CryptInfo 4.0.9

www.normsoft.com

Copyright 1999-2002 NormSoft, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction
    1-1 Features
2 Registration
    2-1 Entering Registration Information
3 Requirements & Compatibility
4 Installation
    4-1 Upgrading
    4-2 Installing With the Installer
    4-3 Installing Without the Installer
5 Using the Palm Version
    5-1 Setting Your Passphrase
    5-2 Entering Your Passphrase
    5-3 Changing Your Passphrase
    5-4 The Account List
    5-5 Adding Accounts
    5-6 Viewing Accounts
    5-7 Editing Accounts
    5-8 Preferences
    5-9 Exporting
        5-9-1 Exporting a Single Account
        5-9-2 Exporting a Category
        5-9-3 Exporting All Accounts
        5-9-4 Viewing Exported Accounts
    5-10 Importing
        5-10-1 Field Format
        5-10-2 CSV Format
        5-10-3 Preparing For an Import
        5-10-4 Performing an Import
6 Using the PC Version
    6-1 Entering Your Passphrase
    6-2 Choosing an Existing Database
    6-3 Creating a New Palm Database
    6-4 Creating a New PC-Only Database
    6-5 The CryptInfo/PC Main Window
    6-6 The Category Pane
    6-7 The Account List Pane
    6-8 The Account View Pane
    6-9 Creating a New Account
    6-10 Editing an Account
    6-11 Deleting an Account
    6-12 Locking the Database
    6-13 Creating a New Category
    6-14 Renaming a Category
    6-15 Deleting a Category
    6-16 Category Preferences
    6-17 Cutting an Account
    6-18 Copying an Account
    6-19 Pasting an Account
    6-20 Finding Accounts
    6-21 Changing Your Passphrase
    6-22 Copying An Account's Password
    6-23 Command-Line Options
7 Synchronization
8 Frequently Asked Questions
    8-1 Is My CryptInfo Data Backed Up?
    8-2 Is the Backup Encrypted?
    8-3 How Do I Restore My CryptInfo Information?
    8-4 Is There a Macintosh Version?
    8-5 What Happens to My Accounts When Upgrading?
    8-6 Can I Use CryptInfo on More Than One PC?
9 Troubleshooting

1 Introduction

CryptInfo is an award-winning secure information manager for your Palm and/or your PC.  With it, you can securely store all of your passwords, PINs, account numbers, and more!  With strong encryption, your information is safe from prying eyes, and with synchronization, you can access everything from your Palm or your PC!

The Palm and PC versions can be used separately or together to provide a very flexible way to manage your sensitive information.  You do not need to have a Palm in order to use CryptInfo.

1-1 Features

CryptInfo includes many features to make your life easier, safer, and more efficient.

This product includes software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit. (http://www.openssl.org/)
This product includes cryptographic software written by Eric Young (eay@cryptsoft.com)

2 Registration

CryptInfo is free to try for 30 days.  After that, you must purchase a registration code.  Registration entitles you to one free upgrade to the next major version and unlimited e-mail technical support for one year.  For example, if you register version 4.0, you will receive version 5.0 for free when it is available.  You will also receive all intermediate releases prior to version 6.0.

You can register online with a credit card by visiting http://www.normsoft.com/cryptinfo/

If you previously purchased version 3.1, you will receive 4.0 as a free upgrade.  You should have received a registration number by email.  If you did not get one, email us at support@normsoft.com to request it.

2-1 Entering Registration Information

When you register, you will receive a registration code.  You will need to enter this code on your PC and on your Palm to get CryptInfo to recognize that you've registered.  Doing this is simple:

On the Palm

  1. Start CryptInfo and enter your passphrase.
  2. Tap the menu icon and select "About..." from the "Help" menu.
  3. In the space below "Enter registration key:", enter your registration code.
  4. Tap "Done."

On the PC

  1. Start CryptInfo/PC.
  2. Open a database or select "Cancel".
  3. From the Help menu, select "About CryptInfo/PC...".  The following dialog will appear.
  4. Click on "Enter Registration Information...".  The following dialog will appear.
  5. Enter your registration code in the space provided.  The valid versions will be displayed so that you can verify how long your license is good for.  For example, if you purchased CryptInfo 4.0, your valid versions will be "4.X, 5.X".
  6. Click OK.
3 Requirements & Compatibility

CryptInfo for the Palm will run on any Palm-powered device with PalmOS 2.0 or later.  Synchronization with the PC requires PalmOS 3.0 or later.  There are no known problems between CryptInfo and any other Palm application or Hack.  CryptInfo will disable certain keyboard or graffiti enhancer programs when the "Hide Passphrase" checkbox is checked.  If you have trouble entering text with this option turned on, uncheck the checkbox and try again.

CryptInfo/PC will run on Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, XP, or later Windows operating system.  Palm Desktop 3.0.1 or later is required to synchronize with the Palm.  Palm Desktop 4.0 or later is recommended for best compatibility.  (Palm Desktop is available as a free download from www.palm.com)

4 Installation

CryptInfo can be installed on a Windows PC using the provided installer (setup.exe).  The Palm version can be installed separately without using the installer.  (It is recommended that you use the installer unless you are using a non-Windows computer.)  See the sections below for information on upgrading or installing.

Before installing or upgrading, it is strongly recommended that you perform a backup of your Palm desktop information.  This can be done by making a copy of your Palm Desktop folder.  This is usually C:\Palm on Microsoft Windows.  Make sure to perform a HotSync first.  Then, copy this entire folder to another place on your hard disk, or use your backup program to backup this folder.

