/76542

You received this question notification because you are a direct
subscriber of the question.

Revision history for this message
Jeruvy (jeruvy) said :
#7

Unfortunately I'd stick to trying one of my previous suggestions, to see if the file is usable and/or recoverable. Nothing else gives me any indication that there is anything else I can suggest. You may have to come to the conclusion that the file is non-recoverable.

Can you help with this problem?

Provide an answer of your own, or ask Curt for more information if necessary.

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