4-1 Upgrading

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of 4.0, just follow the installation instructions in the next sections.  You do not need to uninstall the previous version first.

If you are upgrading from CryptInfo 3.0 or later, you don't need to do anything special.  Just follow the instructions below for installation.  When you run CryptInfo 4.0 on your Palm for the first time, you will see a message that your database is being upgraded.  It may take several minutes to complete this upgrade.  Do not power off or reset your Palm during this time or data may be lost!

If you are upgrading from CrypInfo 2.5.1 or earlier, you will need to install CryptInfo 3.1 first before you can install 4.0.  Download CryptInfo 3.1 at http://www.normsoft.com/cryptinfo/CryptInfo3.1.zip .  Follow the installation instructions included with that ZIP file carefully.  Send e-mail to support@normsoft.com if you have any difficulties.

4-2 Installing With the Installer

If your computer is running Microsoft Windows, you can run the CryptInfo installer to get up and running quickly.  Follow the steps below to do this.

  1. On Windows NT, 2000, and XP, you must be logged in as a user with administrator privileges to install CryptInfo/PC.

  2. Open the CryptInfo4.0.9.zip file using WinZip (available at www.winzip.com).  (If you prefer to use another Zip program, extract the files to a temporary directory and then double-click on Setup.exe.  Then skip to step 4.)

  3. Click on the "Install" icon to start the installer.

  4. A welcome dialog will appear that describes CryptInfo.  Click Next.

  5. The CryptInfo license will appear.  Read the license and make sure you understand it before clicking Next.

  6. The next dialog will ask you to choose which components you wish to install.

    If you do not have Palm Desktop installed, "CryptInfo for the Palm" and "CryptInfo Conduit" will not be available.
    Choose which components you would like to install and then click "Next".

  7. If you chose to install CryptInfo/PC, the next dialog will ask you where you would like to install it.  You can accept the default if you are not sure.

  8. If you chose to install CryptInfo for the Palm and there are multiple Palm Desktop users on your computer, the next dialog will ask you which Palm user you wish to install CryptInfo to.  Pick the Palm user who will be using CryptInfo.

  9. The next dialog will display a summary of your installation options.

    Review your choices and then click "Install" to begin the installation.

  10. The CryptInfo software will be installed.  You will see a progress bar that indicates the progress of the installation.  It should only take a few seconds to install the software.

  11. Finally, you will see a dialog that informs you whether or not the installation was successful.

  12. If you installed CryptInfo for the Palm, you will need to perform a HotSync operation at this point.

  13. Click "Finish" to complete the installation.

  14. If you installed CryptInfo for the Palm, you should now run CryptInfo on the Palm and then perform another HotSync operation.

4-3 Installing Without the Installer

If you are using a non-Windows machine, then follow these steps.  This will install CryptInfo on your Palm only.  It will not install CryptInfo/PC or the CryptInfo Conduit, since these are only available on Windows.

  1. You will need a program to extract Zip files.  On Windows, I suggest WinZip (available at www.winzip.com).  For Macintosh, StuffIt Expander is a popular program.  For Linux, use the "unzip" utility.

  2. Extract the contents of CryptInfo4.0.9.zip to a temporary directory.

  3. Double-click on the cryptinfo.prc file.  (Or use a Palm installer tool to prepare this file for HotSync.)

  4. Perform a HotSync operation.

5 Using the Palm Version

The following sections contain instructions on using the Palm version of CryptInfo.

5-1 Setting Your Passphrase

The first thing you should do when you run CryptInfo is set your passphrase.  Your passphrase is used to lock the CryptInfo application; only someone who enters the passphrase can view the information stored there.  Without a passphrase, anyone who has access to your Palm or your PC where you HotSync can access your CryptInfo data.

Security Note:  When using a passphrase, it is very important that it be hard for other people to guess. For maximum security, it should not be a word in the dictionary, because some computer programs will try every word when trying to guess your passphrase. The best passphrase contains uppercase and lowercase letters as well as numbers, and is at least 8 characters long. Your passphrase can be up to 128 characters long, so you can enter several words or a phrase. I realize it's difficult to type so many letters with graffiti, so it is not required that you use a passphrase of this length, although it is recommended.
Important:  Do not lose your passphrase!  If you forget it, then no one (not even me) can recover it for you.  The only remedy at this point is to delete CryptInfo from your Palm and re-install it.  This will cause all of your data to be lost.

To set your passphrase, follow these steps:

  1. Tap the menu icon on your Palm device.  This is the icon on the lower left corner of the graffiti area.

  2. The "Password" menu will appear.

  3. Tap on "Change..." in the menu.

  4. A warning may appear that says you should perform a HotSync before and after changing your passphrase.  If you see this warning, then perform a HotSync operation before continuing.

  5. Your screen will display the following:
     
    Tip: Tap the "abc" in the graffiti area on your Palm device to bring up the Palm keyboard.  This may help you enter your passphrase.

    Leave the "Old passphrase" empty since you have never set a passphrase before.

  6. Enter your new passphrase in the "New passphrase" and "Confirm passphrase" fields.

  7. Tap "Done".

  8. If you have a lot of information, it may take several seconds or longer to do this, since all of your information needs to be protected using the new passphrase.

  9. If you are using CryptInfo/PC, you should always perform a HotSync operation after changing your passphrase.

Important: Remember to perform a HotSync before and after setting or changing your passphrase.  If you don't do so, you could end up with conflicts.  A conflict is caused when you add or change an account on the PC and then change your passphrase on the Palm.  When you perform a HotSync after doing this, the accounts that have been added or changed will not be able to be synchronized, and you will get a conflict.  You can resolve most conflicts by running CryptInfo/PC and following the instructions that appear.  However, it is recommended that you avoid conflicts whenever possible.

 
5-2 Entering Your Passphrase

When you start CryptInfo, you will see the following screen (if you have set a passphrase):

 
Tip: If you have the "Hide Passphrase" checkbox off, then you can use the built-in Palm keyboard to help enter your passphrase.  Tap the "abc" in the graffiti area on your Palm device to bring up the keyboard.

Enter your passphrase in the field provided and tap "Done" to start CryptInfo.

Tap the "Hide Passphrase" checkbox to toggle whether or not the passphrase is hidden while you enter it.  If it is hidden, any character you type will appear as 'x'.  You can use this feature if you enter your passphrase in a location where someone may be watching.

 
5-3 Changing Your Passphrase

To change your passphrase, follow the instruction for section 5-1 (Setting Your Passphrase), except enter your old passphrase in the "Old passphrase" field when prompted.

5-4 The Account List

When you first enter CryptInfo (after typing your passphrase), you will see the account list.  Initially, it will be empty; you can begin adding accounts by referring to section 5-5 (Adding Accounts).

Each line in the account list represents one account.  On the left side of each line, the Title for the account is displayed.  On the right side of the line, the first field for the account is displayed.  By default, this is the "Login" field, but it can be any field that is placed immediately below the title when adding or editing the account.

On the upper-right corner of the screen, the current category is displayed.  Tap the category to display a list of available categories.  You can choose any category on this list to switch to it, or you can select "Edit Categories..." to edit the list of categories available.

On the bottom-right corner of the screen are two arrows.  Use these arrows to scroll through your accounts when there are more accounts than can fit on the screen.  You can also use the up and down buttons on your Palm to scroll.

Tip: If you have a lot of accounts, it can be tedious to scroll through them.  To quickly jump to any account, enter the first letter of the title by writing it in graffiti.  CryptInfo will immediately jump to the first account that starts with that letter.

On the bottom-left is the "New" button.  Tap this button to create a new account.  See section 5-5 (Adding Accounts) for more details.

To edit an account, tap on it from this screen.  See section 5-7 (Editing Accounts) for more details.

5-5 Adding Accounts

To add accounts to your CryptInfo database, tap on the "New" button while viewing the list of accounts.  You will then see a form that will let you enter new account information.

The "Title:" line allows you to enter a name for this account.  This is the name that will be shown when you view the account list.  Accounts will be sorted alphabetically based on this name.

The next five lines allow you to enter information about your account.  The default labels for the first three lines are "Login", "Pwd", and "URL".  You can change these by tapping the label and selecting a new label from the list that pops up.  Each line can have one of the 11 text labels or a blank label (select the blank item on the pop-up list).  You can also select "Custom..." to choose a custom label.  You may enter a label name of any length, but it is suggested that you restrict the labels to 8 characters or less so that your information can be displayed in a more readable form.

Tip: The labels only take up as much room as they need.  So if you want to have more space to the right of the labels, shorten them.  The screen will automatically redraw to use the space most efficiently.

The final line is labeled "Note:", and you can enter any notes about your account that you wish.

In the upper-right corner of the screen is the category that this account will be placed in.  Tap the category name to select another category or to edit the list of available categories.

When you have finished entering data for this account, tap the "Done" button.  If you do not wish to save the information you have entered, tap the "Cancel" button.  Note that if the "Title" field is blank, none of the information you have entered will be saved.

If there is too much information to fit on the screen, you can use the arrow buttons in the lower-right corner of the screen to scroll through the account information.

5-6 Viewing Accounts

From the main CryptInfo window, you can view an account by simply tapping on its title.  When you do this, a screen will appear that contains all the information you entered about that particular account.

If there is more information than can fit on the screen, you can use the arrow buttons in the lower-right corner of the screen to scroll up and down through the information.  You can also use the up and down buttons on your Palm device to scroll.  If you scroll past the end of the account you are viewing, the next account will be displayed.  Similarly, if you scroll up past the beginning of an account you are viewing, the previous account will be displayed.

From this window, tap "Done" to return to the account list.

Tap "Edit" to edit the account.  You can also tap anywhere on the middle of the screen to edit the account.  See section 5-7 (Editing Accounts) for more information on editing accounts.

Tap "Delete" to delete the account.  You will be asked if you are sure you want to delete it.

5-7 Editing Accounts

When you are viewing an account (see section 5-6 (Viewing Accounts)), tap the "Edit" button to edit it.  This will bring you to a screen where you can modify the account data.

Edit the information as needed and then tap the "Done" button.  You can also tap the "Cancel" button to cancel the changes you have made.

See section 5-4 (Adding Accounts) for more information on editing this information.

5-8 Preferences

You can view the CryptInfo preferences at any time by selecting "Prefs..." from the "Password" menu.

You can set the timeout and/or the fonts on this screen.

To set the timeout, enter the number of seconds after which you want CryptInfo to activate the Auto Lock feature.  If you wish to disable this feature, enter "0".  The Auto Lock feature will automatically lock the CryptInfo application when you don't use it for a while.  This prevents someone from accessing your CryptInfo information if you don't quit CryptInfo when you are done using it.

To set the fonts, tap the font that you would like to use for each of the choices.  The list font is used to display the account list.  The edit font is used while editing an account or creating a new account.  The view font is used while viewing an account.  (Note: The largest font is not available on PalmOS 2.0.)

Important: The Auto Lock feature will not activate while you are viewing the Preferences screen or the About screen.  Take care not to leave your Palm unattended while you are viewing those screens.

Tap Done when you are finished setting the preferences.  They will take effect immediately.

5-9 Exporting

Exporting information is easy.  You can export either a single account, an entire category of accounts, or all of your accounts.

Important: Once you export your data, CryptInfo can no longer protect it!  Please take care that you erase any exported data when you are finished with it so that you can keep your CryptInfo data safe.

5-9-1 Exporting a Single Account

To export a single account, you must be viewing it.  See section 5-6 (Viewing Accounts) for details.

Next, tap the menu icon on your Palm device.  From the "Password" menu, select "Export...".

A confirmation dialog will appear.  Tap OK and your data will be exported to the Memo Pad.

5-9-2 Exporting a Category

To export an entire category, you must be in the account list.  See section 5-4 (The Acount List) for more information.

Select the category that you wish to export.  Next, tap the menu icon on your Palm device.  From the "Password" menu, select "Export...".

A confirmation dialog will appear.  Tap OK and your data will be exported to the Memo Pad.

5-9-3 Exporting All Accounts

Exporting all of your accounts is done the same way as exporting a category.  Instead of choosing a category, choose "All".  Then follow the directions above.

5-9-4 Viewing Exported Accounts

Once you've exported some CryptInfo accounts, start the Memo Pad application, and switch to the "Unfiled" category.  There will be one or more memos starting with "CryptInfo Export".  These memos contain the exported data.

Tip: CryptInfo will split the data into multiple Memo Pad entries if it runs out of room.  So you may see several memos for a single export.

The exported accounts will be in the following format:

Title: title
Label1: Field1
Label2: Field2
...
Note: Note

For example, you might have an account that looks like this:

Title: PalmGear.com
Login: Tim
Pwd: password
Note: This is my PalmGear login.

You can use accounts in this format to import into another CryptInfo program.  See section 5-10 (Importing).  This will allow you to easily share information with other CryptInfo users.  (Note that if you have any labels or fields that contain new line characters, you can export the account, but CryptInfo will not be able to import it again.)

5-10 Importing

Importing accounts into CryptInfo is also very simple.

CryptInfo currently understands two types of input formats:  Field format and CSV format.

5-10-1 Field Format

Field format is the format that is described above in section 5-9 (Exporting).  It consists of a label name, followed by a colon, and followed by field text.

There are several important restrictions to this format.

5-10-2 CSV Format

CSV (or comma-separated value) refers to a standard format used in database or spreadsheet applications.

This format consists of a list of fields separated by commas.  Each field can optionally be enclosed in quotation marks to quote special characters (commas, newlines, etc.).  There are several limitations that should be observed:

Here is an example of an account in this format:

"PalmGear.com",Login:,"Tim","Pwd:","password","","","","",,,"This
is a multi-line note.
Last line."

You should note the following aspects of this example:

Many database and spreadsheet programs will export their data in this format, cutting down on the amount of work to get your information protected with CryptInfo!

5-10-3 Preparing For an Import

To import accounts into CryptInfo, choose one of the above formats.  You cannot mix formats during a single import operation.

Place the data into a Memo Pad entry.  There are several lines of information that you should add at the top of the entry:

  1. The first line must begin with "CryptInfo Import".  You can include other information after that (e.g. "CryptInfo Import - My PC Data").
  2. After this line, you can enter an optional "Category" line.  This specifies the category that you wish your accounts to be imported into.  (Note that if this category does not exist, or if you do not include this line, your accounts will be placed into the "Unfiled" category.)  This line looks like this:
Category: WWW
  1. After the optional "Category" line, you can enter another optional "Format" line.  This line tells CryptInfo what format your data is in.  If you do not include this line, CryptInfo will attempt to guess the format.  It will almost always guess correctly, but it can't hurt to include the line anyway.  This line can be one of the following:
Format: CSV
Format: Field

After this information, your accounts should be listed with nothing between them (except spaces and/or newlines).  Do not include any extra information or else CryptInfo will become confused.

You can enter as many accounts as will fit into a single Memo Pad entry.

Here is an example Memo Pad entry with the format and category specifiers:

CryptInfo Import - My data

Category: WWW
Format: Field

Title: PalmGear.com
Login: Tim
Pwd: password
Note: This is my PalmGear login.

Title: www.normsoft.com
Login: Tim
Pwd: password
Email: tim@normsoft.com
Note: This is my account on NormSoft's web site.

5-10-4 Performing an Import

Once you have entered this information, start CryptInfo and tap the menu icon on your Palm device.  From the "Password" menu, select "Import...".  You will be asked to confirm the import, and then it will continue.  If CryptInfo cannot find the Memo Pad record, or if there is an error parsing the entry, you will receive an error message.  Double check your Memo Pad entry for errors and try again.

Important: Don't forget to delete the data in the Memo Pad after performing an Import!  Once it is in CryptInfo, it is protected with your passphrase, but the Memo Pad entry is not deleted until you delete it yourself.

6 Using the PC Version

The following sections describe how to use CryptInfo/PC.  NormSoft has made every effort to make CryptInfo/PC easy to use for people who are familiar with the Palm version.  And, we have also tried to leverage the extra power of your PC to make CryptInfo/PC easier to use and more powerful.

6-1 Entering Your Passphrase

When you start CryptInfo/PC, the first dialog that appears is the "CryptInfo Passphrase" dialog.  (If you do not have Palm Desktop installed, and you are starting CryptInfo for the first time, you will instead be instructed to create a new database.  See section 6-4 (Creating a New PC-Only Database) for more information.)

There are two types of databases that you can use with CryptInfo/PC: Palm databases and PC databases.  Palm databases are synchronized with a Palm device, while PC databases reside only on the PC.

Next to "Choose Database" is a dropdown that lists all of the databases you have available.  All of the Palm databases on your system will be listed, as well as your recently-used PC databases.

To open an existing database, choose the database you would like to open and enter the passphrase.  Then click OK.  See section 6-5 (The CryptInfo/PC Main Window) for an overview of the main application window and how to use it.

To find an existing database that is not in the list, click "Browse..." and see section 6-2 (Choosing an Existing Database).

To create a new database, click "Create New..." and see section 6-4 (Creating a New PC-Only Database).

6-2 Choosing an Existing Database

If there is a PC database on your system that you would like to open, and it is not listed on the CryptInfo Passphrase dialog, then click on the "Browse..." button from the CryptInfo Passphrase dialog.  This will bring up an Open dialog that will allow you to find and select the CryptInfo database you wish to open.

Select the CryptInfo database and click Open.  You will then return to the CryptInfo Passphrase dialog, where you can enter your passphrase.  This database will now be available in the dropdown list, and it will be remembered so you can easily use it later.

6-3 Creating a New Palm Database

To create a database that you can synchronize with your Palm, follow this procedure.

CryptInfo/PC will now open, and you can access your accounts from both the PC and the Palm.

6-4 Creating a New PC-Only Database

If you would like to create a new CryptInfo database that you will only use on the PC, click on the "Create New..." button from the CryptInfo Passphrase dialog.

You will see a warning that this new database will only be usable on your PC.  If you want to create a database that can be synchronized with your Palm, see section 6-3 (Creating a New Palm Database).

A Save As dialog will appear.  Choose where you would like to save your new database.  By default, it will be saved in your "My CryptInfo" folder.  If you're not sure, accept the default.

The Enter Passphrase dialog will appear.

Choose a new passphrase to protect this database and then click OK.  Your new database will open.  See section 6-5 (The CryptInfo/PC Main Window) for an overview of the main application window and how to use it.

6-5 The CryptInfo/PC Main Window

After you choose a database and enter your passphrase, you will see the main CryptInfo/PC window.

This window gives you access to all of the information that is stored in your database.

Tip: Resize this window by clicking and dragging the edges, just as you would for any other resizable window.

There are three panes displayed in the center of this window: the category pane, the account list pane, and the account view pane.

The category pane displays a list of all the categories in your database.  This is similar to the category list in the upper-right corner on the Palm.  See section 6-6 (The Category Pane) for details on how to use this pane.

The account list pane displays a list of all the accounts in the selected category.  There are multiple columns displayed in this list, each of which display a particular piece of data from the account, such as the title.  See section 6-7 (The Account List Pane) for details on how to use this pane. 

The account view pane displays the currently-select account.  See section 6-8 (The Account View Pane) for details on how to use this pane.

Click on the "New..." button to create a new account in the current category.  See section 6-9 (Creating a New Account).

Click on the "Edit..." button to edit the currently-selected account.  See section 6-10 (Editing an Account).

Click on the "Delete..." button to delete the currently-selected account(s).  See section 6-11 (Deleting an Account).

Click on the "Lock" button to lock the database.  See section 6-12 (Locking The Database).

Click on the "Quit" button to quit CryptInfo/PC.

6-6 The Category Pane

The category pane displays a list of all the available categories in the database.

To select a category, click on its name in the list.  The account list pane will be updated to display all of the records in the selected category.  Only one category can be selected at a time.

If you right-click on a category, a menu will appear that contains the following options:

6-7 The Account List Pane

The account list pane displays a list of all the accounts in the current category.

Each column contains the information from one field of each account.  For example, the "Title" column in this example contains the title of each account in the list.  These columns can be customized by changing the category preferences.  See section 6-16 (Category Preferences) for more information.

Each of the columns can be resized by clicking and dragging the column dividers.

You can sort the records by clicking on the column that you wish to sort on.  If you click on the URL column, for example, the accounts will be sorted based on their URL.  Click on the column again to sort in reverse order.  A small arrow will appear to indicate which column you are sorting on and in which direction you are sorting.

Click on an account to select it.  You can select multiple accounts by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on additional accounts.  You can select a range of accounts by selecting the beginning account, holding down the shift key, and then selecting the ending account.

When only one account is selected, its information will be displayed in the account view pane.

To edit an account, double-click on it or select it and press the Enter key.

When you right-click on the account list pane, a menu will appear with the following options:

6-8 The Account View Pane

The account view pane shows the information for the currently-selected account.

The left column displays the labels that are used for this account, and the right column displays the fields for the account.

You can resize the columns by clicking and dragging the column divider.

If you do not wish to display this pane, click on the button labeled "<<".  The pane will disappear.  You can bring the pane back by clicking on the button labeled ">>".

6-9 Creating a New Account

There are four ways to create a new account.

Doing one of these four things will cause the Add CryptInfo Account dialog to appear.

Tip: This dialog is resizable.  Resize it by clicking and dragging any of the edges, just like any other resizable dialog.

The "Category" dropdown contains a list of all of the categories available.  Choose one from this list.

Tip: If you change the category before you have entered any information, the labels will change to the default labels for the chosen category.  To set up the default labels for a category, see section 6-16 (Category Preferences).

In the "Title" field, enter the title for this account.  The title will appear in the "Title" column in the account list pane.  If you are using the Palm version, the title will appear  in the account list on the Palm.

The next five rows contain five customizable fields.  On the left of each row is a dropdown box.  You can choose one of the pre-defined labels from this dropdown, or you can enter your own label.

Tip: To customize the list of available labels, see section 6-16 (Category Preferences).

In the "Note" field, enter a note for the new account.

Click OK when you have finished entering the account information or Cancel if you do not wish to enter the account.

6-10 Editing an Account

There are several ways to edit an account.

Doing one of these things will cause the Edit CryptInfo Account dialog to appear.

You can edit the information in this dialog just like when you first created the account.  See section 6-9 (Creating a New Account).

6-11 Deleting an Account

There are several ways to delete an account.

A dialog will appear that asks you if you are sure you want to delete the account(s).

6-12 Locking the Database

The CryptInfo/PC database can be locked at any time by clicking on the "Lock" button from the main window.  You can also select "Lock" from the "File" menu.

When the database is locked, you cannot access any of the information in it.  If you wish to view or edit the information, you must unlock the database first.  To unlock it, click "Unlock..." or select "Unlock..." from the File menu.  When you do this, the CryptInfo Passphrase dialog will appear, and you should enter your passphrase and click OK.

Note: When you perform a HotSync operation, if you have the database open that is shared with the Palm, CryptInfo/PC will automatically lock itself so it can access the database.

6-13 Creating a New Category

There are two ways to create a new category.

CryptInfo/PC will ask you to enter the name of the new category.  Enter it and click OK, or click Cancel.

6-14 Renaming a Category

There are two ways to rename a category.

CryptInfo/PC will ask you to enter a new name for the category.

Note: You cannot rename the "All" or "Unfiled" categories.

6-15 Deleting a Category

There are two ways to delete a category.

CryptInfo/PC will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the category.  All of the accounts in that category will be moved to the "Unfiled" category.

Note: You cannot delete the "All" or "Unfiled" categories.

6-16 Category Preferences

Each category has preferences associated with it.  These preferences allow you to set the columns displayed in the account list pane, the list of available labels, and the default labels for that category.

There are two ways to display the category preferences.

When a category's preferences are first displayed, the category will be using the default category preferences.  The default category preferences are shared by all categories that do not have their own preferences set.

The preferences dialog is separated into four sections: Default Preferences, Show These Fields, Available Labels, and Default Labels.  Each of these sections is described below.

Default Preferences

If you want the category to share the default preferences, then check the checkbox that reads "Use default category preferences".  If you want the category to have its own preferences, un-check this checkbox.

You will only be allowed to edit the rest of the preferences on this dialog if this checkbox is un-checked.

To edit the default preferences, click on the "Edit Default Preferences..." button.  The "Default Category Preferences" dialog will appear.  This dialog looks identical to the category preferences dialog and will let you modify the default preferences.

Show These Fields

This section lists the fields that will be displayed in the account list pane.

There is an arrow over the column that you are currently working with.  To move this arrow, click on the field name that you wish to work with.

To move the selected field to the left, click on the "Move Left" button.  To move it to the right, click on the "Move Right" button.

To add a new field, click on the "Add..." button.  CryptInfo/PC will ask you to choose a new field name to add.

To remove the current field from the account list view, click on the "Remove" button.

Available Labels

This section lists the labels that are available to you when you are creating or editing an account.

Click on a label to select it.

To move a label up, click on the "Up" button.  To move it down, click on the "Down" button.

To add a new label, click "Add...".  CryptInfo/PC will ask you to enter a label name to add.

To remove the selected label, click "Remove".

Default Labels

This section lists the default labels for each of the five labels in an account.  These are the defaults that you will see when creating a new account in this category.

For each of the five labels, select a label from the dropdown or enter one of your choosing.

 

Once you have finished setting the preferences, click OK to save them or Cancel to discard them.

6-17 Cutting an Account

CryptInfo/PC allows you to cut, copy, and paste accounts between categories.  To mark an account to be cut, do one of the following:

The selected records are now marked to be cut.  See section 6-19 (Pasting an Account) for information on how to paste them into a new category.

6-18 Copying an Account

CryptInfo/PC allows you to cut, copy, and paste accounts between categories.  To mark an account to be copied, do one of the following:

The selected records are now marked to be coped.  See section 6-19 (Pasting an Account) for information on how to paste them into a category.

6-19 Pasting an Account

Once you have marked one or more accounts to be cut or copied, you can paste them to another category.  Select the category where you would like to paste the accounts, and then do one of the following:

The accounts you marked will now be cut or copied from their original location to this new category.

Note: You cannot paste accounts into the "All" category.

6-20 Finding Accounts

With CryptInfo/PC, you can search through your accounts to find a word, phrase, or part of a word.

From the Edit menu, select "Find..." or press Ctrl-F to bring up the CryptInfo Find dialog.

Enter the word, phrase, or part of a word that you want to search for in the text field.

If you want the search to be case-sensitive (that is, "AAA" is not the same as "aaa"), then check the "Case Sensitive" checkbox.

If you want to search backwards, then check the "Search Backwards" checkbox.

Click OK to begin the search or Cancel to cancel the search.

The first account that matches your search string will be selected.  If CryptInfo/PC does not find any account that matches the search, it will display a message asking you if you want to continue the search from the beginning or end of the category.  Select Yes to continue searching or No to stop the search.

After you have performed a find operation once, you can perform the same find operation again by hitting F3 or selecting the "Find Again" menu item from the "Edit" menu.

6-21 Changing Your Passphrase

With CryptInfo/PC you can change the passphrase for a PC-only database.  To do this, select "Change Passphrase..." from the File menu.

A dialog will appear asking for your old passphrase and your new passphrase.  Click OK when you have entered them both.

Tip: To change your passphrase on a database that is shared between the PC and the Palm, do the following:
  1. Peform a HotSync operation to make sure all of your information is synchronized.
  2. Change your passphrase on the Palm.  See section 5-3 (Changing Your Passphrase) for information on how to do this.
  3. Perform another HotSync operation to synchronize the passphrase change.

6-22 Copying An Account's Password

CryptInfo/PC allows you to quickly copy the password from an account so that you can enter it into another Windows application, such as Internet Explorer.  This will allow you to quickly enter passwords without having to type them.

There are several ways to copy an account's password:

After you copy an account's password, switch to the Windows application where you want to enter your password.  Use the application's paste function to paste the password.  Usually this is done by pressing Ctrl-V on your keyboard or by selecting "Paste" from the Edit menu.

Tip: For CryptInfo/PC to recognize a password in your account, you must have a label named "Pwd".  CryptInfo/PC will only copy the password that appears to the right of this label.

Security Note: When you close or lock your CryptInfo/PC database, any password that you have on the clipboard will be erased.  This is to prevent unencrypted passwords remaining in memory after the database is closed.

 

6-23 Command-Line Options

CryptInfo/PC can accept some simple command-line options.  If you don't know what a command-line option is, then you can skip this section; it is not important.  The options are detailed below:

7 Synchronization

If you installed the CryptInfo Conduit, you will be able to synchronize your Palm database with your PC.

There are several synchronization options that you can choose to use.  The default option is to synchronize the information between the PC and the Palm, and this should be sufficient for most people.  You only need to change the synchronization option if you do not want to synchronize the information both ways.

To view or change your synchronization options, do the following:

  1. Start the HotSync Manager if it's not already running.  You can tell if it's running by looking for this icon in your system tray:
  2. Click on the HotSync icon in your system tray.
  3. A menu will appear.  Select "Custom...".
  4. The "Custom" dialog will appear.
  5. Click on "CryptInfo" and then click "Change..."
  6. The CryptInfo HotSync Actions dialog will appear.
  7. The default action is "Synchronize the files".  This is what most people will use.  Setting this option means that any changes made on either the PC or the handheld will be synchronized together.
  8. Choose "Desktop overwrites handheld" if you will never be making changes on your handheld.  Whenever you perform a HotSync, any changes on the handheld will be lost.
  9. Choose "Handheld overwrites Desktop" if you will never be making changes on your desktop.  Whenever you perform a HotSync, any changes on the desktop will be lost.
  10. Choose "Do nothing" if you want to disable CryptInfo synchronization.
8 Frequently Asked Questions

Following are answers to several common questions that people have about CryptInfo.

8-1 Is My CryptInfo Data Backed Up?

Yes.  If you are using CryptInfo/PC, all of your information is synchronized whenever you perform a HotSync operation.  In addition, regardless of whether or not you use CryptInfo/PC, your database will be backed up to your computer whenever you perform a HotSync operation.

8-2 Is the Backup Encrypted?

Yes.  None of your CryptInfo information is ever stored without encryption unless you explicitly copy it to another application or use the export feature.  Therefore, no one will be able to read the data stored in the backup without knowing your passphrase.

8-3 How Do I Restore My CryptInfo Information In Case I Have to Reset My Palm?

If you have to perform a hard reset on your Palm, or if your Palm is lost or stolen, you can restore your CryptInfo information to a Palm device very easily.

If you are restoring the information to the same Palm device, all you need to do is perform a HotSync.  The HotSync Manager application will ask you to identify the username for the Palm device.  Then it will restore all of your applications and data.  With some older versions of Palm Desktop, you may need to re-install the CryptInfo application again.  To do so, find the cryptinfo.prc file and double-click it.  If you installed CryptInfo/PC, the cryptinfo.prc file will be in C:\Program Files\CryptInfo (or where ever you chose to install CryptInfo).

If you are restoring the information to another Palm device, do the following:

  1. Find the CryptInfo backup file.  This file is named "CryptInfo_Database.pdb" and should be located somewhere inside your Palm Desktop folder.  For Windows, this is usually in C:\Palm.  In Windows, use the "Find Files or Folders" or "Search for Files and Folders" option to find this file.  On the Macintosh, use Sherlock.
  2. Double-click the CryptInfo backup file.
  3. It may ask you which Palm you would like to install the file to.  Pick the username that corresponds to the new Palm device.
  4. Find the cryptinfo.prc file and double-click it.  If you installed CryptInfo/PC, the cryptinfo.prc file will be in C:\Program Files\CryptInfo (or where ever you chose to install CryptInfo).  Otherwise, you will need to retrieve the file from the CryptInfo4.0.9.zip file that you originally downloaded.  You can download this file from www.normsoft.com
  5. Perform a HotSync operation.
8-4 Is There (or will there be) a Macintosh Version of CryptInfo?

Currently, there are no plans to provide a Macintosh version of CryptInfo.  Macintosh users can still use CryptInfo for the Palm, of course, but they will not be able to view or edit the information on the Mac.  If we hear from a large number of Macintosh users who are interested in a Macintosh version, then we will reconsider.

8-5 What Happens to My Accounts When Upgrading?

When you upgrade from any version of CryptInfo or PassMan, all of your account information is kept!  You will not lose any information.  Of course, you should always perform a backup beforehand to ensure that there are no unexpected problems.  Also, be sure to follow the upgrade instructions carefully, especially if you are using a version prior to 3.0.  See Section 4-1 (Upgrading) for more information.

8-6 Can I Use CryptInfo on More Than One PC?

This is actually two questions:

Does the CryptInfo license allow me to use CryptInfo/PC on more than one PC?

The essence of the CryptInfo license agreement is that only one person should be using a registered copy of CryptInfo at any given time.  That means that you can use a single registration code to install CryptInfo/PC on multiple PCs provided that you are the only person that uses it.  If anyone else uses that copy of CryptInfo/PC, you must purchase another license.

Does CryptInfo work if I synchronize with more than one PC?

Yes.  CryptInfo will synchronize all of your information between any number of PCs.  In fact, this is a great way to keep your passwords (and other important information) at your fingertips whether you are at work, home, or somewhere else.

9 Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble with CryptInfo, check the common problems below to see if they answer your question.

After installing CryptInfo, I cannot HotSync.

Check the following:

  1. First, make sure you have Palm Desktop 3.0.1 or later installed.  Run Palm Desktop and select "About Palm Desktop" from the Help menu.  If you do no have Palm Desktop 3.0.1 or later, then download the latest version from http://www.palm.com/
  2. View the HotSync log.  You can do this by clicking on the HotSync icon in the system tray on your computer.  (The system tray is the set of icons that usually appears on the bottom-right corner of your screen.)  Then select "View Log" from the menu that appears.
  3. If you see an error message in the log, it may give you instructions on how to continue.  Follow those instructions.  If there is an error message with no instructions, email support@normsoft.com with a complete copy of your HotSync log for the most recent HotSync.
  4. If you do not see "OK CryptInfo" in the log, and there is no error message, then the conduit is not properly installed.
  5. Open the Custom HotSync dialog.  You can do this by clicking on the HotSync icon in the system tray and selecting "Custom" from the menu that appears.
  6. Select your Palm user name at the top of the dialog.
  7. Check to see if CryptInfo is listed.  If it is, make sure it says "Synchronize the files" next to it.  If it does not, then see section 7 (Synchronization) for information on changing this.
  8. If HotSync still does not work, then close the HotSync Manager by clicking on its icon in the system tray and selecting "Exit".  Then restart it by going to the Start menu and selecting Programs -> Palm Desktop -> HotSync Manager.  Then try to HotSync again.
  9. Finally, try to install CryptInfo again.  Follow the installation instructions in section 4 (Installation) and make sure to select "CryptInfo Conduit" from the "Choose Components" dialog when it appears.
  10. If it is still not working, send email to support@normsoft.com and make sure to include your Palm Desktop version, your PalmOS version on your Palm device, your Windows version, and a complete copy of the latest HotSync log.

I cannot open the CryptInfo database on the PC.

The most common reason that this happens is that you have not yet performed a HotSync.  After you install CryptInfo, you must do the following steps:

If you have done this, and you still cannot open the database on your PC, then the CryptInfo conduit may not be installed correctly.  See the previous troubleshooting question for details on how to fix this.

If you are getting an error about an "invalid magic number", then you are not opening the CryptInfo database correctly.  To open the database, you must select "Palm User: Your Name" from the "Choose Database" dropdown on the CryptInfo Passphrase dialog.  Do not use the Browse button unless you are trying to open a PC-only CryptInfo database.

CryptInfo says my registration code is not correct.

If you are using CryptInfo 4.0.3 or earlier, then upgrade to the latest version by going to http://www.normsoft.com/cryptinfo/ .  There is a bug on some Palm devices that was causing some registration codes to be marked invalid.

If you are using the latest version, and you still cannot enter your registration code, then read the following tips.

The install fails with an error code that it cannot open the license file.

If you see an error message that the CryptInfo Installer cannot open the license file, then you have not extracted all of the files from the ZIP file correctly.  You should either use the "Install" button from WinZip or extract all of the files to a temporary directory on your hard disk.  (e.g. "c:\temp\cryptinfo")  Note that on Windows XP, the CryptInfo ZIP file may appear like a folder in Windows Explorer.  Even though it looks like all the files are extracted, you will not be able to run the installer until you extract the files to a temporary directory.

The install fails with an error code about not being able to copy files or create directories.

Check the following:

The installer says that Palm Desktop is not installed, even though it is.

Check the following:

I receive this error message after performing a HotSync: "Since your last HotSync, you have installed a new CryptInfo database on your Palm.  Please see the troubleshooting section of the CryptInfo documentation for more details."

This error message is displayed when you try to synchronize two different databases.  This could happen for a number of reasons.  The most common reason is that you deleted CryptInfo from your Palm and then installed it again.  When you run CryptInfo on the Palm after doing this, it creates an empty database, which cannot be synchronized with the old database stored on your PC.  Or, you may have installed a CryptInfo database from another Palm device on to your Palm device.

To fix this problem, decide which of the two databases you wish to keep:  the CryptInfo database on the Palm, or the CryptInfo database on the PC.  Important Note:  Whichever database you decide not to keep will be deleted.  If there is anything of importance in this database, be sure to make a backup!

If you want to keep the PC database, do the following:

If you want to keep the Palm database, do the following: